Category Archives: service

The Hana Chronicles: Month 5, Day 14

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Posted by on in children, collaborating, Education, Family, Inner Struggles, Personal Values, service, Social, Striving

June 4, 2026- My granddaughter had a few comments on the singing birds and on encountering the same mother and baby we met yesterday. She was quite happy with our walk, even along the somewhat bumpy grass path that brought us closer to our house, on the way back. It was warmer today, and the sun was more direct, but Hana was shielded by both a sun visor and her stroller’s canopy. Her skin was warm when we got back, so I put infant-safe lotion on her arms, legs and neck. Sunscreen is not recommended for children under the age of two.

She likes the solid foods to which she’s been introduced so far-and that includes the broccoli that she’s had for the past three days. Tomorrow, it will be cabbage’s turn. Sitting in a high chair, for ten-minutes, has also proven easier than I had thought. She sits straight and keeps her posture-and I have a tray in place, for extra support. Sitting in the chair for more than ten minutes is probably not a good idea until she can sit up straight, without support from furniture. Still, the high chair makes feeding easier.

She misses her parents, along about the time that her body clock tells her that they should be home. That is her challenge, but she also knows that she is safe with her Papa. Their schedules will even out, starting next week, so this should be less of a problem. Her awareness is, nonetheless, very keen.

Overall, though, Hana is a bright, engaging and generally happy little girl.

The Hana Chronicles: Month 5, Day 13

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Posted by on in Assistance, children, collaborating, Family, Hiking and Nature, Personal Values, service, Social, Striving

June3,2026- My granddaughter, Han, was born on December 22, 2025. I have been keeping people I care about informed of her milestones and growth, for the past many months-and since those milestones are my central concerns, I am recasting the title of this series of posts to reflect that.

We took our first grandfather and granddaughter solo walk, this afternoon. I put her securely in her stroller, with canopy and bug net firmly in place. We then went to the grounds of the nearby, out-of-session middle school and to a section of Hoblitzelle Park that lies nearby. We saw prairie cone flowers and standing cypress flowers by the yardful. There were also introduced columbines, in a yard along the way. We encountered a mother and baby, in a similar stroller near the park bench where I stopped and enjoyed a can of mineral water. Hana was nonplussed. She was taking in the fresh air and scenery, but was not as sociable as she usually is.

Back at the house, after our walk, we watched through the window, as city workers poured concrete on a reinforcement of a section of our cul-de-sac. I decided to read her a selection from a book of “Girl Power” stories. When I went to put her in her bouncy chair, she resisted a bit, arching her back and saying “No”-but in a quiet voice. When I explained to her that this was “Girl Power” story time, she relaxed and let me secure her in her seat. The story was about Moana, the Disney character, as a teenager. She liked the tale-and the pictures.

What she enjoys most, though, about our days together, is my being with her-holding her and rocking her when it meets her need for comfort, getting on hands and knees in the play pen, reading different stories and knowing just when she needs a diaper change. When is getting tired and frustrated, Papa is there to get her to the crib or even rock her to sleep and let her sleep on my shoulder..

I can’t think of a finer way to spend a day.

Micro and Macro

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Posted by on in children, collaborating, Community, Family, Inner Struggles, Personal goals, Personal Values, service, Social, Spiritual, Striving, Travel

May 30, 2026- Today was the original Memorial Day, nee Decoration Day-when people would adorn their loved ones’ graves with flowers and other tokens of remembrance. After World War II, the name changed, unofficially. This was given Congressional approval in 1968. Even before the official change, at school in the 1950s, we would assemble and collectively recite a poem that began: “Tomorrow is Memorial Day. The soldiers will be marching, with banners waving high..” On this day, we think of what can be done for the greater good of humanity, while also focusing on the individuals in our families who have gone on, many having made the ultimate sacrifice/

Somehow, this brought me to think of both the larger and smaller things that are of importance in life, and in turn, the notion that our lives dovetail between concern with the greater good (“Macro”) and the small details and niceties (“Micro”). It’s a given, in today’s world, that things can increase in number and size, without end, and become smaller in the same manner. Whole numbers have no limit; neither do fractions. There are an infinite number of celestial bodies in the Universe, and there are an as yet unknown number of reductions that can be made in subatomic particles.

All this further made me look at how the phases of my life have dovetailed between Micro and Macro. As a child and teenager, my day to day concerns were with my family and the town of Saugus. Yet there was also an awareness of the wider world, and my interests ranged from the natural history of the planet to the quality of life for people in other parts of the world.

