The Deadly Effect of Being Perfect / See You Next Tuesday

“Have no fear of perfection
– you’ll never reach it.”
– Salvador Dali

I constantly remind myself, and others, of the dangers of being a perfectionist. To strive for perfection is to never be satisfied. And importantly, to never be happy. Endeavoring to be perfect can easily become a deadly double-edged sword.

This is my favorite photo of R. J. He is showing off his new collar! He is another perfect gift.

Trying to always be perfect is pursuing the worst in us, that part that tells us nothing is ever good enough.

I have found one of the best antidotes to the unnatural inclination toward perfection is simple. Stop thinking about it and give your life, your labor and your love to others. Recognize that Love is the condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own.

An antidote, by the way, is a substance which can counteract a form of poisoning. The term ultimately derives from the Greek αντιδιδοναι antididonai, “given against”. Antidote is the best term to use, in my opinion, to better understand what we are really coping with. For you see, perfectionism is a form of poisoning. The expectation of perfection can poison the spirit of a child. Yes, it can lead to death, and has many thousands of times.

Kirby is bored. She is looking forward to being with the children on Tuesday.

Allow me to mention, again, the horrifying statistic involving our precious children that enroll in a college or university.

Statistics on college suicides has tripled since the 1950s and suicide is currently the second most common cause of death among college students, second only to traffic accidents.1 in 12 college students has actually made a suicide plan at some point. For more see: youngadults.about.com

It is unbelievable, but tragically true. And suicide, typically, does not discriminate based on age, race, gender, or sexual orientation. But in this country it does discriminate. Suicide rates are inordinately high for our young, vulnerable and emotional distressed and stressed out children. For middle and high school age youth (ages 12-18), suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death.

In ages 10-14, we have seen an alarming 128% increase in suicides since 1980, making it the third leading cause of death for that age group according to the Jason Foundation – see: http://jasonfoundation.com/youth-suicide/facts-stats/

More teenagers and young adults die from suicide than from cancer, heart disease, AIDS, birth defects, stroke, pneumonia, influenza, and chronic lung disease, COMBINED.

Each day in our nation, there are an average of over 5,400 attempts by young people grades 7-12. My dear friends, these are NOT just numbers, they are our children.

Lila & R. J. have enjoyed the sandbox.

War deaths in Afghanistan number almost 2,100 young Americans, lost since the U.S. entered that conflict in 2003. But most people are unaware that a much greater loss of young lives occurs every year on this nation’s college campuses.

Yes, we are effectively at war, in our own country, with what causes the death of many more young Americans. And the sooner we realize that it is a war, and one that we are losing, the sooner we will find hope for the many thousands who desperately need hope. They are the children of our deepest love. They are the sons and daughters of us all. They are my children. And they are your children.

Folks, we need to admit our mistakes. We need to take responsibility. We need to love each other enough to see the light of our neglectful transgressions. We need to stop pretending that we are doing what is right. We have failed so many of our deeply loved children, by not having the courage to say no. Say NO to outdated and oppressive teaching methodologies. Say NO to antiquated and overly stressful and unnecessary assessment strategies that place so much stress on children that they simply stop breathing. Say No to anyone who expects our children to be perfect. Shout No. And then, by God, go out into this world and do something about it.

And what has Dr. A been up to?

My friends, there is simply too much stress placed upon our young, sensitive, vulnerable children. And what have you gained, if your honor roll child no longer exists. The only thing to be gained from such tragic loss is knowledge – truly sad knowing, and deep, everlasting regret.

We now have the wisdom, garnered from an unimaginable price paid by so very many children, to know that a precious child means far more to us than a crippled letter of the alphabet printed upon a piece of really dumb looking paper.

LeVonna and I have come to the realization that such artificial contrivances as report cards and grades, are highly superficial and deplorably subjective. Our state government (that’s us, Folks, you know – WE the people!) is responsible for adding even more unnecessary stress through mandated testing. And, importantly, these man-made artificial contrivances can become highly destructive of fragile self-esteem and of life itself. And the truth is, they are really meaningless, in the grand scheme of things. But, on the bright side, corporate profits are up, as they have effectively lobbied to market these very expensive examinations.

