21Apr 2020 by CJ
Coronavirus fatalities – easy to overlook on the sidelines

Coronavirus fatalities – easy to overlook on the sidelines

Life & Living, Love & Relationships
In 1918, the Spanish Flu killed 675,000 Americans. In 2019, 38,800 Americans died in car crashes on US roadways. In 2001, 2,977 people were killed in the 9/11 attacks. The commonality of the statistics above is NOT the demise of innocent people. Rather, how their demise will forever haunt the lives of spouses, siblings, children and friends, and the coronavirus fatalities are no different. As of this writing, 42,604 people have died from the coronavirus in the United States. Congressman Trey Hollingsworth of Indiana is urging fellow lawmakers to “put on our big boy and big girl pants” and simply let Americans die in order to protect the economy. I wonder if the congressman was also referring to members of his own family, his friends or even himself, or just…
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20Mar 2020 by CJ
Being quarantined gives us time to reconnect with ourselves and others

Being quarantined gives us time to reconnect with ourselves and others

Life & Living, Love & Relationships
“All over the world, people are being quarantined and are being compelled to practice social distancing. We are trying desperately to remain sane in a world that seems bordering on the insane. So, the time is just right for us to ponder, reflect, meditate, and discover the world within our own minds.” - Avijeet Das, Poet and a writer from New Delhi, India We are living in unprecedented times across America and throughout the global hemisphere. People from all walks of life, of all ages, are being quarantined in order to protect themselves, and those around them, from spreading a fast-moving virus few took seriously at the start. As society remains quarantined either by choice or governmental mandate for an indefinite period of time, we’re forced to accept an unexpected…
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29Dec 2019 by CJ
The greatest gift you have are the people you share your life with

The greatest gift you have are the people you share your life with

Generosity & Kindness, Life & Living, Love & Relationships
This Christmas, my wife purchased me a book entitled The Greatest Gift, written by Philip Van Doren Stern. While I was unfamiliar with the book at first, I would soon come to understand and appreciate the sentimentality of her gift. Stern spent much of his literary career as an editor and Civil War historian. But around 1938, the story of The Greatest Gift came to him in a dream – outlined from start to finish with incredible clarity. The only trouble was Stern had never composed a work of fiction before. He worked tirelessly capturing the plot from his subconscious, and by 1943 he finally completed the project, which amounted to the length of a short story. From GoodReads, it’s a, “tale about a man named George Pratt who ponders…
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27Dec 2019 by CJ
New Year’s resolutions can truly be impactful for not just ourselves

New Year’s resolutions can truly be impactful for not just ourselves

Life & Living, Love & Relationships
As the holiday season comes to a close, the start of a new year is on the horizon, which means New Year's resolutions aren't far behind. For many of us, December 31 is synonymous with gatherings in Time Square – where a star-studded ball makes its decent before thousands of onlookers cheering “Happy New Year!” at the stroke of midnight. This time-honored celebration has become one of the world’s oldest holidays on record - credited to the Babylonians who first celebrated the day some 4,000 years ago. Though the timing and traditions have changed some over the years, it’s still widely practiced by millions of people all over the globe on the eve of December 31. But the start of a new year should mean more than just champagne toasts,…
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16Dec 2019 by CJ
A giving tree inspires selflessness at Christmas

A giving tree inspires selflessness at Christmas

Love & Relationships
A Giving Tree is a popular charitable initiative during the holiday season. For those unaware of the concept, a Giving Tree is essentially a Christmas tree decorated with gift tags dangling from branches by festive colored ribbon. These tags are not blank however, for they have a very important job - carrying the holiday wishes of children and teenagers with limited resources. They’re typically found in shopping malls, religious institutions, schools, hospitals, and most recently, virtually online in order to reach as many charitable givers as possible. During this celebrated time of year, children of all ages are anxiously compiling their Christmas lists and sending them to the North Pole (or to Santa’s helpers, also known as “parents”). Like the Giving Tree, these lists are comprised of wishes, but that’s…
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