The shooting on Boxing Day outside the Eaton Centre deeply disturbed my husband and I. This act of violence was committed in areas we frequent. This election season when the parties in each riding call to ask if we are going to vote, maybe we should ask, "Convince me why we should." I think that politicians have absolutely NO understanding of what is going on. I feel that politicians, often, live in their own bubble, much like anyone of us. Their needs, are not the needs of the single mom who has 3 children, and needs to work 2 jobs to survive and can't afford to send her children on field trips or pay for tennis lessons they have always wanted because the rec centre in the neighbourhood closed down due to government cutbacks. It is these government cutbacks from youth programs that has affected youths of today. I believe the violence we are seeing today is a result of youth boredom in impoverished communities. Educational curriculum for children needs to include problem solving and conflict resolution skills, build on values of mutual respect and nonviolence. We all need to live less in our bubbles and work together to strengthen community cohesiveness. Secondary factors, include access to weapons and the responses to violence, including policing presence, access to social services, courts and corrections. We need changes to our legal system. We put the politicians in office to speak on our behalf. We employ them, insist they make changes to our legal system. Every time a gun is fired on our streets, it's not only the shooter who is to blame, it's us for not putting a stop to this behavior.

Another great holiday has come to pass. We had a Chrismakuh full of family and friends, good times and way too much food.
My plan for the next few days is to get the house back in to shape.


A few things I have in mind for the next few days besides sitting here in front of the computer:
1. Learn to use my new I-POD
2. Watch a few movies or some really bad T.V.during the day.
3. Take my Daughters out to lunch and an afternoon movie.
4. Cook a few balanced meals for my family, you know like a real mom.

How Blessed Are You?

If we could shrink the earth's population to a village of 100 people, with all the existing human ratios remaining the same, it would look something like the following:
57 Asians
21 Europeans
14 from the Western Hemisphere, both north and south
8 would be Africans
52 would be female
48 would be male
70 would be non-white
30 would be white
70 would be non-Christian
30 would be Christian
89 would be heterosexual
11 would be homosexual
6 people would possess 59% of the entire world's wealth and all 6 would be from the United States.
80 would live in substandard housing
70 would be unable to read
50 would suffer from malnutrition
1 would be near death
1 would be near birth
1 would have a college education
1 would own a computer

When one considers our world from such a compressed perspective, the need for both acceptance, understanding and education becomes glaringly apparent. And, therefore . . .

If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep ... you are richer than 75% of this world.

If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace ... you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy.

If you woke up this morning with more health than illness ...you are more blessed than the million who will not survive this week. -If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation...you are ahead of 500 million people in the world.

If you hold up your head with a smile on your face and are truly thankful...you are blessed because the majority can, but most do not.

If you can hold someone's hand, hug them, or even touch them on the shoulder...you are blessed because you can offer a healing touch.