ABOVE: Kathryn Laws and the author visiting the Philadelphia Zoo in 2018 Note from Elizabeth: The May 25, 2020 death of George Floyd from police brutality has galvanized the world and sent people like me scrambling to learn, understand, and take action to be part of the solution. I was put off by the extremes […]
Connection (Connect with others)
Independence Day: Remember, Be Thankful, Pray, and Celebrate
First, let’s remember… As the world is rocked with a pandemic combined with cultural, political, economic, and societal unrest, it is entirely appropriate and important that we reflect today on this great nation—even with all its flaws—and marvel at the vision of our founding fathers so long ago. Let’s remember our history: On July 2nd, […]
D-Day Commemoration
I hope we never get too jaded or cynical to be moved by the remembrance of those who have fought—and those who have died—in service to our country, especially on this day as we celebrate the decisive victory of D-Day, 1944. This marvelous performance by the D-Day Darlings of Vera Lynn’s classic song, “There’ll Be […]
The Calamity: A letter to my friends
My dear friend, Annette Petrick, founder of Consider This Radio Show blog has given me permission to share her short letter that appeared last month on her website. It contains both encouragement and practical advice for dealing with our life in the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic (and a much-appreciated shout-out to my own March […]
Earth Day 2020 – 50 Years!
April 22, 2020. Today is the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, an annual celebration that launched the beginning of the environmental movement in 1970 and now is an ongoing reminder revere our island home and remember how important it is to treat it respectfully and responsibly so it can sustain us far into the future. […]
Can Country Music Save The World?
The new (Fall 2019) documentary “Country Music” by renowned filmmaker Ken Burns is more than just the story of an industry. It’s the story of humanity written one note at a time. It captures country music’s ability to cross all kinds of divides—cultural, religious, ethnic, and socioeconomic. It gave me hope that we can overcome […]
Can A Simple Letter Really Prevent Suicide?
You may never know how much difference you’ll make in someone’s life by writing a simple note or letter of encouragement. The recent CBS Sunday Morning report in the video below confirmed this by sharing stories from those who said they would have killed themselves if someone hadn’t reached out to them. Even more poignant […]
Three Words for 2020
I hate New Year’s resolutions. I really do. I don’t like setting myself up for failure, and I can’t think of a New Year’s resolution I’ve ever kept for the whole month, much less a whole year. But my friend, Lee Scharf, inspired me recently when she reminded me there is power in intention. And […]