In my twenties, I turned fairly inward, not really letting anyone in and basically going through the motions of military service, college and the beginnings of my teaching career. In my thirties and forties, the focus turned outward again-a change in Faith, marriage, and dedication to a life of service, plus raising a child. In my fifties, the focus was Micro again-taking care of my wife, in her declining years, and ridding myself of negative thoughts and feelings about myself. From age 60 until last December, the focus was Macro again- a wide field of community service and lots of travel, both domestic and international-with a view towards expanding my network of friends.

Now, the focus is again largely Micro-my primary concern being the well-being and development of my granddaughter, Hana. It is also a hybrid life: In being a role model for her, I am gradually expanding my network here in Plano and the Dallas-Fort Worth Metro area. It will be important for her to see that these old bones still carry some weight. My network of friends and family across the continent, and the globe, also remains intact. Visits with them are in abeyance, but not finished. As my family’s life evolves, so will mine.

“A Space of Quiet Promise”

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Posted by on in children, collaborating, Community, Education, Family, Hiking and Nature, impediments, Inspiration, Matters of Faith, Personal Values, service, Social, Spiritual, Striving

May 28, 2026- I am now halfway through my diamond year. Much has changed, since my 75th birthday, and much, at least inside me, has remained the same.

I have left a mountain community, with many acts of service in the course of a week. There was also much in the way of natural beauty, in which I could become refreshed, even at the risk of encountering an apex predator. I left a solid community of friends, of all Faiths, though a good many of my interactions were with my fellow Baha’is; Friends were also from all points on the political spectrum; as apt to be women as men; many were older than 60, and many were younger. I finally mastered the art of teaching, just in time to retire.

I came to a place of quiet promise. (The phrase is borrowed from blogger Cynthia Ward’s essay, “Who I Used To Be”.)* I left a one-bedroom apartment and came into a two-story house, with three bedrooms and two offices that could convert to bedrooms. The kitchen and living room, alone, are the size of what I left behind. I came to live with family, as an active contributor, rather than as a dependent. My educational skills now go towards the development of my infant granddaughter. My Red Cross volunteering is strictly on weekends, and my Baha’i activities are on evenings and weekends. I have not changed my American Legion post, as yet. There is no activity at the nearest post, save gatherings centered on drinking and smoking, neither of which interest me, nor would they suit my coming home to a nursing mother and a little girl. As time goes on, Slow Food Dallas-Fort Worth could draw me into its activities.

Health-wise, I have found a fine, competent VA doctor, dentist and chiropractor. I go to a Planet Fitness, about ten minutes from here. There are plenty of parks nearby and several safe neighbourhoods in which to walk, day or night. I can still do a plank for 1 1/2-2 minutes. I can still walk 3-5 miles. (It’s mostly flat here, but the humidity makes up for the lack of elevation changes).

I have several bounties here: A loving son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter; a large and supportive Baha’i community; a quiet neighbourhood connected with the outside world by well-ordered streets and roads; and, for the next few months at least, a reliable supply network for what we need. This house, this community, are places of quiet promise.

  • “Who I Used to Be”, Still Amazed, Cynthia Ward May 25,2026

Shared Loads

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Posted by on in children, collaborating, Community, Family, Personal Values, service, Social, Striving

May 26, 2026- Hana’s solid food introduction schedule was devised today, just as her first tooth, or two, is starting to erupt. She accepted the three spoonfuls of rice porridge, which of course are still supplemented by mother’s milk. We three generally share feeding responsibilities, with me taking on the feeding-and everything else pertaining to her care, during the workday. It is one of the most rewarding jobs I’ve ever had.

As a child and teen, I had certain specific chores-and was also raised to notice what needed to be done-and to take care of it. Dad’s words were “Don’t expect an engraved invitation….” I was not the ideal child, but I did take some pride in helping around the house. My siblings, likewise, did their share.

We don’t issue engraved invitations to each other here, either. If one of us is the first to come upon something that needs to be done, we don’t wait around for permission. It is just how a well-oiled household has always worked, in my experience-and it will be a good example for Hana (and her siblings, if there are any.)

A community would seem to be much the same. I have taken on a couple of committee roles in the Baha’i community here and serve as a Red Cross Blood Donor Ambassador in two or three weekend blood drives, each month. While it is a far cry from the volunteer activities that found me in Prescott, these roles dovetail nicely with my first responsibility: My grandchild.

I know of people who work far harder in a volunteer capacity-and my hat goes off to them. It is, however, a truth that “Many hands make light work”; “Teamwork makes the dream work”, and so on. We will continue to make our homestead, and our youngest member, thrive.

