Be Kind: A Day of Mourning


Today, Wednesday, December 5th, is an official day of mourning in the United States.  The government offices will be closed (that means no mail folks) as will the stock market.  All of this is to honor our 41st President, George H.W. Bush who died on Friday at the age of 94.

I think it's important that we honor our leaders, no matter what our (or their) political affiliation.  We need to have a day of remembrance.  When a former President of our nation passes away, we should take time to reflect.  To remember what he accomplished and how he tried to better our country.  (I hope that someday this post will have to be changed so that it says he or she.  Perhaps sometime in the near future?)  It is not a time to bash or lash out.  There isn't a President who served who is not without "sin" (for lack of a better word).  Even the most revered of our former leaders have done things that have shamed our country and their legacy; its part of being human.   Every leader has their flaws; some more so than others.  I feel that the majority of our 44 past presidents honestly tried to do what was best for our/their country and served in an honorable and admirable way.  As a result I say, while we should not forget (or in some cases perhaps forgive) the bad, we also should not ignore the positive.  Good, in all forms, needs to be honored.

With that said, I hope that if nothing else, we try to be, as President Bush once said, a kinder, gentler America.  It's certainly something that we HAVEN'T been working toward for quite some time.  It's something that a leader needs to be; it's something we ALL should be.  Kindness hurts no one and can help so many.  Kindness can ripple out; touching lives that we never know about.  

Do something kind today.  Do it to honor our 41st President or do it just because.

Show the world your kindness and perhaps the world will be able to reflect it back to us.

Be kind.

Be kind today.

Be kind tomorrow.

Be kind always.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

We Have Taken America Back

Image
Back to a time when all men (and women) are not created equal.  Where women's healthcare is determined by men's laws and not by medical professionals. Where education tells only the "winning" side of the story and truth does not matter.  Where banning and burning books is a social event.  Where people who are "different" than those in power can be mocked, shunned and hurt with no real consequences. Where lies are acceptable and integrity is  just a word on a page We have moved into a time where rage is the rage.  Where hate is not just normal, but accepted and even cheered. Where leaders can ask to have their "enemies" killed and no one will bat an eye.  Where it's "funny" to see someone struggle.  Where felony is applauded. Where compassion is not shown and caring for others is looked down upon. We have taken America back to a time of pain and suffering for many.  Back to when the "haves" can have and the have nots don'...
Read more

It's Not About Starbucks (or is it)?

Image
  About a block and a half from my home in a major intersection.  At the southeast corner (which is nearest to me), is an empty building.  Back in 1995 it was a Bank of NY (I remember this because they didn't shovel/de-ice their parking lot well and my husband fell and broke his ankle one Monday morning.  I recall this clearly because we were not yet married and it was the first day of a new job for me.  I had gotten on the bus to work and he was catching a later one; only he never got there.  Instead he ended up laying on the ground until an employee came to open up the bank.  Then he had them call an ambulance AND my mother who took control of the situation until I arrived home that night blissfully unaware of what had happened that day.)  It eventually became a Chase Bank; the second one in my small little town.  It eventually closed.  I'm not sure when but it's been empty for quite a long time.  (I do know that it was open in 20...
Read more

As Is

Image
  Today I want to discuss what I think it is a relatively simple concept, but may be difficult for some, even an attorney who might have once, over a decade ago won a  prestigious award  for young lawyers .  That term is "AS IS." As you may know, I volunteer in a thrift shop.  Everything we sell, from all the donations we receive, is "as is."  The items are not brand new.  They are not perfect.  That doesn't mean they aren't any good or worth something. They are sold "as is."  Buyers should go in knowing that. (After all you are shopping in a thrift shop!)  In some cases, particularly when we are offering higher end products, we will actually write on the price tag, "as is." Such is the case of two designer purses that I purchased from there this summer.  (I'm a purse-aholic!  Don't look in my closet.)  They were reasonably priced (especially when you consider the name brand), but each had an "as is" clearly marked o...
Read more