Where’s dad in this photo?

Absentee dads are a real problem in the U.S.

Statistics gathered in 2021 show that 7 MILLION American dads were absent from the lives of ALL their minor children.

This places such an enormous burden on all those single moms who try to make financial ends meet while providing the emotional, physical and psychological needs of their minor age children.

IT IS UNFAIR!!

Many times, the absentee dads re-appear when the children are in their teens because mom has done all the “HEAVY LIFTING” of getting the child to the teen years.

I call it “COWARDICE” to abandon mother and child when they need the most help in the early years.

So, on this FATHER’S DAY, I ask those fathers who are running from their responsibilities to MAN UP and return to their parental obligations.

If not today, when?

The above photo is of Lake Meade which is far below traditional water levels.

The Colorado River is also in trouble.

California only has one desalinization plant in San Diego County.

Last week, a committee rejected the construction of an additional plant in Orange County.

The Southeast has been hit with multiple tornadoes and other strong weather events.

We are also dealing with Atmospheric Rivers which consist of narrow bands of water that form over the oceans and then come ashore bringing torrential rain.

To simply sum it up, our world’s weather is changing in many ways.

People, in the past, moved from one place to another because of weather that was always reliable.

Not so anymore.

It behooves each of us to learn more about CLIMATE CHANGE and its future impact on our way of life.

If not today, when?

It seems that every business doesn’t provide the same level of service as it did in the past.

Many former employees have left and moved on to better opportunities elsewhere.

Covid has also hit the supply chain hard.

A delivery you would expect in a few days can now take weeks.

So, you, the customer, have to look for new sources for the service you need.

Everyone is upset about this situation, both business owners and their customers.

It just adds more frustration to your daily life in addition to those you already have.

I hate to say this, but the current situation may not improve very much very soon.

This may be the new world we have to deal with.

So, reset your expectations and don’t let current conditions get you down.

If not today, when?

Do you make the lives of others better, happier, more fulfilled?

Or, do you go the other way making one or more people miserable?

We all make a difference, you know, either positively or negatively.

Which are you?

Jesus said, “Love one another as I have loved you!”

Do you spread love wherever you go?

I recently wrote a book entitled, “The Book Of Kindness.”

It begins by listing all the benefits you receive by being kind.

Then, there are 45 true stories of how people express kindness.

Finally, it talks about how you should receive kindness from others.

What effect do you have on the lives of others?

After all, it’s not about you.

Think about it.

If not today, when?

Many people struggle to overcome the ill effects of their childhood.

It is more common than we may realize.

And it seems the trauma from an unhappy childhood shows its footprint in dilemmas faced by adults throughout their lives.

These dilemmas are manifested in unstable relationships and low self esteem.

It particularly is damaging to a marital relationship.

It’s not uncommon for a spouse to try to help a troubled spouse overcome the effects of a difficult youth.

No one should have to live out their lives while being haunted by something that happened a long time ago.

If you or someone you know is living with the lingering effects of a troubled youth, seek professional help.

If not today, when?

Most past research on binge drinking has focused on the younger generation, typically teens and college students.

Consuming multiple drinks at one sitting is widespread in this population segment.

But statistics show a good many adults over 30 are binge drinkers, and the problem is on the rise, especially among women and adults over 65.

Women are more susceptible to alcohol-related brain damage and heart disease than men.

For both men and women over 65 years of age, the increase is of particular concern.

Many older adults use medications that can interact with alcohol, have health conditions that can be exacerbated by alcohol, and may be more susceptible to alcohol-related falls and other accidental injuries. (CNN)

It seems that binge drinking adversely affects young people, those over 30, women and those over 65.

So, be careful with alcohol!

If not today, when?

“Life is for service.”

Those are the words Rollins College valedictorian Elizabeth Bonker lives by.

Bonker, who is nonspeaking and has autism, gave a remarkable address during her school’s recent commencement ceremony in Winter Park, Florida.

Clad in a cap and gown decorated with flowers, Bonker explained, through a text-to-speech program, how she typed her remarks using a single finger with the help of a communication aide.

People with nonspeaking autism have trouble developing speech, and in Bonker’s case, neuromotor issues inhibit her communication and her ability to do some other basic tasks.

Learning to type changed everything.

“That one critical intervention unlocked my mind from its silent cage,” she said during her address. (CNN)

And we think we have a tough life!

This recent graduate says she was released from her SILENT CAGE.

We hear of courageous people who overcome incredible odds everyday.

Elizabeth Bonker is one of those people.

Just think what you could accomplish using all your GOD-given faculties.

If not today, when?

And was not meant to be.

No, this is EARTH filled with imperfect people who live imperfect lives.

And so, we must accept the imperfections all around us and, nevertheless, live our lives with optimism  and hope that tomorrow will be a better day.

Each of us must work to correct our own shortcomings so that we can be one of those who contribute to a better world.

It is easy to be discouraged with the condition of our society.

We have to stop dwelling on what’s wrong with it and begin looking for the good in every person and every situation we must confront.

We must be problem solvers and not creators of problems for ourselves and others.

There is so much we can do to make the lives of others just a little bit better.

In that way, we make a better world.

But, THIS IS NOT HEAVEN!

New York (CNN Business)

The United States is in a maternal health crisis.

Maternal mortality and morbidity rates across the country have increased steadily over the past 20 years, even as rates in all other developed countries have decreased significantly.

New government data shows that US maternal deaths jumped by 14% during the first years of the pandemic, to 861 in 2020.

The rate of maternal deaths for Black women in the US was nearly three times higher than it was for white women over that time frame.

Goldman Sachs wants to change that. Mahmee, a six-year-old maternal healthcare startup, has announced the closing of a $9.2 million Series A funding round led by Goldman’s Growth Equity Business.

The investment is part of Goldman Sachs’ One Million Black Women initiative, a $10 billion commitment to narrow opportunity gaps for Black women over the next decade.

Hooray for Goldman Sachs!

We need more major corporations to step up to their societal responsibilities.

If not today, when?

The “Mona Lisa” was the subject of attempted vandalism on Sunday when a visitor to the world-famous Louvre museum in Paris smeared frosting all over the Renaissance-era painting’s protective glass.

The man, who appeared to wear a wig in videos of the incident shared on social media, approached the painting in a wheelchair before throwing a piece of cake at the artwork, according to a statement from the Louvre.

Videos of the aftermath show him on foot with a wheelchair nearby. (CNN)

Fortunately, the world famous painting is protected by a glass shield that prevented the pastry form causing harm.

Some people want to create while others want to destroy.

That’s just the way the world is and always has been.

That’s why TRUST in another person is so powerful.

And as the old saying goes, “You must earn my trust.”

Are you trustworthy?