Save a life

Over the weekend, I heard the sad news of several people who had ended their own lives.  I have written about this before, but is so very important that I wanted to say something again today.  Suicide is preventable.  There is no guarantee that we will save everyone, but we have to at least try.  Please make note of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline:  1-800-273-8255.

All lives are precious, and nobody should feel that things are hopeless or that they are all alone.  If you are in crisis, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741-741.  Call that same number if you are concerned about a friend or anyone in your life.  They can help.  The CDC also has an excellent website available at https://www.cdc.gov/suicide/

Make a difference.  Save a life.  If you need help or know someone who does, call.  Remember you don't have to be alone and someone is always listening.

Still more of my favorite quotes

There are famous quotations that have become a part of our daily lives.  Sometimes we even get confused as to the source - is it from The Bible?  from Shakespeare? I'll bet there is a favorite of yours that I haven't mentioned in the ones I listed these past two days.  Do feel free to share it with us! 

Yesterday I quoted John Lennon and indeed many great sayings come from songwriters.  Think of a favorite lyric and the meaning behind it.  Think about how powerful some song words have been to you.

Encouraging statements are the ones that stick with me the most.  Former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt once made a very encouraging statement that is like an anthem to me:  “The purpose of life is to live it."  Indeed.

Perhaps the most encouraging of all statements for me is one from Blessed Paul the Apostle in his letter to the Romans.  Saint Paul said "For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."  To that I'll simply say, "Amen."

Some more of my favorite quotes

Once I started this yesterday, a bunch of additional quotations came to mind.  There are really a lot of profound things being said.  Here are some more -

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away." –Maya Angelou

"When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down ‘happy’. They told me I didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life." –John Lennon

"The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be." –Ralph Waldo Emerson

"You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take." –Wayne Gretzky

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do, so throw off the bowlines, sail away from safe harbor, catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore, Dream, Discover." –Mark Twain

 

More things to think about.  Perhaps some of you will act on these.

Some of my favorite quotes

Sometimes people say things that are so profound, they are quoted over and over again.  These are some of my favorite inspiring thoughts from some folks you may have heard of -

"Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing." –Benjamin Franklin

"You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don’t try." –Beverly Sills

"When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it." –Henry Ford

"Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value." –Albert Einstein

"It’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years." –Abraham Lincoln

"If you look at what you have in life, you’ll always have more. If you look at what you don’t have in life, you’ll never have enough." –Oprah Winfrey

 

A few things to think about on this wonderful Thursday morning.

You want an award?

Those favorites who entertain us are rewarded with Tonys, Oscars, Grammys, Emmys, Golden Globes, and other recognition.  We give awards to our students in school.  Some jobs give special praise to employees.  How about the masses of society?  I think we need one more big award for those everyday people among us who truly make a difference in our world.

The architect who designed your workplace might have incredible skills, but does the general public hear about it?  How about your daughter's third grade teacher?  The person who served you those fries and burgers at your favorite fast food place might be incredible, but does he get acknowledged for it?  During this pandemic there are many people who are stepping up and doing amazing things, but are we hearing about them?

I love how some television stations do hometown heroes features, but I'm not talking about just those who rise to that level.  I'm thinking more of the "best waitress I have ever been served by" or the preeminent delivery driver or the unrivaled parking lot attendant.  There are people in this world who make a difference every day by simply being outstanding at the work they do and the way they interact with others.  Don't you think that is award worthy?

Thank you for being a friend

Betty White Ludden

January 17, 1922 – December 31, 2021

Where do we go from here?

Certainly, one of the greatest men to live in my lifetime, was the Reverend Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. Had h lived, today he would turn 93.  It's difficult to remember sometimes that he accomplished so much in just 39 years of life.  