By the way, Martin Carnoy, at Stanford University and Richard Rothstein of the Economic Policy Institute examined test series over the last decade.

An analysis of international tests suggests students in the U.S. are not lagging behind their peers in other countries. Based on their analysis, the researchers found that average low, partly because a disproportionately greater share of US students comes from disadvantaged social class groups.

My friends, this is part of the price we pay for living in a vibrant democracy. We educate and test EVERYONE. Many other countries test ONLY those that are not screened out and placed in fast-track vocational programs. If you are not bright enough, off you go to the factory! And guess what, these students are not included in tests that compare the U. S. with other nations.

Based on analysis, these researchers found that average U.S. scores are low partly because a disproportionately greater share of US students comes from disadvantaged social class groups. (Remember, we include EVERYONE in our testing.)

The analysis also shows how errors in selecting sample populations of test-takers and arbitrary choices regarding test content contribute to results that appear to show US students lagging.

Folks, the UNFAIR and highly publicized comparative results create panic and stupidity in response to a very unreal scenario. The results can be abhorrently devastating to your child, who is NOT doing poorly in comparison. The stress placed upon the teachers, administrators and your child is unwarranted, and many times, destructive. It is dangerous and contributes to very deadly atmosphere that pervades academia. We now live in a dangerously delusional place. And only the truth shall set us free.

Remember the TECAT testing fiasco – the infamous Texas Examination of Current Administrators and Teachers. It was a test of basic literacy given to Texas teachers in 1980’s. This test, seen as politically essential, was intended to raise the public esteem of teachers by weeding out incompetents. Teachers expended massive effort in reviewing basic skills and drilling on the test format (yes, the format of all things, and totally useless in this life or the hereafter).

The focus in our public schools, at the time, was drawn AWAY from teaching and placed entirely upon preparation for the test. 99% of the 210,000 who took the test had passed.  And we lost thousands of experienced vocational education teachers, special education-teachers and others who were overrepresented among the failures. The federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ruled it an UNFAIR TEST. This, so called, literacy test, it ruled, discriminated against teachers who were black or over 40.

I recall one very dear and deeply loved third grade teacher, with over thirty years of experience, who was so nervous that she could not cope with the stress. It was over three decades ago when she took her last test in college, at Texas Wesleyan University. I was her Principal and found her to be not only highly competent, but very, very loving and deeply dedicated to every child. The students in her class were privileged to be in the life-affirming, warm and loving environment she created for them. I attended her funeral shortly after she lost her employment and all hope. I cried for weeks. This was yet another example of an ill-conceived assessment program with deadly consequences.

Yes, it was another testing fiasco that slapped thousands of educators in the face. It devastated the lives of precious, dedicated veteran educators – people that our kids needed in their shop classes, elementary classes and special education programs. What a horrible experience for everyone. It scarred educators so much that it was never repeated.

And all it accomplished, other than spending our money in a cruel and unwise manner, was to leave the landscape of so many dedicated and experienced educator’s lives in ruin. What a way to appreciate those precious people who chose a life of near poverty (yes, some teachers received food stamps to survive) in order to help our children. But, we had people who needed to get re-elected, regardless of the cost.

Remember folks, your vote is the single most valuable thing you possess! When you place someone in control of your life, and the lives of your precious children, by giving them your vote – make certain that they possess the qualities of being truly human. If compassion and common sense have not been the hallmark of their life, vote for someone else. It is that simple.

I have a suggestion for you. Please take the last report card you received and tack it to the wall. Throw darts at it until it has so many holes in it that you can see the light of day through it (another way of saying – the truth). Now, when you have put enough holes in this byproduct of an ill-conceived, panic laden, distortion of reality,  you will realize that it shall never do your child much good. After all, it is not really accurate and can convey negative connotations that are simply harmful.

These reports are are so subjective they are not really telling you much of anything, at all. But, you got in some good practice throwing darts. I also recommend the same for those self-destructive and illusory state exam results. You know, the ones that have resulted in closing entire schools, while stroking the egos of a few politicians. Oh my God! Please forgive us. And hand me another dart.

