Meryl...

The world is filled with literally billions of people. We are all here, we are all present and accounted for. We each walk separate journey's, different lives and each have a belief system that is sometimes similar to anothers, but never identical. Each of us, told we are no less and no more important than another. Yet we know this is not exactly true. Our lives, livelihoods, connections, friends, family, neighborhoods etc, in fact divide us up in very real ways. Long before politics and religion come into play. The platform we find ourselves upon, may not be as large as the one we need; the spotlight may not shine on us in the same way it does someone else. 
If ever given the opportunity to speak in a very public way; to reach millions of people in one moment, I do hope that I would choose to make it about something other than myself. 
Meryl Streep had her moment last night. She has had a career that is one to echo greatness and delight. She has entertained us all for many years in many ways. She had a choice, she could stand there, on a stage being broadcast to literally billions of people and spend her time patting herself on the back. Throwing out wistful advice for those less experienced, or turning a phrase to just make us all laugh. 
She chose instead to recognize how fortunate she was to be standing there, in that moment, on that stage. She took that privilege and used it to highlight something much more important than herself, her career or the award she held in her hands. 
You don't have to agree with her words, you don't even have to like her movies or theater performances. That's the unique blessing of being in America, she can say and believe what she wants, and so can you. 
I, for one, thought her message was a much better use of her moment, than spewing self-professed accolades of how awesome her career has been. She chose to speak in defense of those who often can not defend themselves. She chose to remind us all that while the world is indeed troubled, we look to our leaders for guidance; that these leaders should in fact guide us and not degrade, seek to humiliate, nor bully the vulnerable. 
With the arrest of 4 Chicago youth last week for literally torturing, humiliating, degrading and bullying a young man with special needs, how can anyone NOT see the problem with our countries most important leader mocking the disabled, inciting violence, bullying and degrading. 
I do not blame him for the choices these youth made; yet we must ask ourselves what influence is it we want our children to look up to. We can choose to sit in silence or we can speak up. We can respectfully disagree and still call out disgust when we see it. It is our job as parents, citizens and human beings to call out the wrong and project the right. Being the President is not a free pass!! 
We can not become 'involved' if we do not speak up and speak out. We MUST always, always SPEAK. 
#MerylStreep #GoldenGlobes #CecilBDeMille #AmericaFalling #AllCitizens#UnitedWeStand

2017 ~ America or Bust...

So here I sat on the eve of the official winding down of the clock. The elusive time keeper that ticked away the hours, scratched off the seconds and tracked the moments of yet another year. 2016 may now seem a blur to some, while to others a long and never ending uphill crusade. Another 525,600 minutes filled with joy and tragedy. A full 8,760 hours of loss and hope.

No matter which it was for you, it was simply just another year. Another 12 months, 52 weeks and 365 days of time passing. While we flip thru our photo’s, revisit our facebook status’, let our minds wander to those moments we long to relive, and count our blessings, all we can do is move forward. Move onward into another calendar of ticking and tocking.

What we do with the time before us matters so much more than the hours that have passed us. Life is a journey to be traveled. Whether its quickly or at a snails pace, with happiness or sadness, heartbreak or celebration; we each walk, run or stumble forward as best we can with the tools and knowledge we collect along the way.

Regardless of where it is our future leads us, what awaits us around the next corner, or where it is we long to be; we simply have today. Today to make a difference. Today to gather goodness. Today to choose love over hate.

As we pack up 2016 may we take with us, all that collectively shaped our lives for the better. May we load our pockets with the pebbles of crumbled stones; not so that we remember the battle, but that we never forget we survived. May we fill our hearts with forgiveness; not for those that have wronged us, but as a reminder to be gentle with ourselves. May we stack our minds with the chapters we’ve cherished, and file away those which we’d rather forget. May we also overflow our souls with the peace of a promise, as we illuminate the darkness that looms just behind us.

May we continuously allow the warmth of tomorrow to embrace us today; and always recall with quiet grace, those that have lifted us up.

No matter what kind of year it has been, how far we have traveled or what we find waiting for us on the other side, may we all remember in this life, in this one moment of time, its all about today, and what we choose to do.

May you all have blessings to count, memories to recall, moments to embrace; and may each of us awake tomorrow with love, peace and freedom still at our front doors.