The Active Family

I make it a habit to read online news every day. I may be a stay at home mom, but I need that connection to the outside world! Today I was amazed at how much is happening out in our big world.

I read a sad, yet touching tribute to a man I’ve never had the honor of meeting. Jack Lucas died today. Before this after noon, that name meant nothing to me, yet now I wish I had the chance to meet him. He was the youngest WWII Vet ever to be given the medal of honor. He falsified his mother’s signature in order to join the Marines at age 13!!! I have a 12 year old, and there is no way he is even close to being mature enough to make a choice like that. The story documented his heroics, and his sense of humor. His last words? “I ain’t dead yet.” Amazing.

I also read more about Senator Kennedy, or rather a story regarding the severity of brain tumors. It was really disconcerting to see the bleakness of the situation. In black and white the chances of survival are low. People with these tumors have surgery, which extends their lives by months, and radiation and chemo which may extend life by a year or two. I know he has lived a long and fruitful life, and he has touched many people. It saddens me to think that his light may be out of our lives sooner than it should. Hopefully God will choose to bless him and his family (and the rest of us) with a much longer life.

In happier news, apparently Kung Fu Panda is doing rather well in the theaters. Annnnnnd that’s all I have to say about that.

I was disgusted to learn about the latest trial of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, a mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks. He refused lawyers, stating that he will defend himself, and also said he welcomes the death penalty, that it will make him a martyr forever. Seriously? I don’t like to talk politics, but I can see both sides of this. Some won’t think it’s fair for him to live, while their loved ones can’t. Others think that giving him death will give him exactly what he wants, and why should he get what he wants? A touchy subject, to be sure, and one I try to avoid debate about. The ugly parts of me want to see him tourchered every day of his natural life, but we can’t do that and still call ourselves a civilized society. Looks like I still have a lot of thinking to do on the subject. I can only pray that those involved are able to keep their wits about them, and dole out the proper justice.

There is so much more, but I’m getting depressed. It’s rainy and the world is full of sadness and hate. My personal world is doing well, the baby is napping peacefully, the older one is reading to the younger. I guess that is what I hold on to, no matter how insane the rest of the world seems, my world is just as it should be. Peace out!