Five Months In

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Posted by on in children, collaborating, Family, Inspiration, Personal Values, service, Social, Spiritual, Striving

May 22, 2026- This afternoon, we set up a plastic mat as a ramp that covered the small ledge between Hana’s play area and the dining room. She crawled up the ramp, with my bracing her feet and her mother on the other end of the ramp, encouraging her. Hana made it up into the dining room, looking surprised, as she looked down into her play area, then quite happy that we helped her.

Earlier today, she crawled over to the bookshelf in her play space and touch several book spines, babbling insistently, until I took a couple of books out and read them to her. When one of us reads, Hana looks attentively at the pages, and has taken to turning the pages herself and looking through the books.

She will now be slowly introduced to solid (pureed) foods, and watches us very intently as we eat, and how we use utensils. She will be shown how to use the soft rubber spoon, when we begin the feeding schedule (one solid food, for one meal, per day.), starting on Sunday.

Most importantly, her speaking and eye contact are acknowledged and affirmed. Insistent and enunciated babbling can be reasonably interpreted, given attention to body language and where her eyes and body are pointing. When she is acknowledged correctly, her face lights up, so we know we’re on the right track.

This is where we are as a family, five months in.

Loyalty

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

May 20,2026- My granddaughter kissed me on the shoulder, when I picked her up from the crib, after her first nap, this morning. She will roll over to get next to me, when I lower myself to her crawling area. She holds onto my shirt, when I am rocking her, at the end of a play period. A baby is motivated by survival instinct, and gravitates to the person(s) who show her/him the most consistent positive attention. That is the beginning of loyalty.

My own loyalties are very specifically ordered: Family, Faith, Friends, Humanity, Planet Earth. I am loyal to government when it treats the common people with love and respect. My loyalty to the Human Race requires standing up, when there is a widespread disregard for dignity and worth-no matter the source of that disdain. Furthermore, I see no conflict between standing up for my family and standing up for the planet. My family’s survival needs a healthy environment. I don’t want my granddaughter, or anyone else, ingesting a host of microplastics or breathing in Diesel fumes, generated by someone who is angry at Elon Musk, or at the environmental movement.

I am loyal to the Baha’i Faith. That also means that I show reverence and respect towards all creeds that are based on the Golden Mean. All knowledge comes from the Divine, else it is contrived, and is not true knowledge at all. We have never been left alone, nor will we ever be.

I am loyal to my friends, no matter how long it has been since we’ve seen one another or how often we may communicate. Many are overwhelmed by life and have both my daily blessings and constant thought. My loyalty should never be measured by how much money I spend on a person. I have a few in my circle, who are transactional. The only time I hear from them is when they are short on cash. I occasionally help one family with the basics, but generally speaking, I prefer my charity to be that which helps larger groups of people.

My loyalty to Humanity reflects a conviction that “all means all.” I don’t make a distinction between “rightwingers” and “leftwingers”, Christians and Muslims, citizens of one country as opposed to those of another. My only guidepost is to be discerning, as to the basic human rights of a given person. Even a tyrant has inherent dignity. If he/she chooses to squander that dignity, that is not a choice made by me. I will not harm anyone, but neither will I allow them to harm me or anyone close to me.

My loyalty to Earth lies in being as responsible a steward of what is in front of me and of the planet as a whole. Minimal trash, maximum recycling, regular maintenance and proper use of my motor vehicle, respect and kindness towards all life forms, to the greatest extent possible, conservation of resources-all these add up, when practiced regularly.

Loyalty begins with self-respect and is reflected outwards.

By Example

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Posted by on in Assistance, children, collaborating, Community, Education, Family, Inner Struggles, Personal goals, Personal Values, service, Social, Spiritual, Striving

May 11, 2026- Some of what I have modeled for Hana has been physical-even crawling on my hands and knees, a little, so she can see what is involved, and reading words from left to right, pointing,as she follows each word, I also explain what I;m doing, step by step, no matter how simple the task.

She maintains focus, quite a bit more than one might expect a 4.5-month-old infant to keep attention. It seems to be a matter of storing information, either for use in a week or two, as with crawling or the sequence of letters, to recall and use as a toddler.

Funny thing about example: One never knows when little eyes and ears are picking up on what is being said or done. I had given up cursing long before Aram was born, as I just didn’t see any use for such talk, when other words met my needs just as well. He was quite assertive, in calling out what he thought was behaviour that was not in sync with words, especially in middle childhood.

I have a feeling that Hana will do the same. She already communicates quite well, with body language, eye contact and babbles that are fairly comprehensible as words. There is even a fair amount of intonation that give a sense of what she wants to convey.