If you really want to give your child an assessment, give him or her a huge hug at the end of day and tell the one you cherish just how much he or she is loved by you. Take the time to say everything you ever wanted to tell your child, each and every single day. Let them know that they are the PERFECT gift from God. And they need not even try to improve upon such perfection. Now that is a genuine and heart-felt  assessment. And it is one worth giving.

And if your really feel compelled to have a written report card, write “I LOVE YOU” on a piece of paper, fold in half and hand it to your child.

I asked that you not use so much eye makeup.

The Love of God is perfect. And the Gift He has given you, in a child of His, is all you need and all you shall ever need. Please, do not even think about asking for more. That would truly be an affront to God. Please do not insult and offend the One who has given you a Perfect Gift in the form of His precious child.

And please, don’t allow your child to be given contrived, superficial, highly subjective grades for anything. Do not allow some pretentious, philosophically antiquated, overtly biased and over bearing teacher to do this. Hey, give your kid a puppy, or a smile, or the wink of an eye, or a big hug or a new toy or a good laugh or a trip to the back yard to play with him or her.

Squirt your kid, regardless of age, with the water hose, and then take off running. (Expect to get wet within the next 15 seconds. You cannot have more fun than a great water fight on a hot day). Give your child the very firm knowledge that whatever they do is good enough. In fact, tell him or her that what you EXPECT is not to be perfect. No one is. No one. It would be abnormal to be perfect. Trust me, you would not fit in with the rest of us. A perfectly behaving child really doesn’t exist. And, nothing good will ever come from it.

The only thing you should expect from your deeply loved child is that he or she be happy. If he or she is not, do something different. If you think about what makes you happy, you can make someone else happy. It is that simple.

Yes, it is important to graduate. But in order to graduate, you must survive. You must be alive. And your child will, if you relax, and pray and play with him or her (by the way, more play results in a better preparation for the game of life. And, in many ways, it is a game!).

If your child is being provided with an antiquated grade from a philosophically outdated school, give the grade back to the teacher, where it belongs. Yes, just hand it back. A superficial and subjective grade truly belongs given back to the instructor. Isn’t it a reflection upon how the child did under the tutelage of that teacher? Hand it back! Ask why the teacher did not do a better job teaching your child. And inform the teacher that you really don’t want or need his artificial appraisal of someone he will really never know.

Fear can keep you, and your children, from living. But with God on your side, you need not fear anything or anyone. You are perfectly loved by your Creator. In fact, you are the very definition of perfection.

But perfection from human beings is unattainable. The expectation of perfection from children is as deadly as any toxin, infection, contagion or war.

So relax.

We are already perfect. Now, you can say a simple prayer of Thanksgiving. And give that perfectly wonderful child of yours a big hug for me.

Hey, give me one too! I will be perfectly happy with that.

Another Potent Weapon to Fight Cancer / School starts Sept. 2

“We are all functioning at a small fraction
of our capacity to live fully
in its total meaning
of loving, caring, creating and adventuring.
Consequently, the actualizing of our potential
can become the most exciting
adventure of our lifetime.”
                                          – Herbert Otto

Good News and Hope from
NaturalNews click here for article

We were so enamored and captivated with what happened in this bird bath, that numerous photographs were taken.

Groundbreaking new research on the cancer-fighting potential of vitamin C has made the pages of the peer-reviewed journal Science Translational Medicine. A team of researchers from the University of Kansas reportedly tested the effects of vitamin C given in high doses intravenously on a group of human subjects and found that it effectively eradicates cancer cells while leaving healthy cells intact.

Note the unusual geometry and even spacing between the clusters of bubbles. Nature is full of fascinating wonder. And the most fascinating is YOU.

Building upon research pioneered by the late Linus Pauling, from Oregon State University who today is recognized as the world’s foremost proponent of therapeutic vitamin C, the new research involved injecting high doses of vitamin C into human ovarian cells. The tests were conducted in vitro in a lab, as well as directly in both mice and a group of 22 human subjects.

EACH bubble consisted of many other tiny bubbles! Perhaps YOU can explain this! Let us hear from you.

