Save the Date! Friday, January 31st, 2020 at Boca West Country Club. Join Us! As Alzheimer's & Dementia Impacts Generation to Generation, NOW is the time to end this horrific disease. #BocaRatonBrainBowl
The first two words of the Ten Commandments are, “I am”. More follows and how interesting it is that the beginning of this set of biblical principles starts the importance of validating each of our own existence.
We each want acceptance, recognition and to be understood.
February is a month we traditionally associate with love, especially on Valentine’s.
However, this year, that particular day will represent in our community many other emotions, including grief, fear, and sadness.
Healing our world through love, kindness and acceptance, especially for those who need it the most, is so difficult at times. Edith Wharton once commented that there are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it. Which will you be?
When we reflect and remember the year that has passed since that horrific time in Parkland, many people may not view love as having anything to do with the events that happened.
However, the shock we faced as a community definitely rose from the love we hold for our children. The young man who woke up that day and changed so many lives, including his own, clearly did not feel cherished or respected in any possible way.
Aside from just the logistics of how he did what he did, that young man failed having any resources within himself to guide him away from such a destructive path.
I have two sons, the same ages as those impacted on February 14th, 2018. Yet, I cannot fathom the absolute terror that families of the murdered children must continue to face each day, nor of all of those who were there to witness such bloodshed, as well as everyone in our nation who mourned alongside them. However, I know that cursing the darkness does not help create the light we need to see ourselves through this tragic tunnel.
Recently, the Faulk Center for Counseling, presented me their “Caring Heart” award and I was deeply honored by it. The Faulk provides a welcoming, confidential environment, which helps people of all ages deal with life’s challenges. Their mission is to promote emotional well-being though a variety of free and low-cost programs, such as psychological and mental health consultation, therapy, and support.
As I accepted the award, I spoke about the effect we all have on one another, and how we get to choose whether the message we carry will be of despair or of hope. As we grieve, we must also find a way to take strength from our achievements and always cherish moments of joy.
Your advocacy, your hug, your encouragement and your love that you share with others today, may just help create a world where people do not feel isolated or rejected, driven to such extreme measures.
As Amit Ray wrote, “Our wings are small but the ripples of the heart are infinite”.