Example is just the least one can do, to build character in those for whom one is responsible. It is crucial in child rearing-and just as much so, in positions of public responsibility. I had a high bar to maintain, and did, as a teacher, counselor and building principal-and even as a substitute teacher, in my last years of work. I didn’t always meet the expectations of the higher echelon or of the governing boards, but my standing with all but a few students, co-workers and parents was constantly stable.

Elected officials, likewise, would do a whole lot better to adhere to the highest standard of conduct. It’s been a while since that bar has been met, by all too many in public office. This has nothing to do with ideology. As we have seen, there are honest, trustworthy conservatives and progressives alike and there are the opposite, among both camps.

Bringing oneself to account each day seems to be the most effective counter to backsliding and it pays dividends, in terms of how one’s example is followed.

Pros and Cons

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Posted by on in children, Community, Family, Inspiration, Personal Values, service, Social, Striving

April 24,2026- In a conversation with my son last night, he went over the pros and cons of living in this house, in this city, as opposed to living closer to DFW Airport and Fort Worth. The cost of living over there is a tad cheaper, as are housing costs. It’d be a shorter commute. His glass, and mine, are half full.

On the other hand, the houses would be smaller, and it would be more difficult for me to stay with them, as well as no room for expanding the family, should it come to that. He came to the point of counting blessings, pointing out the good schools, the nice neighbourhood and decent parks nearby, lots of children-a plus for the gregarious Hana- and everything that’s needed is no more than 15-20 minutes away.

I’m fairly easy, with regard to living situations. I let go of aspects of my life like frequent travel, mountain and canyon hiking and supervising shelters for the Red Cross, in order to prioritize Hana’s getting a solid start on her life, and so that her parents may continue to earn a living. Thomas Sowell’s Trade-Off Doctrine has been top of mind for many years now. I live nicely here, get a fair amount of exercise tending to my granddaughter-and will get more, as she becomes mobile. I am at the same point, friend-wise, that I was at in Prescott, after the first four months. Things will get better, just as thy did there.

The vagaries of my online connections, which were a problem for some months, have largely been straightened out. Those who want to keep in touch with me have noted the change in my e-mail address. The rest have fallen away and that is just part and parcel of life. Major accounts are still accessible.

The pros outweigh the cons.

True Blue

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Posted by on in Assistance, collaborating, Inspiration, Matters of Faith, Personal Values, service, Social, Spiritual, Striving

April 11, 2026- The penultimate speaker, in this evening’s memorial to the late Baha’i teacher, Glenford Mitchell, began by noting that the hour was getting late, and saying he would be brief. He then went on for ten minutes. No reminiscence about Mr.Mitchell could ever be ever be brief, though he himself was the model of brevity, in his talks and speeches. He simply meant too much, to too many people.

I sat for the live-streamed broadcast of this memorial because of the tenor of Mr. Mitchell’s work. An early founder of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Council (“Snick”) and co-author of “The Angry Black South” (1962), he became enamoured of the Teachings of Baha’ullah, first taught him by his paternal uncle, in his native Jamaica and coming again to the fore of his heart while he lived in Raleigh, NC as a student at Shaw University. Glenford threw himself more fully into Baha’i work and by dint of his devotion and work ethic, was elected to one Baha’i administrative body after another, serving fourteen years on the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of the United States, then twenty-six years on the Faith’s Supreme Body: The Universal House of Justice.

In his later years, Mr. Mitchell’s health declined, but his spirit kept on and he continued to welcome friends and family to his home, even if he could no longer walk or speak. His wife and family stood by him, and saw that his declining years were not those of misery. Glenford Mitchell’s spirit remained true blue-even through his passing on February 7.

Randy Smith, who also passed on recently, served the Baha’i Faith in Washington State and in Prescott Valley, AZ, for nearly thirty years. I knew Randy, and his wife, Linda, as steadfast, long-suffering community servants, in the Prescott area. Others recall the same about them, in the Olympia and Longview areas.Randy was most often found in his shop/garage, attached to the family home. He welcomed neighbours, including youths, who were either interested in his various projects or who simply wanted to borrow tools. He also spent long hours with his grandchildren, either when the family came up from the Phoenix area or when he and Linda went down there for a visit.

Randy was a quiet man, who shunned the limelight, but he was most often the first to arrive at a gathering, and one of the last to leave. Making sure a job was complete was his trademark. If that involved learning a new skill, well, that was a natural outgrowth of his upbringing in Ketchikan, at the southeastern tip of Alaska. Randy was also true blue.

It was my good fortune to have become familiar with Mr. Mitchell’s life and work and to have known Randy as a personal friend. May there more people who show themselves, like the scholar and the tradesman, as True Blue.