According to BBC News, the tests showed favorable results in all three models, as vitamin C effectively targeted the ovarian cancer cells while avoiding healthy cells. The benefits of high-dose vitamin C were also observed in conjunction with conventional chemotherapy treatments, which destroy all cells, both healthy and malignant, eventually leading to patient death.

“Patients are looking for safe and low-cost choices in their management of cancer,” stated Dr. Jeanne Drisko, a co-author of the study, to BBC News concerning the findings. “Intravenous vitamin C has that potential based on our basic science research and early clinical data.”

Researchers admit more human trials on intravenous vitamin C unlikely because drug companies cannot patent vitamins.

The next step for this type of research would typically involve applying these same parameters in a large-scale clinical human trial to see if they can be replicated and confirmed. While this new study is admittedly convincing on its own, the hurdles to gaining widespread acceptance of its findings include replicating them across a much larger human sample size.

But this may never actually take place. And the reason, says the research team, is that such trials require major funding that typically comes from pharmaceutical companies interested in developing a patented drug. Drug companies, in other words, are hardly interesting in promoting the medicinal benefits of natural substances like vitamin C, which stands to decimate the multibillion-dollar conventional cancer industry if word gets out about its benefits. [Now there is a truly sad commentary on our humanity.] By the way, studies also show inadequate vitamin C levels Boost the risk of the most deadly type of stroke by nearly fifty percent (50%).

“Play is the exultation of the possible.”                                – Martin Buber

“Because vitamin C has no patent potential, its development will not be supported by pharmaceutical companies,” says Qi Chen, lead author of the new study. “We believe that the time has arrived for research agencies to vigorously support thoughtful and meticulous clinical trials with intravenous vitamin C.”

Perhaps, my friends, Bob Dylan expresses it best:

from “Blowing In The Wind”

“How many times must a man look up
Before he can see the sky?
Yes, ‘n’ how many ears must one man have
Before he can hear people cry?
Yes, ‘n’ how many deaths will it take till he knows
That too many people have died?

Yes, ‘n’ how many times can a man turn his head
Pretending he just doesn’t see?
The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind
The answer is blowin’ in the wind.” 

The conventional medical industry’s response to these and similar findings over the years has been nothing short of derisive, which is to be expected. Having to rationalize decades of ushering cancer patients through the gauntlet of chemotherapy, radiation and surgery — with dismal results — while ignoring natural cancer-fighting alternatives like vitamin C is a hard pill to swallow for this powerful, high-profit industry, which would rather everyone ignore such findings than think critically about them.

“[A]scorbate is processed by the body in different ways when administered orally versus intravenously,” writes Heidi Ledford for Nature about this commonly misunderstood variance. The medical-industrial complex, it turns out, intentionally corrupts the conversation on vitamin C by convoluting the distinct effects of these very different delivery routes.

“Oral doses [of vitamin C] act as antioxidants, protecting cells from damage caused by reactive compounds that contain oxygen. But vitamin C given intravenously can have the opposite effect by promoting the formation of one of those compounds: hydrogen peroxide. Cancer cells are particularly susceptible to damage by such reactive oxygen-containing compounds.”

Sources for this article include:

http://www.nature.com

http://www.bbc.co.uk

http://lpi.oregonstate.edu

http://science.naturalnews.com

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/043972_vitamin_C_cancer_treatment_intravenous_injections.html#ixzz3AOKFpqrw

May Cause Death BUT – Safe? / Another Simple Solution

Has anyone seen my laundry basket?

“For the greater individual
is the one who is the servant of all.
And to conquer self is greater than taking many cities.
For, here ye may find humbleness
as against that which cries oft for expression,
and the feeling of not being appreciated.
Express it more in the greater amount of love
upon those who may be aided through thy effort.
For, remember, man looks upon the things of the day
but God looks upon the heart.”
–  Edgar Cayce

From the National Briefs of the Baltimore Sun – The makers of Ritalin, Adderall, Stratera and other drugs that treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder were advised by the government to give patients and parents an additional warning that those medicines can cause SERIOUS psychiatric and heart problems, including SUDDEN DEATH.