Monday it the civil holiday honoring Dr King, but today, I'd like to share these words excerpted from his Where Do We Go From Here? speech, delivered at the 11th Annual Southern Christian Leadership Conference Convention in Atlanta, GA back on August 16, 1967:

"I'm concerned about a better World. I’m concerned about justice; I’m concerned about brotherhood and sisterhood; I’m concerned about truth. And when one is concerned about that, he can never advocate violence. For through violence you may murder a murderer, but you can’t murder murder. Through violence you may murder a liar, but you can’t establish truth. Through violence you may murder a hater, but you can’t murder hate through violence. Darkness cannot put out darkness; only light can do that.

"And I say to you, I have also decided to stick with love, for I know that love is ultimately the only answer to humankind’s problems. And I’m going to talk about it everywhere I go. I know it isn’t popular to talk about it in some circles today. And I’m not talking about emotional bosh when I talk about love; I’m talking about a strong, demanding love. For I have seen too much hate. I say to myself that hate is too great a burden to bear. I have decided to love. If you are seeking the highest good, I think you can find it through love. And the beautiful thing is that we aren’t moving wrong when we do it, because John was right, God is love. He who hates does not know God, but he who loves has the key that unlocks the door to the meaning of ultimate reality.

"And so I say to you today, my friends, that you may be able to speak with the tongues of men and angels; you may have the eloquence of articulate speech; but if you have not love, it means nothing. Yes, you may have the gift of prophecy; you may have the gift of scientific prediction and understand the behavior of molecules; you may break into the storehouse of nature and bring forth many new insights; yes, you may ascend to the heights of academic achievement so that you have all knowledge; and you may boast of your great institutions of learning and the boundless extent of your degrees; but if you have not love, all of these mean absolutely nothing. You may even give your goods to feed the poor; you may bestow great gifts to charity; and you may tower high in philanthropy; but if you have not love, your charity means nothing. You may even give your body to be burned and die the death of a martyr, and your spilt blood may be a symbol of honor for generations yet unborn, and thousands may praise you as one of history’s greatest heroes; but if you have not love, your blood was spilt in vain. What I’m trying to get you to see this morning is that a man may be self-centered in his self-denial and self-righteous in his self-sacrifice. His generosity may feed his ego, and his piety may feed his pride. So without love, benevolence becomes egotism, and martyrdom becomes spiritual pride."

they make a difference

Years ago, I was a clerk in a pharmacy. A friend of mine one day asked me "What's a pharmacist make?" "They make a difference," was my reply. Yes, I knew he was talking about income, but I wish more people realized that pharmacists do indeed make a difference.

No, the pharmacist didn't go to school to learn how to put pills in a bottle. My dictionary says a pharmacist is "a person who is professionally qualified to prepare and dispense medicinal drugs." True, but what they do goes way beyond that. They are first-line health professionals who give advice, review and help you manage your medications, recommend the right over-the-counter products, help you follow your treatment properly, and so much more.

Patients don't always tell their doctor that they are seeing more than one physician. Without knowing, it is possible for a doctor to prescribe medication that could harm the patient, because of another drug they are taking. If the patient is getting all of their prescriptions from the same pharmacy, the pharmacist will spot potential drug interaction and quite possible save a life.

I could go on and on singing the praises of pharmacists. I'm not just talking about the folks at your neighborhood drugstore. There are pharmacists who teach, work in hospitals and nursing homes, perform patient assessments, administer vaccinations, and preform a number of specialties such as compounded sterile preparations and HIV medication.  During this pandemic, they are even doing more.

Today is National Pharmacist Day and I am grateful for all of the pharmacists whom I count as friends and all the ones who have helped keep me well. Respect the pharmacists in your life. They deserve it and they really do make a difference.

someone is always listening

Early this morning I saw a tweet from someone I know from social media.  It made me think.  Not long after that, I tweeted a message similar to his - about suicide hotlines.  I'd like to reach a lot more people than that tweet though, so this morning I'm writing something here as well.  Yes, I did just write about this a few weeks ago, but it very important

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States. It was responsible for more than 47,500 deaths in 2019. They further report that in that same year, 12 million American adults seriously thought about suicide, 3.5 million made a plan, and 1.4 million actually attempted suicide.

