Category Archives: Assistance

The 28th Amendment

0
Posted by on in Social, collaborating, Assistance, Inspiration, Personal Values, Striving, children, Community

February 26, 2026- I have been asked to copy and paste a pass-around from a friend on social media. As a rule, I do not do copy and paste, no matter how important it may be to someone. This is for security reasons. The content of the pass-around, though, addresses an issue that has been important to me for a long time. Below, is the content of a proposed 28th Amendment to the United States Constitution.

“1.The Congressional Reform Act of 2017 1. No Tenure / No Pension. A Congressman/woman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they’re out of office. And, no more perks go with them.

2. Congress (past, present, & future) participates in Social Security. All funds in the Congressional retirement fund move to the Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social Security system, and Congress participates with the American people. It may not be used for any other purpose.

3. Congress must purchase their own retirement plan, just as ALL Americans do.

4. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.

5. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people.

6. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American people (i.e. NO MORE INSIDER TRADING!!!).

7. All contracts with past and present Congressmen/women are void. The American people did not make this contract with Congressmen/women. Congress made all these contracts by and for themselves.

Serving in Congress is an honor and privilege, NOT a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators should serve their term(s), then go home and go back to work … not get all kinds of freebies.”

This has been proposed before. I can remember hearing an otherwise estimable member of the Unites States Senate, who is now deceased, complain that, under the proposal, he would have to give up his second and third residences. My response at the time: “I know several people who can barely put food on the table for their two children, and struggle to make rent and pay for utilities- in their two-bedroom apartment!”

Let’s get serious about the matter this time around. I was asked to send this to twenty people on Facebook. Well, this is going on that platform-and on Substack. It might even make it to LinkedIn. Far more than twenty should therefore see it.

In other news, Hana lifted her head today and crawled about two inches. That’s something worth cheering. She also has figured out how to amuse herself by making the bouncy chair go up and down.

How Hard Is It?

0
Posted by on in Assistance, children, collaborating, Community, Family, Inner Struggles, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual

February 24,2026- Ten random questions come to mind, on this quiet day.

How hard is it, to see a girl or woman as a full human being, with valid dreams and aspirations that are worthy of support?

How hard is it, to not project one’s own insecurities or perceived inadequacies on another person-as a means of avoiding personal responsibility?

How hard is it to recognize that a person of another shade of brown is not an inherent threat to life and limb?

How hard is it to see that a person’s being from another country is not a “Go Straight to Jail” card?

How hard is it to not put an infant, or small child, in harm’s way, in the name of policy?

How hard is it to read the United States Constitution and abide by it?

How hard is it to listen to another person’s point of view, and not take it as a personal attack?

How hard is it to remember the person you once were and go back to the best of those basics?

How hard is it to place monetary gain well behind following the Ten Commandments/ Golden Rule?

How hard is it to have spiritual gifts and not use them as a means to an emotional or remunerative end?

Cyclical

0
Posted by on in Assistance, children, collaborating, Community, Family, Inspiration, Matters of Faith, Personal goals, Personal Values, service, Social, Spiritual, Striving

February 20, 2026- I heard a few days ago, and read this morning, that with Saturn and Neptune converging astrologically at O degrees Aries, a 6000 year cycle has come to an end and that a new one has begun. Savvier people than I, with regard to astrology, will have a clearer understanding of what that means,in that particular sense.

I do know, though, that there is, and has been, a unifying energy around the planet, released in 1844 by al-Bab and energized even more in 1863, by Baha’ullah. Like most such processes, it has been slow to unfold, even with two world wars, several civil wars in various nations (including the United States), a global economic depression, a global pandemic and various countries choosing to live-for a time-under authoritarian rule. The unity of the human race, however, is sure to be one of the processes that arise out of this new cycle. It cannot be imposed on us. We must choose it for ourselves. Truthfully, though, I don’t see that we have many other options.

It was said, two days ago, that many shopworn institutions will continue to collapse and fade away, with new institutions, more fitting for this day and age, rising up to take their place. We certainly are seeing that-and I am not talking about models of Artificial Intelligence whose main feature is the exacerbation of human greed. I am talking more about grassroots efforts at improving the quality of life-from language preservation activities, to experiments in backyard farming, to co-operative small groups of parents raising children across familial lines,to alliances of countries that are not being organized by one or more “major powers” .