Now, for the sadly humorous part. After this stern and serious warning comes this from OUR government employee:

Dr. Tom Laughren, Director of psychiatry products for the F. D. A., who emphasized that the move was precautionary and should not FRIGHTEN patients from taking the drugs, which he said are SAFE!

You simply cannot make this stuff up.

Of course this warning is not inclusive enough. Ritalin is a highly addictive stimulant drug and is the pharmaceutical equivalent to cocaine. It is classified by our government as a psychoactive drug with cocaine and morphine because it is highly addictive.

Please read Why French Kids Don’t Have ADHD posted on Jan. 13, 2014 on this website (William’s Weblog).

The Physicians’ Desk Reference admits evidence on the carcinogenicity of Ritalin. Apart from cancer risks, there is also evidence that Ritalin induces genetic damage in blood cells of Ritalin-treated children.

My dear Parents, please, I beg of you now and forever more, remove your precious child from these harmful and highly addictive substances. There are many other things you can now do, rather than use dangerous chemicals to mask what you assume is a problem. Your common sense will guide you down the pathway of salvation.

I believe the first is to realize that there is no problem. You think you have a hyperactive boy? No. He is just a normal, healthy child who needs to exercise his rapidly developing body. Personally, I can attest to the fact that I have never met a hyperactive child, not in over forty years of providing for the needs of children.

By the way, sports programs put highly active children to good use. So why not take advantage of all that energy and give the team a few extra points. Sports programs are a viable way to give credit and trophies and ribbons and headlines and exercise and a great appetite and new friends and admirers to the so called hyper-active child. Let’s turn what you, the pill popping Doctor or the educator (suffering what I call: L. T. S. – lazy teacher syndrome) may view as a disadvantage into what is really a great advantage in life. On your way to letting your child try out for a spot on a team, flush all those dumb pills together with all stupid advice down the toilet. Flush it twice!

Please remember: there is nothing wrong with your child. God created each one of us in His Image. He created us the way He wanted us to be. We are perfect in His Sight.

Send your child to school with a T-shirt that says: Don’t Mess With Texas and DON’T MESS WITH ME! I shall always be DRUG FREE.

Second, if he (or possibly she) is driving you crazy, welcome to the real world. So open the back door and put him in the back yard, playing with other kids and a big dog – you know, slightly more active than he is. Better yet, show him or her how to use a hammer and nails and let the kid build a tree house. Closer to Heaven is where he belongs – up in the tree house. And buy some band-aids. Carpentry is one of those avocations where mistakes are valuable and painful. You never have to tell a child to keep his eye on the nail twice. The hammer is indeed a powerful teacher using natural teaching methodology. Don’t ask me how I know this.

And give your child a list of things to do to help you. Hey, they owe you a lot! And, believe it or not, they will love to help you. You may consider paying for their service. Did money not provide motivation for you to work? Please do NOT give your child money. We are not out to create potential political candidates with unrealistic expectations living in an unreal world. Always let your children EARN what they receive. As Mrs. Anderson is fond of saying, “Money should be equal to work”. And while they are playing outside remember, absence does indeed make the heart grow fonder. Too much togetherness means – not everyone will return from a two year trip to Mars. Someone will get booted out on the way back!

Third. Provide environments that are flexible and surround your normally active (not hyper – it does not really exist) child with people, you know, adults, that understand normal child development and are citizens of the real world (some are not). Remove your child from the presence of others who are intolerant – they are probably on something themselves.

Please do not permit corporate-driven and financially incentivized entities, or just plain lazy teachers, to turn your son or daughter into a nearly comatose and endangered member of our species, with drugs they will not themselves take. Your child is not an experimental lab rat.

Remember, you can lose the precious personality of the child you adore. These drugs will do that. I have witnessed it. Or worse, you can lose your child. Now, let’s turn to something positive we can do.