Just like there isn't just one cause, there also isn't just one remedy.  It begins though with caring.  Be there.  Listen.  Suicide prevention is everyone's business.  Be aware of the services that exist.  I'm not a mental health professional, but I care, and I know that suicide can be prevented.

All lives are precious and nobody should feel that things are hopeless or that they are all alone.  If you are in crisis, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741-741.  Call that same number if you are concerned about someone in your life.  They can help.  The CDC also has an excellent website at https://www.cdc.gov/suicide/

Make a difference.  Save a life.  If you need help or know someone who does, call.  Remember you don't have to be alone and someone is always listening.

Yada yada yada

First of all, this is NOT a reference to a certain sitcom episode from the past. It's actually in response to what someone said to me in an email yesterday, about this blog. I was told that once these words were read daily, but now that it is "boring and empty talk about nothing," they no longer bother with it.

Goodness! I certainly don't want to bore anyone. I also don't see how my detailed posts about charities, hometown heroes, and ways we can all give back, could be considered as "empty talk about nothing." I asked for suggestions about how to make this better, but they said it wasn't worth it.  I should just stop writing.  Oh my!

Guess what? I have no intention of stopping. A friend who says she reads this regularly, once told me that even if I only reached one person a week, that was worthwhile. I have said many times that I don't have all the answers, and my suggestions are just that. Some of you may have different or even better ideas (and you are always welcome to share them in the comments section below). I will never stop wanting to make a difference though, and if I can inspire others to join in, how wonderful!

So, if this is a big yada, yada, yada for you, share some of your own ideas. I know there are a lot of great things ahead in 2022.  Let's make this more exciting!  Let's do some incredible things and make our world a little better each day of our lives!

Resolved

Yesterday we began a new year and for many people that meant a list of things to do this year. Now while the whole idea of New Year's resolutions is to make yourself better, I have never really been a fan.  Personally, I think we would do good to resolve every single day to make it a good one and to make a difference in the world.

 

Now I am not saying it is wrong to make a list.  For some it works quite well.  Folks will resolve to quit smoking, lose some weight, stay fit, become better organized, spend less money, fall in love, and to spend more time with family, take a class, and any number of other things.  If we use this as goals, it can actually be very good, but when we put the pressure on and insist that these several things MUST happen, we often set ourselves up for failure, and that's why I have never been a fan.

 

Even though this blog is NOT about me, let me tell you, I don't make resolutions, but I do set goals from time to time - not just at the beginning of the year.  Also, as I mentioned, I think resolving to make a difference every single day is such a good model.  Try it!

a brand new year!

If you are like me, you'll spend the next few days writing 2021 on things and saying, "next year" when you really mean "this year," because despite all of the noise we make every year on New Year's Eve, there really isn't a magic sign that shows us that anything is at all different. Today began pretty much like all days begin and so it will be for tomorrow and the day after. Yet something did indeed happen at midnight last night - the same thing that happens every December 31st. One year ended and another began.

There is something that didn't happen today too.  We didn't have our beloved Betty White.  You no doubt have already heard the sad news of her passing yesterday, but I just had to mention it here.  Betty was one of those people I like to write about here - someone who truly made a difference, and she will be missed!

Our magazines and news programs remind us of the other famous people we lost in the past year. For many, there were also private memories of family members and friends who died. COVID-19 is still causing so many of those deaths. We looked at progress, or the lack of it and news stories that touched our lives. What I kept hearing last night was that 2021 had let us down.  Of course, I heard the same kinds of things said a year earlier about 2020!

 

We don't control all that happens around us of course, but we can control how we think about it and from where I sit, there was an awful lot of good last year!  I rejoice in my new friends and the time spent too with old ones.  I'm thrilled that people seem to finally be caring about human rights.  It seems to me like more people are getting involved and making a difference.  I know that I am certainly not running out of things to write about here.

 

Will 2022 be good to us?  Will we be good to it?  We can certainly help to paint the picture.  It's a brand-new year.  Let's make it the best one ever!