Adult Children

The NY Times has an article about adult children returning home to live. While I have (1) 28 year old and (1) 30 year old, neither have been home for any significant period of time since graduating college or being "medically retired" from the Navy. They've had struggles, to say the least, but neither wants to admit they can't make it on their own. I think the foundation for their determination is understanding that we are always here for them if they need us (as are most parents). 


The article talks about discussing rules, and over-all, I think they're good points to make understood:

He laid out four major overarching points that parents and children needed to discuss before the young adult moved back in:

1. What is your role in the house? Nonpaying guest or member of the family? What chores are you going to          do? Grocery shopping? Cooking?

2. What are you going to do to earn money in the short term if you can’t get a job in your desired career?            Flip hamburgers? Walk dogs?

3. What are you doing to pursue your desired career goals? Vocational training? Internships? Career 

     counseling?

4. When are you going to leave? It’s good to set a time limit — three months, six months, a year, Mr. Gallo      said.  It can always be renegotiated.

The idea, is “to provide a temporary security blanket with some structure.

I remember a time when it was not unusual for more than one generation of adults to live in the same household. While this could cause friction at times, over all my experience has been a positive one. There are things that all generations can learn from one another...Things that cannot be taught in a book or in a class.

Journey...

If this video speaks to you...plan to spend a few moments each day this week with Tony.



From: The 40 day Journey

Persecution

Iraq’s dwindling Christians, driven from their homes by attacks and intimidation, are beginning to abandon the havens they had found in the country’s north, discouraged by unemployment and a creeping fear that the violence they had fled was catching up to them.

Their quiet exodus to Turkey, Jordan, Europe and the United States is the latest chapter of a seemingly inexorable decline that many religious leaders say tolls the twilight of Christianity in a land where city skylines have long been marked by both minarets and church steeples. Recent assessments say that Iraq’s Christian population has now fallen by more than half since the 2003 American invasion, and with the military’s departure, some Christians say they lost a protector of last resort.

Their flight is felt in places like the wind-scoured village of Tenna, which has sheltered dozens of Christian migrants over the past nine years. The families fleeing Baghdad’s death squads and bombings found safety here beneath the hulking mountains, but little else besides poverty, boredom and cold. Villagers estimate that half of the 50 or so Christian homes are now empty, their families abroad.

From the NY Times

Lent...

The purpose of Lent is not only expiation (the act of atonement), to satisfy the Divine justice, but above all a preparation to rejoice in His love. And this preparation consists of receiving the gift of His mercy--a gift which we receive insofar as we open our hearts to it, casting out what cannot remain in the same room with mercy.

First of all, one of the things we must cast out is fear. Fear narrows the little entrance to our heart. It shrinks up our capacity to love. It freezes up our power to give ourselves. If we were terrified of God as an inexorable (unyielding) judge, we would not confidently await His mercy or approach Him trustfully in prayer. Our peace and our joy in Lent are a guarantee of grace.
                                                                        Thomas Merton

Words and music by...

I don't know how I missed it but this past Monday, Robert Sherman, author of many of my favorite childhood songs passed away. It would take far too long to write how each song impacted a shy, young girl but suffice it to say that their words and music wrapped me in a blanket of love and allowed me to live in world I could only dream of...I do hope he knows how much joy he brought to so many...

His son, Jeff, wrote the following:

Hello to family and friends,
I have very sad news to convey.
My Dad, Robert B. Sherman, passed away tonight in London. He went peacefully after months of truly valiantly fending off death. He loved life and his dear heart finally slowed to a stop when he could fight no more.
I will write more about this incredible man I love and admire so much when I am better rested and composed. He deserves that.
In the meantime, please say a prayer for him. As he said, he wanted to bring happiness to the world and, unquestionably, he succeeded. His love and his prayers, his philosophy and his poetry will live on forever. Forever his songs and his genius will bring hope, joy and love to this small, small world.
I love you, Dad.
Safe travels.
 
In honor of his passing, a song which still touches my heart today...




If you have a moment, click on the link above, you'll be amazed how many songs you know...

Gratefulness

A Fable...

It was the coldest winter ever. So cold, that many animals died because of it. The porcupines, grasping the situation, decided to group together. This way all were covered and protected. Almost immediately they began to realize that even though they needed the heat from their companions, their quills wounded those closest to them. After a while, they decided to distance themselves one from the other and then began to die; alone and frozen.

The porcupines soon realized that they needed to make a choice, either accept the quills of their companions or disappear from the earth. Wisely, they decided to go back to being together. During the course of the winter, they learned to appreciate that the heat generated in the group was much more important than the little wounds they inflicted. They learned that each needed the other.

MORAL of the story:
The best relationship is not the one that brings together perfect people (for there are none), but when each individual learns to live with the imperfections of others and learns to admire their good qualities.