Over 3000 people on average are dying every day now because of COVID 19. We must never forget these souls. May their memories be a blessing to those they left behind. My painting below is dedicated to all those hundreds of thousands of souls. Many died alone unable to speak to loved ones. The hearts represent their souls and also the broken hearts of their loved ones. We are all one in all and one in all. The butterfly represents hope. In Spanish we refer to a butterfly as “esperanza” which means hope. I hope we protect each other and continue to wear masks to protect others. So much is happening right now. But let us focus on how precious life is and how much our loved ones mean to us. Let us not forget the essence of our oneness. Stay safe! God bless!
One years ago the 19th amendment empowered women with the right to vote. 2020 so far been a memorable year; it will definitely be remembered for many negatives but there are some positives we need to embrace.
My grandmother was barely 22 years old when the 19th came about. The incumbent president at the time was Woodrow Wilson, a leader of the Progressive Movement; he was the 28th President of the United States (1913-1921).
Warren G. Harding, a Republican, who won by a landslide victory in 1920, taking every state outside the South and dominating the popular vote. He became the 29th president.
I wish she were here to tell me who she voted for at the time and if she actually did get to vote. My great-grandmother was never able to vote. She had passed by the time the 19th had been enforced.
Today, we the women of this great country do have the right to vote and it is so important that we do so on November 3, 2020. We must do everything in our power to get out there and exercise our right to vote and not be fearful. Our vote will count and will be counted fairly. We must believe that our elections will not be tampered with. Our doubts began with the knowledge that foreign entities may try to sway people one way or another via social media. Reliable security sources have made clear interference of that kind will not happen again. So we cannot allow fear, and misinformation to come from any source.
Of course, I may be a tad bias but I believe women are intelligent, forceful and determined to make the world right for their offspring and loved ones in general. You could not intimidate my mother or grandmother. They kept informed. They read fervently and spoke up when they knew something was dramatically wrong. I know that many women are made of the same stuff.
I watched Michelle Obama speak at the National Democratic (unconventional) Convention which was done virtually because of the pandemic we are all struggling with these days. She was eloquent as usual but also spoke from her non-political heart. I heard the sincerity of a mother and patriot who loves her country. It was a love like this that fueled the Suffrage Movement. As my grandmother would say they had “fuego” (fire) in their hearts and clarity in their minds.
We must honor those women by doing what needs to be done. I know I will honor my great grandmother and all those before her who could not voice their opinion or check off a ballot box.
There is too much at stake. There is too much to accomplish. We have come a long way but so much more needs to be done to get the job done better. It is up to us. Who else can do three jobs at once? Who else has the know how to read people and know what is best for their children? The answer is We the Women of these United States of America. God bless America!
As a retired educator, I feel the obligation to stress the need to help our children and young people right now. Parents and families need support as schools open within the next few weeks. School districts and their respective boards and local authorities are planning and trying to make ends meet with regard to supplies to keep their schools clean, safe and how to implement spacial distancing.
Many schools continue to advocate for distance learning or remote learning via Zoom and other Internet platforms. Some districts have opted for a hybrid system alternating days for face to face learning and on-line learning. There is no doubt that these decisions will be protested and opposed by parents, teachers and even our national leaders. There is no one size fits all. There are too many factors to consider.
There is no equity. But then again education has never really been equitable in our country. We even label some school districts poor or rich. This is just a fact. Some cities and towns are funded by property taxes and supplemented by some state and federal entitlements. However, the buildings and technological infrastructure is either excellent and state of the art or very old and in some cases obsolete or non existent. I am not going to point fingers or blame anyone at this point for our failures in education but the truth is not all schools are created nor maintained equally.
Right this minute, parents are trying to figure out how to get their children suitable devices, update their Wifi speeds or even get Internet service, and how to afford remote learning. Teachers typically use their own dollars to buy materials and supplies during the school year. The difference this year is that they cannot buy all their students tablets or computers. So who can help to provide these devices if we should have to go back to stay at home kind of learning? Make a list if you will.
All the medical experts I have listened to have said that children can be infected and can get seriously ill from COVID 19 . Yes, they have better immune systems but what about the immunity of their teachers and the parents and grandparents they go back home to possibly spread the disease.
