OK. I know I said I’d be hunting humorous quotes to share with you, but voting is no laughing matter. So I’ll hit pause for today and focus on the importance of elections in a Democracy.
The elementary school where I voted in Gloucester today, looked more like a home for senior citizens. The place was staffed by older men and women volunteering, checking names/addresses and giving instructions. No guns in sight, nor ICE agents. So encouraging to see all the voting cubicles filled, with folks waiting in line to vote.
So, ponder these prompts and be grateful we have the freedom to choose and use our voices and ears for good:
“Someone struggled for your right to vote. Use it.” Susan B. Anthony
“We do not have government by the majority. We have government by the majority who participate.” Thomas Jefferson
“One of the simplest paths to deep change is for the less powerful to speak as much as they listen, and for the more powerful to listen as much as they speak.” Gloria Steinem
“Our human compassion binds us one to the other-not in pity or patronizingly, but as human beings who have learned how to turn our common suffering into hope for the future.” Nelson Mandela
So stay hopeful and place your trust in God, who knows and sees all. If I lived in Texas, I’d vote for James Talarico, the underdog in the race for the U.S. Senate. I love this quote as he speaks to folks all over Texas: “David may not have been as big or as strong as Goliath. He may not have had as many weapons, but he had hope, and he had a slingshot. You are my slingshot.”
And we know what happened to Goliath.
Many years ago, Jud and I attended an off-Broadway production of You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown. To date, the music and characters remain relatable and likeable. And Charlie Brown, a pushover to some, is still a loyal, patient and trusting friend. As Halloween nears,…
A mom's request for prayer for her teenage son inspired this blog. He was struggling with his identity and being bullied. Bullies aren't new, but social media multiplies their menacing words and images. What to do as a parent or friend? It's natural to want…
Sometimes I get a hankering for Southern cookng, so yesterday I settled on sweet tea, corn bread and Boston baked beans. Didn't have any blackeyed peas in the pantry. Maybe, being thankful and making do with what you have, can turn simple meals into feasts…
Now, I'm in trouble. The topic I started to write about was just interrupted by the memory of an old cartoon. It's set in a hospital's Urology department. As the receptionist picks up the ringing phone, a customer shows up at her window. So she…
Just to clarify, it was September, when Santa showed up at my Ace Hardware. Maybe it's because I was wandering up and down aisles, looking a combination of wide-eyed kid and helpless old woman. I'm never sure these days why offers to help show up.…
Winds howl, waves pummel the shore, while I listen to Fernando Ortega sing, "Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." It's Sunday. But I'm not at Church. Still music links me to Jesus and all who come to…
Well, it's been one of those days. The good kind, when God shows up in ordinary ways to remind us that all of life matters. I need reminders that small stuff adds up to a holy whole. The day started at Addison Gilbert Hospital, where…
In a culture too fast paced for its own good, baseball's a tough sell. To some, baseball's B O R I N G. Not to me, I love baseball, and most sports. Baseball's so American. I love standing and singing during the 7th inning stretch,…
Showing up in life matters, whether with a casserole dish, or a card. One nourishes the body, the other lifts sagging spirits. Both need tending. And that's why we show up, like attend Church, offer a ride, shovel a walk, or vote. Two days ago…
