Craig Ruvere

10Jan 2022 by CJ

A Lack of Sacrifice, Compassion, is How We Got to Where We Are

In Mitch Albom's book The Five People You Meet in Heaven, he writes, "Sacrifice is a part of life. It's supposed to be. It's not something to regret. It's something to aspire to." A lack of sacrifice can undoubtedly be attributed to the increasing divide in our country when it comes to the pandemic, especially vaccines. Throughout history, our government has imposed rules and mandates in an attempt to make our lives safer, better, longer. A few that come to mind are wearing seatbelts while driving on public roadways, having to endure security checkpoints at airports, banning smoking in public places (even outdoors), and I'm sure you can think of many, many others. At times, all these rules and mandates were met with great public resistance – viewed as inconveniences infringing…

02Jan 2022 by CJ

The Happiest Man on Earth Teaches Us About Political Hatred

Generosity & Kindness, Information & Education

I recently read a memoir by an author whose name is probably unfamiliar to you, as it was to me. The memoir's title is The Happiest Man on Earth, written by Eddie Jaku and published when he turned 100 years old. However, you won't conclude from the title of this book that Eddie Jaku was a survivor of the Holocaust. Before turning to the very first page, I found myself questioning the incredible contrast between the title and the realities so many of us have read about the Holocaust. How could Eddie have spent seven years experiencing unimaginable terrors and incredible loss and then recanting those tales in a book entitled The Happiest Man on Earth? The book is heartbreaking at times, painting a clear picture of the torture and suffering Eddie…

07Dec 2021 by CJ

It’s about what you’ve given back that matters during the holiday season

Generosity & Kindness

“At the end, it’s not about what you have or even what you’ve accomplished. It’s about who you’ve lifted up, who you’ve made better. It’s about what you’ve given back.” - Denzel Washington My wife and I decided to forgo exchanging presents with each other this Christmas. Now I realize for some of you reading this, the notion of not having a gift to open on Christmas morning is a desecration of the holiday itself. But what if, instead of lavishing each other with gifts we may or may not want or need, we did as Mr. Washington states – it’s about what you’ve given back. In our home, a lesson learned from the pandemic has been the realization that we are incredibly fortunate and unquestionably blessed. We’ve come to…

01Dec 2021 by CJ

Lauren Boebert should be fired for her racist remarks as a representative of America

Information & Education

On November 18, I wrote a blog post regarding Rep. Paul Gosnar and his cartoon attack on Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and President Joe Biden. The post asked that Gosnar face the same fate as any hard-working American would had they done the same thing at their place of employment. Now, 12 days later, I'm asking the same thing for one of his party members. Lauren Boebert should be fired. James Madison, the 4th president of the United States from 1809 to 1817, once remarked that "The advancement and diffusion of knowledge is the only guardian of true liberty." Where is the advancement of knowledge where Lauren Boebert is concerned? A woman in an esteemed position who sees nothing wrong with her extreme racism of Rep. Ilhan Omar (and many others I'm sure she's yet to share…

28Nov 2021 by CJ

The highest sense of well-being comes from being yourself

Youth

A recent report by UNICEF, which analyzed data from 41 high-income countries, found that children in the Netherlands had the highest sense of well-being, followed by Denmark and Norway. At the bottom? Chile, Bulgaria, and yes, the United States. Anita Cleare, author of “The Working Parent’s Survival Guide,” told CNBC regarding the report, “I think that growing up in a culture where everyone’s unique gifts are celebrated, and children feel like they can be who they want to be, and they’re not being judged, is likely to make friendships more positive, playground culture more positive, and is going to help children’s happiness levels.” But here in the United States, we don’t live in a society where everyone’s unique gifts are celebrated or worry about our children’s highest sense of well-being. Instead, parents force…