My dear friends, we have suffered enough. 
Our ignorance, coupled with the intolerable greed and arrogance of corporate America, has led us down a broad avenue of disease and malnutrition. Yes, we have had enough. Friends, our children deserve better. You deserve better. And the Internet, as laced as it is with pitfalls and danger, is also a pathway to freedom. It is a tool, just a tool, as are many other technologies. And in the right hands, your hands, it can lead you to a better quality of life and longer life for you and your children.

The use of it requires thoughtfulness and a guiding hand, which happens to be your hand. Please allow me to share a beautiful story of hope and salvation with you. It comes From NaturalNews. This article has enormous implications for prevention and cure. It directly relates to you and your child. Please take time and read it and contemplate its findings. It provides yet another simple solution.

Fish Oil saves life of boy with brain injury

Thursday, October 25, 2012 by P. F. Louis

Learn more click here:

High school student Bobby Ghassemi was taken out of his crashed vehicle and airlifted to a nearby Virginia hospital more dead than alive with severe brain trauma.He was so much more dead than alive that the physician who eventually advised the Ghassemi family on using fish oil, Dr. Michael Lewis said, “For all intents and purposes, he was dead on the scene.I’m looking at the reports, and they report a Glasgow Coma Score of three. A brick or piece of wood has a Glascow Coma Score of three. It’s dead. “Bobby was placed in intensive care in a coma with all the apparatus possible to keep him a breath from death. His brain was flooded with blood and a hole had to be put into his skull to relieve some of the pressure.The hospital’s physicians commented that his brain injury was so bad, it was a wonder that he was alive enough to be in a coma. They told Bobby’s father and mother it was doubtful he’d be more than a vegetable if he came out of the coma. He’d be unable to speak or recognize his family.

Time for a drastic intervention

After 10 days, Bobby was still comatose. His dad, Peter, felt more should be done than maintaining stability in a coma. So he started asking around to old Army buddies and was led to Army colonel Dr. Micheal Lewis who recommended fish oil based on an early episode of a West Virginia coal miner who barely survived a mining accident with severe brain damage. His condition had resembled Bobby’s.

The 26-year-old miner, Randall McCloy, was “on death’s doorstep,” according to Randall’s hospital neurosurgeon, Dr. Julian Bailes. He and the other doctors then decided to forgo the normal wait and see after Randall was stabilized in intensive care.

They decided to take a radical course from normal AMA protocol and put Randall into hyperbaric therapy to increase oxygen to his brain while administering fish oil through Randall’s feeding tube. After a brain injury, even as some recovery is noticed, the brain cells continue dieing from progressive inflammation.

Dr. Bailes knew that the brain needs to feed on omega-3 fatty acids to heal inflammation as well as stimulate brain and nervous system cell growth. After discussing Randall’s condition with fish oil omega-3 experts, Dr. Bailes determined that 20 grams fed through Randall’s feeding tube daily might bring him around.

20 grams is 10 times more than what an uninjured person would supplement with fish oil. Dr. Lewis explained the Dr. Bailes intervention with Randall to Bobby’s dad, who thought the whole thing strange. But he realized that three months after the mining accident, Randall McCloy left the hospital walking and talking.

At first, the hospital staff resisted Peter’s urging to try the fish oil therapy on his son Bobby. Their viewpoint was that the McCloy incident was just one anecdotal episode and not worth pursuing, perhaps even risky. But Peter persisted strongly and they finally yielded.

Today, at age 20, Bobby smiles as he recalls his high school graduation where he took off his cap and waved it to the cheering students. His dramatic recovery has left him with some weakness on the left side of his body and difficulty walking, but he’s back.

Yet, even after two successful applications of omega-3 fish oil for extremely brain damaged victims who recovered rapidly after both were written off from any significant recovery, the medical establishment only equivocates and considers the possibility of someday exploring omega-3 fish oil “scientifically” for brain traumas.