So, to attend school or not to go back to school is the critical question for all of us. Let us remember that it takes a village. This is just not a cliche anymore. We spend our energy worrying about what sports teams are doing to play and keep their members safe. Many of the players, may I add are millionaires. I support sports just like everyone else; but should not our focus be our education system? Sports fulfill a large part of our cultural needs and help us to relax in many ways. Just like the NFL, NBA and national baseball teams, our educational system needs sensible and professional leadership, good coaching by knowledgeable educators and fitness experts to support students and teachers.
I am calling for action for all of us to do our part. Check out the needs of your school district. If you can donate a tablet or computer. If you know someone who can afford it ask them to donate. Rich companies like Apple, Microsoft, Facebook, Samsung, LG, Walmart, Amazon, to name a few, and how about the richer members of the stock exchange to donate computers and devices to communities where children and their families simply cannot afford to get a suitable device. A parent should not have to give their child a cell phone to use during remote learning. Some parents work from home as well. How do they share the time to get on-line? We have always been a very generous country and people. Let us put our money in the right place.
Last, our politicians should work out a viable bipartisan plan to continue to help our most vulnerable populations. We need people to feel safe and empowered again. No one wants to stay home and never leave it. I do not know anyone who loves to be on food stamps or depend on others to survive. Many folks want and need to get back to work.
However we need to help slow down this deadly virus and to keep each other safe. Love thy neighbor! Follow the guidelines to keep yourself and others safe until we find a cure, a safe vaccine and effective treatments. 163,533 souls suffered so much pain and lost their worst life’s battle. Let us not loose the war. It is not appropriate or acceptable to say that “It is what it is”.
We need to keep up the fight, call out those leaders who are not doing their jobs, vote for those who are capable of getting the job done. This is how we will honor the memory of those who have fallen.
Let us pay attention to our local public officials. Check out what they are voting for to keep our country safe. Write letters, make the phone calls.
My dad would have been 106 years old today. I suppose it would be unrealistic to think that he would have lived that long. But he is eternally living in my heart. I just saw a news clip about Setty Cirillo who was born in Rome in 1913, celebrating her one hundred and sixth birthday. She was dancing and she looked fabulous. She says dancing lessons keep her active. God bless her. How lucky for her children and grand children to have her around and still so agile and strong.
Sometimes I picture my dad dancing a Tango by Carlos Gardel or singing his favorite aria from La Boehme as sung by Enrico Caruso. The smile on his face was worth a million.
I am so grateful I have these sweet memories. He also loved nature and the sounds of silence. I would sing Simon & Garfunkel’s songs and he loved it. He also loved when I sang “He Ain’t Heavy He’s My Brother.” He cared about people and gave of himself in every way.
So today I remember my dad’s smile and love for humanity. I celebrate his life singing the songs he loved. Many of which still resonate so much today. I wonder what he would say. Thanks dad. Love you forever.
This is the translation of a poem I posted a while ago, the title of which is Happiness. I hope that you enjoy it and pass it on to your Spanish speaking friends. I had to take a break recently because of my brother’s passing. He was an artist and lover of poetry so I want to dedicate this first translation in Spanish to him. I know that he is free of pain now and thus most likely happy.
La felicidad se acercó un día
Y comenzó a caminar junto a mi
No esperaba en aquelle momento tan preciso
que me alcansará para pedirme todas mis penas
y tantas lagrimas ya derramadas como un monte de arena
Tomó todo y lo pusó en una bolsa gigantesca.
Me recordó de todas las bendiciones
Que he tenido en mi vida
Como mis hijos queridos,
Mis dos nietos y nietecita bella
El gran amor de mi esposo
Todo lo que me ha traido gozo.
Me dijo que siempre escogiera ser feliz
Porque la alternative sería sólo mi decisión
Y por qué ser negativa cuando se puede ser más positiva?
De repente el sol parecía brillar más que nunca;
Y los parajitos cantaban tan espectacularmente.
Me fijé más cuidosamente en las sonrisas de la gente.
¡Y decidí escoger la felicidad como mi constante acompañante!
*My dear sister Daisy passed away 14 years ago on the day after Christmas which was her favorite holiday. Although there are so many things that make me happy on this day, I cannot forget her spirit and deep love for her family. For me Christmas is really not the same anymore.
Poemattic: Poetry and Art for the Soul 
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