I want to mention that in my own life, another sea change has taken place. Just as in 1981-82, I became a Baha’i. left the Roman Catholic faith, relinquished alcohol dependency and entered into wedlock; as in 1986-92, we left the United States and learned to live in the beautiful land and culture of South Korea, becoming parents to a beautiful little boy; as in 2011, I laid my beloved wife to rest, let go of a house and community in Phoenix and moved to Prescott, traveling widely and also devoting many hours to community service, so now has the call of grandparenthood been answered and a new community become my Home Base.

One cycle ends, indeed, and another begins.

Re-Adjusted

1
Posted by on in Assistance, children, collaborating, Inspiration, Personal Values, Social, Striving

February 19, 2026- It’s been two months, so today I made contact with a chiropractor in our area, who can continue the work done by Dr. Robert Boehland, at Cornerstone Chiropractic, in Prescott. This gentleman, Dr. Jason Venn, has been in practice for about fifteen years, in the city of Frisco, eight miles northwest of us, and about halfway between the cities of McKinney and Lewisville. It’s a straight shot for me, up Legacy Boulevard. Although it’s farther from the house than Cornerstone was from my place in Prescott, it is worth the drive. Dr. Venn is a knowledgeable advocate for natural medicine and adheres to the same regimen that did me so much good in Prescott. Of course, I am back to a couple of once-a-week sessions, so he may get to know my spinal column and clear up the detritus of my recent moving activities. In the long run, I will be back to where I was in early December.

I spoke softly, but firmly, to Hana, this morning, about slowing down her drinking from her bottles of mother’s milk or formula. She seemed to understand, and has re-adjusted her pace of intake. This will help her digestion and lead to less intestinal gas-always a problem for newborns. Whoever feeds her also takes care of burping her afterward, but I want to encourage her to think about her feeding habits on a very simple level. I am happy to say, it has worked so far. She is also sleeping more soundly at night, for an hour or so longer, each night, for the past three nights.

We are moving more into Spring, which seems to be coming a month early this year-unless, as a Canadian friend mentioned, with regard to her own area, this is the “first false Spring”. The two-week forecast calls for more of the same, with a day or two of rain thrown into the mix, here and there. Of course, we have no word on St. Patrick’s Day yet, and that is very often a day for late winter nasties.

Life is ever full of re-adjustments.

Animal Friends

3
Posted by on in animal and plant life, Assistance, children, collaborating, Community, Education, Family, Personal Values, Service Activities, Social, Striving

February 18, 2026- The video showed a little girl getting ready to go back in her house, after playing in the snow. Of a sudden, a cheerful polar bear cub scampered up and put its paws around the delighted child. She asked her mother if she could bring the bear cub inside, as “it’s freezing out”. The frantic woman called for her husband, and probably figured that the other mother was about to show up and charge at her daughter. The video cut off=and may well have been an AI-created snippet.

A South African Big Cat specialist, Kevin Richardson, has posted several videos of his work with hyenas, leopards and lions. I watched a couple of segments where he treated a male lion for ringworm and monitored the animal’s tooth, which had abscessed, but was somehow starting to heal on its own; another of him playing with “normally aloof ” hyenas, after he returned from a trip to another part of South Africa; and a third, “memorial” to a black leopard, which had died of advanced age. He had bonded with the panther, and noted that the male was a congenial sort, but had its boundaries, which responsible keepers respected.

Hana likes the four little figures on the mobile above her smaller bassinet. She coos and talks to them, as they revolve while she is laying there and gazing at them. There are an elephant, a zebra, a giraffe and a sheep. They are all grey and white, which matters none to my granddaughter. She is a generally happy little girl and smiles at the animals, as she watches and talks to them.

She will be taught to be careful with real animals, being kind to them, while remembering that they are going to defend themselves if they feel threatened. She will learn, as hopefully the little girl in the video did, to not intrude on a wild animal’s territory or try to touch an animal that is not cleared by her parents or the animal’s owner/keeper. The jury’s still out, as to whether we will have a pet here. Penny and I got Aram his first pet when he was five, and he learned the basics of caring for a dog. He and Yunhee will consider the matter, a few years hence.

