We attended the high school graduation ceremony of one of our grandsons yesterday and will be attending another one tomorrow.

As I sat there and watched those young people marching off to an unknown future, I wondered how they’ll cope with their future world.

There will be even more dramatic effects of climate change.

The political divide in the U.S. will probably continue.

The new world will provide them with surprises, both good and bad.

I think the answer to today’s question is: How did we raise them?

What values did we instill in them?

What personal example did we provide for them to follow?

Will they believe in GOD and practice their faith?

How will they live when their ancestors are no longer here to lean on?

I think everything depends on how we prepared them for the struggles that lie ahead.

The 51-year-old is in a select group of United States Navy officers: The commanders of the 11 aircraft carriers in the US fleet.

Amy Bauernschmidt is the rarest of the rare.

Capt. Bauernschmidt is the only woman in that group. In fact, she’s the only woman ever to command a US aircraft carrier, the largest and among the most powerful warships afloat.

“(It’s) easily one of the most incredible jobs in the world,” she told CNN in Tokyo.

Most people would consider that an understatement.

Bauernschmidt commands the USS Abraham Lincoln, a 97,000-ton, 1,092-foot Nimitz-class aircraft carrier. With around 5,000 people aboard, it’s the equivalent of a small city at sea. (CNN)

It’s about time!

That job demands brains, judgement and people skills.

Obviously, those skills are possessed by males and females.

Hooray!

Another barrier is broken!

As we know, millions of employees left their existing employers to seek better opportunites.

They were seeking better pay and better benefit packages.

After making the move to a new company, however, some have begun the process of returning to their old jobs.

Well, if they got higher pay and better benefits, why did they return to their previous employers?

CULTURE!

They just didn’t feel comfortable either with their new co-workers or the ways things were done there.

So, as we all know, “The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.”

Well, I guess, not always.

Be careful!

See you tomorrow!

Yes!

After 80 years filled with ups and downs and a few crises, that seemed to have no solution, my experience says the answer is “Yes!”

People sometimes equate a good thing that happens to them as a lucky coincidence.

I don’t believe in coincidences, either!

No, I don’t believe this whole life of ours is an accident of nature.

Doctors are the most likely to have faith in GOD, I hope.

This is true because they see miracles occur that are not of their doing.

If you think you can sail through this life completely on your own with help from nobody,

I wish you well.

The blessings I’ve experienced from above are too many to count!

Have faith!

If not today, when?

The Statue of Liberty was built in France between 1875 and 1884.

It was disassembled and shipped to New York City in 1885.

The statue was reassembled on Liberty Island in 1886, although the torch has been redesigned or restored several times since its installation.

Does SHE still represent our values?

Are we living up to HER expectations while living our daily lives?

Each of us must answer those questions as an individual.

Many of your ancestors and mine came through Ellis Island which is the actual facility that received new immigrants.

Ellis Island resides alongside Liberty Island upon which stands the Statue Of Liberty.

Peter Max (the artist) has painted many renditions of the Statue.

You should have one in your home as a constant reminder:

“FREEDOM ISN’T FREE!”

(Carlsbad Desalinization Plant in San Diego County)

Los Angeles (CNN)As California battles a historic drought and a water crisis looms, the state’s coastline protection agency is poised to vote Thursday.

The issue is on whether it will allow a $1.4 billion desalinization plant in Huntington Beach that would convert ocean water into municipal water for Orange County residents.

Poseidon Water, which has been trying to build the plant for decades, says it would be capable of producing up to 50 million gallons of drinking water a day.

This additional plant would help to make the region more drought resilient.

But desalination opponents argue less expensive and less harmful conservation tactics should be the first resort.

Regardless of which side of the argument you may on, as the earth warms, less water will be available for a growing population.

There are already some parts of the world that have no water.

“You cannot go into a war zone and not come away unchanged.

You don’t have to see the sorrow with your eyes because you can feel it with your heart.

The thing about grief is that it veils one’s face.

It’s like a haze has descended.

The tears of the mothers stay permanently on the edges of their eyes, as if they can barely contain their sadness.

They grasp their children’s hands or touch their hair as if they can’t bear to lose the physical connection.

A young mother I met in Uzhhorod, Ukraine, told me that when she and her family ventured out in search of food, Russian soldiers would shoot into the lines of people waiting for a piece of bread.

They wear brave faces, but their emotion is portrayed in the slope of their shoulders, the nervousness in their bodies.”

If you are inclined to pray, pray for the families in Ukraine.

Why Not?

Think of someone other than yourself!

We need a kinder, gentler world and we need it now!

The only thing we have in common is that we’re Americans.

And it stops there.

Surely, we can find something to argue about because we both have strong opposite viewpoints on particular topics.

Many times, our differences even come in the form of a greeting.

“Oh, here comes that liberal.”

We Americans must pull together.

There are many forces out there that would like to witness our demise.

Let’s NOT do it to ourselves!

Why is Trader Joe’s a success?

The simple answer to any success story is differentiation!

With the birth of the 747, Joe saw that international travel was growing fast.

So, he decided to offer products not normally stocked in the typical grocery store.

And he really loaded up on wines from around the world.

He knew the secret to success is DIFFERENTIATION.

If you own a business or are thinking of starting one, take a different approach than your competitors.

If you are an employee of a company, what can you do to be an outstanding team player and get rewarded with a raise or promotion?

Be different. Be willing to work extra hard, accept longer hours or do the things no one else is willing to do.

If not today, when?