Sources for this article include: http://www.cnn.com

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/037671_fish_oil_brain_injury_lifesaving.html#ixzz3A1JYy0j4

More news on fish oil

* Five ways fish oil protects your heart and body
* Fish oil supplements prevent mental illness; safe and effective alternative to anti-psychotic drugs
* Fish oil reduces breast cancer risk: Research
* Omega-3 fats found in fish oil boost immune response to help fight inflammation and disease
*Amazing research: Fish oil found to completely reverse liver disease in children with intestinal failure
* Benefits of fish oil for kids
* Mega-dose fish oil supplementation leads to quick recovery for teen with brain injury
Fish Oil, STROKE and Brain Damage – fishoilbenefit.net

* In a Harvard Study: Fish Oil Cuts Risk of Lou Gehrig’s: Tuesday, 15 Jul 2014 – Read this  at http://www.newsmaxhealth.com/Health-News/Lou-Gehrigs-ALS-fish-oil-neurodegenerative/2014/07/15/id/582772#ixzz3A1Wpgq7b

Alert: What Is Your Risk for a Heart Attack? Find Out Now

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/037671_fish_oil_brain_injury_lifesaving.html#ixzz3A1EFlERh

A man went out for a walk.
He came to a river and saw a woman on the opposite bank.
“Yoo-hoo,” he shouted, “how can I get to the other side?”
The woman looked up the river then down the river
then shouted back,
“You’re already on the other side.”
Life and truth is often a matter of perspective and viewpoint.

Forgiveness Reconnects Us

Your child can take you on a life changing journey. He or she can share new insights into the ways you may unlock the secrets of their universe. And in doing so, your child can bring you a sense of peace and of purpose, and happiness, and fulfillment not previously known.

Resolving your outstanding issues is paramount in allowing you to improve the quality of your relationship. These may be recognized by examining patterns of turmoil in your life. I know there are some issues that can remain so painful for us, that we carry them for a lifetime. And we assume that there may be no real resolution. But there is. There is hope.

If your childhood was traumatic, remember that what happened can evolve to a higher level of enlightenment. The transformation from hate to love, reminds me of Robert Frost as he beautifully intoned, “Taking the Road Not Traveled”. And yes, that will make all the difference. 

At the end of that beautiful journey, you will discover the most powerful and meaningful gift that you can bestow upon yourself. It is a gift precious beyond worth. It is a gift that God promises to give you, if you give it to others. It is the only gift worthy of giving, to those who have transgressed upon the sanctity of your being. And it is the only act you can do to free yourself from the endlessness of the shackles of tyranny and injustice.

It can bring peace to your heart and rest to your weary mind. It can bring peace to the middle east and peace to the world.

Those individuals who exposed you to their toxic dysfunction when you were a child, can become your very best teachers.The bitter legacy of a heredity of hatred, that often evolves into mental illness, can be obliterated. What we see happening in so many other places in the world, is symptomatic of mental illness. But God provides a way.

How well I remember the Rev. Desmond Tutu, following the atrocities of Rwanda. His call for those who were guilty to confess and receive forgiveness was, in retrospect, the only way out. It was, at the same time, the only pathway forward and the only viable solution to an absolutely insane condition the country evolved into.

His many efforts, in so many endeavors, led to the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984; the Albert Schweitzer Prize for Humanitarianism in 1986; the Pacem in Terris Award in 1987; the Sydney Peace Prize in 1999; the Gandhi Peace Prize in 2007;^[1] and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009.

It can be so very hard to “swim against the tide” of our reactions to injustice. But heading down the path of forgiveness can be as simple as knowing we each have this spiritual sense that can identify the good that’s present, even where it seems far from obvious.

My favorite quote from the famous Nobel laureate is this: “Good is stronger than evil; love is stronger than hate; light is stronger than darkness; life is stronger than death. And most importantly, Rev. Tutu brings us to the realization that forgiveness reconnects us with our humanity.

I invite you to learn about Archbishop Tutu’s Global Forgiveness Challenge and how you can get involved. It is very easy — go to the website at forgivenesschallenge.com

I have found that in forgiving others, we are healing ourselves. And, it is a truly wonderful feeling. My friends, you are, thanks to the loving dedication of so many brave men and women who laid down their lives for you, on so many battlefields across this world, born free. And the truly greatest part of that precious gift lies in the freedom to forgive yourself and others.

May God abide with you, as you let go of the hand of hatred that can become your bitter companion for so many years. The things that happened yesterday, truly belong to history.

My friends, live what you are learning.