Animals can co-exist with us, yet we have a duty to understand their natures and show restraint, not being either overly trusting or adversarial to our fellow creatures.

Celebrations, Losses and Growth

0
Posted by on in Assistance, children, collaborating, Community, Education, Family, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving

February 17, 2026- Hana slept through the night,at least from her midnight feeding to 6:30. when we woke her for her breakfast feeding. She might have slept longer, but was very happy to get breakfast. She is growing at a steady pace and is awake more during the day, alternating between our developmental activities with her and gazing up at a revolving mobile, talking to the animals in her soft voice-which gets loud when she needs something from us.

Today was a day of two celebrations: Mardi Gras and Lunar New Year (The Year of the Fire Horse begins today,) Mardi Gras is not such a big deal here, though many Texans, like Arizonans, will tell you “It’s Fat Tuesday, because we speak English in America”. Still, there are some Cajun and Creole places here. We observed Mardi Gras with a simple Cajun chicken salad for dinner. We don’t go out much at night, so costumes were not on the agenda. The Year of the Fire Horse will see us celebrating a bit more, over the next fifteen days. Penny was born during a Year of the Horse (1954). Hana’s birthday came at the end of the Year of the Snake, and she definitely has some Fire Horse qualities, especially being assertive and outspoken-like her grandmother was.

We lost two noteworthy people, yesterday and today. Robert Duvall was another of the greats of cinema to leave our midst. His roles, especially in “Apocalypse Now”, “The Godfather” and the television series. “Lonesome Dove”, showed characters of steel and velvet. He famously objected to the cutting of a scene in “Apocalypse Now”, in which his hard-nosed character saves the life of a Vietnamese child. He was in life, a man of integrity and conviction.

So, too, was Jesse Jackson. I recall his first run for the Democratic Presidential nomination, in 1984. Many who were disturbed by the Iran-Contra matter and who were equally put off by the “business-as-usual” nomination of Walter Mondale, gravitated towards the Reverend from South Carolina and Chicago. He made a respectable showing that Spring, and maintained a presence on the national scene for decades afterward, before a neurological disease ended his mobility and, today, his life. Jesse Jackson extended the reach of the Civil Rights movement- pointing out that “all means all”. Regardless of how uncomfortable that made many feel sometimes, he did not flinch.

Lastly, my heart goes to the family of a woman of whom many had never heard before today. Linda Davis was a highly-regarded Special Education teacher in Savannah, She was killed, while on her way to work, when an undocumented migrant from Guatemala panicked during an ICE traffic stop, and fled the scene, ran a red light and made a u-turn, before crashing into Dr. Davis’ car. It is unclear as to whether officers were “chasing” him, but what is clear is that Dr. Linda Davis died unnecessarily. My heart goes to her family, colleagues and students, whoby all accounts, loved and cherished her.

Growth, celebration and loss are inextricably intertwined.

Hana Goes to A Park

2
Posted by on in Assistance, children, Community, Family, Hiking and Nature, impediments, Inspiration, Personal Values, Social, Striving

February 15, 2026- The fresh air agreed with my granddaughter, and the stroller is a very smooth ride on Plano’s sidewalks and crosswalks. So, Hana let the pacifier drop from her mouth, after about three minutes, and enjoyed the Springlike afternoon-variously looking at the trees and at her parents, as they took turns pushing the stroller.

We went to Hoblitzelle Park, as it is just down the street from the cul de sac. It was her first time outside, other than the medical appointments that don’t really count, as she goes from house to car to office in a car seat. She was very happy, even though she never left the stroller. One step at a time; there will be opportunities to explore the neighbourhood that is her wider world, as she keeps growing over the next year. It was enough that she passed by other little ones in their strollers, getting a slight awareness of her peers. It was also good that the family of three had their photos taken at a bench, in the south playground of “the Hob”. It won’t be all that long before our growing girl is in a basket swing, followed in a few years by the whole range of swings, slides and bars.

She’s nine weeks old now, and sleeps longer through the night, not so much interested in feeding as frequently between Midnight and 5 a.m. That gives her hard-working parents a bit of a break, and I don’t feel as bad about getting my sleep, in preparation for the next day’s activities, which start at 5.She also loves “Stand Up and Sit Down”, as I’ve mentioned, being very proud of standing up straight, with Grandpa’s hands under her arms for support. She certainly coos her appreciation, while looking at me adoringly. All these things add up to a happy, well-adjusted little girl.

