Recently I’ve been thinking about the division in our country and what can be done about it. As I’ve pondered the topic, I began watching all three acts of the play Our Town, by playwright and novelist Thornton Wilder on YouTube. I remember seeing Our Town in my school’s auditorium when the thespian club presented it when I was in high school. The show is the most-performed play ever in America since its creation in 1938. Some of the themes in it are similar to the recently released … [Read more...]
Honoring Senator John McCain
The recent death of Senator John McCain has evoked significant commentary from all sides of the political spectrum about the nature of his legacy of service to our nation. What is indisputable is that McCain fought his final battle with cancer the same way he conducted himself during years of distinguished military service – with bravery and dignity. Many years ago, before my husband, Larry, deployed to Vietnam, we were both acutely aware of McCain’s capture by the North Vietnamese after … [Read more...]
Animals Have Feelings, Too
While watching the news during the past few weeks, I was especially moved by the story of Tahlequah, a female orca in the waters north of Seattle whose newborn calf died shortly after birth. While I understand that we humans too often tend to anthropomorphize animal behavior, what happened next was so relatable and moving to me as a mother. Rather than abandon her calf’s body to the ocean, Tahlequah buoyed its body up onto her back, carrying it for 17 days before finally relinquishing it to a … [Read more...]
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Franklin was a favorite of mine, especially in the ’60s. She will be missed. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FOUqQt3Kg0 … [Read more...]
Words Matter
When I was growing up in the 1950s a common refrain among children was, “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me.” Since those days, I’ve come to understand the tremendous power that verbal abuse can have on others, and how this damage is further compounded when the abuse is directed at someone suffering from mental illness. Recently, however, I’ve begun to hear words like “crazy,” “stupid” and “loser” bandied about by public figures in reference to others. Recently I … [Read more...]
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