Support your adult children. The gratitude will filter down to the grandbabies.

The Stage and the Platform

2
Posted by on in Assistance, children, collaborating, Community, Family, impediments, Inspiration, Personal Values, Social, Striving

February 14, 2026- My kids planned their Valentine’s Day together. Son bought a nice assortment of cut flowers, the only element of surprise, on a day when daughter-in-law took the initiative in scoping out restaurants where they might go. Of course, there was a wait, but the evening worked out nicely. Hana and I had an evening of “stand up, sit down” (one of her favourite developmental games), my reading a chapter of “My Father’s Dragon”, and the snuggling and bottle feeding that are essential in a newborn’s life.

Earlier today, I took part in a brief online discussion about romantic holidays as performance art, as opposed to their being reflective of a deeper, more stable and integrated relationship. My kids passed the acid test. They have made each other’s big days, and their joint big days, focuses of mutual attention and planning, since they became committed to one another. Their platform is solid and supports the stage of important engagements.

I pondered the difference between the above, and the relationships in which one or both parties lurch from one helter-skelter “special day” to another. There are many who “forget” their significant others’ birthdays, or even wedding anniversaries. They are diffident about their partners’ dreams and significant events, or about her/his independent activities altogether. It is not surprising then, when the platform made of particle board collapses under the weight of dreams and expectations made of steel and titanium.

A lot of this is a matter of individual maturity and the developmental level of intuition, of both partners. It is also true that clarity, mingled with commitment, is the best foundation for any relationship. The platform of steel will support the heaviest of stages.

Our Better Nature

0
Posted by on in Assistance, collaborating, Community, Historical, impediments, Inspiration, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual

February 12, 2026- Abraham Lincoln closed his first Inaugural Address with:
“I am loath to close. We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.”

He struck a conciliatory tone to the slaveholders of the Southern and Border states, in a last ditch effort to avoid the outbreak of hostilities. Some became emboldened, and it didn’t work. We are warned, in Scripture, not to encourage those who lie, steal or engage in selfish behaviour. Lincoln thought he could convince those he regarded as “friends and neighbours” to retreat from their threats of secession. He would have done best to have heeded Christ:

“Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.” – Matthew 7:6

“Warn a divisive person once, and then warn them a second time. After that, have nothing to do with them.” – Titus 3:10

When I was a teenager, I was warned by elders who have since passed, but who I respect to this day, to not give in to bullies. I stood my ground a few times, enough so that the kids backed off and some eventually became friends. Had I not stood up for myself, it was clear that they would have become emboldened.

It is also clear that, in the days when confrontation, and going after “the low-hanging fruit” are practices being substituted for reasoned policy-making and public discourse, the angels of our better nature require standing ground by sticking to facts, orienting self and avoiding the temptation to fall back on self-propelled fantasy. They require listening, certainly, and they require discernment, in evaluating what one has heard.

Super

0
Posted by on in Assistance, children, collaborating, Family, impediments, Personal Values, Spiritual, Striving

February 8,2026- Today is Super Bowl Sunday, with many eyes on the actual game, some eyes on the advertisements and a fair number watching and listening to the half-time messages. Though I have my preference, as to the winner of the game, we are not watching the festivities. Other things take priority.

There have been many movies, podcasts and other media presentations dealing with “superpowers”, which each of these ascribe to one ordinary person or another. Superpower has thus largely lost its heft, and become a cliched word.

My daughter-in-law, however, is deserving of super status. I sometimes wonder if, and when, she sleeps. Though we men split shifts watching Hana, her mother is constantly present, and maintains an active schedule during the day, as well. She is constantly in motion, largely tending to matters pertaining to Hana’s feeding, bathing and grooming. We do our share of bottle feeding, diaper changing and playing with the child, but Yunhee’s hand is in all of these, as well.

Through it all, there is only a sunny face, with a determined air about her. There has been no task from which she has shied away. She reminds me of a few other supermoms: My maternal grandmother, my mom, my sister and a mother of five, who lives in Chandler, AZ. Children with supermoms are lucky for life-I know this firsthand, and am glad to see it is so for my granddaughter.

Supermoms don’t wait until the second Sunday in February.