April 20, 1999 never forgotten…

Twenty-six years ago today, my Littleton town experienced the terror that two teenagers, feeling a sense of desperation and isolation, can bring to their high school, their community and our nation.  It was considered a rare event back then – unfortunately, hunting our school children has become an almost daily event now:

Life is hard and can often seem hopeless for many young people:

Giving up on somebody takes nothing.  Helping them change takes a tremendous amount of time, energy, and love.  In the end, it’s worth it.

Urban Meyer

If you have a son or daughter; grandchildren; nieces or nephews; or neighborhood kids; reach out to them today.  Tell them today that you love them and will support them as they try to make their way in the world.  If they’re struggling to make ends meet – give them a few bucks, reassure them.  Today, help them feel they belong.  Give them hope.

Let’s address our society’s violence.  Let’s use our power of compassion to increase the sunlight for those heading towards darkness:

It takes the sun to create a shadow – accept that the dark and the light live side by side in all of us.

Chellie Campbell

It’s not just a high school in the town of Littleton, Colorado where I lived - We are all Columbine:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9Seqhcq23M

May you feel peace - and share the power of peace with others - today - especially today - and then every day thereafter!

GAP

Patriots…

Since 1894, April 19^th has been Patriot’s Day for all Americans.  Do you feel like you’re a patriot?  I do.  Here’s a definition:

Patriot: one who loves and supports his or her country.

Merriam-Webster

Actually, the catalyst behind Patriot’s Day was more than merely “love and support”.  According to Wikipedia:

Patriots' Day commemorates the battles of Lexington and Concord, which are considered the start of the American Revolutionary War. This historic event, occurring on April 19, 1775… The holiday honors the sacrifices made by American colonists in their fight for independence from Great Britain.

America often, “honors the sacrifices made in fight”, true?  And we constantly search for leaders who will lead the fight regardless of their persona (most famously Ulysses S. Grant):

… a former President who had a good deal of trouble finding a successful commander for the armies of the United States.  And one of them turned up one day and he was very successful.  And some very good citizens went to the President. 'You can't keep this man. He drinks.'  'It must be a good brand of liquor', the President replied.

Franklin Roosevelt

It’s been 250 years since our initial fight for independence and we’re still at war, true?  Over the years there have been attempts to lessen the need for sacrifices.  Do you align with this patriotic thinking offered in his book Our Endangered Values ©?

I want our country to be strong enough in all elements, military and otherwise, so we never have to prove we are strong.

Jimmy Carter

With or without proving it.  With or without guns; wars; and corresponding sacrifices we can be patriotic by loving and supporting our country.  Here’s to you and all the patriots, past and present, that do so every day.

GAP

When life gets tough we could get a helmet… or… we could leverage the peace and share the power of a positive perspective.

April optimism…

What a wonderful time of the year in Denver!  Snow Sunday night; 70’s today; never quite sure what Mother Nature has in mind.  What we do know is:

No Winter lasts forever, no Spring skips its turn.

Hal Borland

Spring is a wonderful time for optimism.  Our favorite, Unknown Sage puts it this way:

“Pessimist”:

A person who not only expects the worst, but makes the most of it when it happens.

“Optimist”:

The person who makes it possible for the pessimist to know how happy he or she isn’t.                                 

April reminds me of baseball.  People sometimes ask me if I’m a Colorado Rockies fan.  I’m not.  You see, I only have a place in my heart for one, bad franchise at a time.  You guessed it – I’m a die-hard Cubs fan!  Hey, we’re in 1^st place!

Being a Cubs fan says a lot about optimism.  The Cubs have won one World Series since 1908.  One - over a span of 117 years.  No wonder we are referred to as “die-hard”!

Even so, Winter to Spring, baseball, and optimism all remind me of my Chicago roots:

Life in Chicago

60° above: Floridians wear coats, gloves and wooly hats.  Chicago people sunbathe.

50° above: New Yorkers try to turn on the heat.  Chicago people plant gardens.

40° above: Italian cars won’t start.  Chicago people drive with their windows down.

32° above: Distilled water freezes.  Lake Michigan's water gets thicker.

20° above: Californians shiver uncontrollably.  Chicago people have their last cook-out before it gets cold.

15° above: New York landlords finally turn up the heat.  Chicago people throw on a sweatshirt.

Zero: Californians fly away to Mexico.  Chicago people lick the flagpole.

20° below: People in Miami cease to exist.  Chicago people get out their winter coats.

40° below: Hollywood disintegrates.  Chicago's Girl Scouts begin selling cookies door-to-door.

60° below: Polar bears begin to evacuate Antarctica.  Chicago’s Boy Scouts postpone "Winter Survival" classes until it gets cold enough.

80° below: Mt. St. Helen's freezes.  Chicago people rent some videos.

100° below: Santa Claus abandons the North Pole.  Chicago people get frustrated when they can't thaw the keg. 

297° below: Microbial life survives on dairy products.      Illinois cows complain of farmers with cold hands.

460° below: ALL atomic motion stops.  Chicago people start saying, “Cold 'nuff for ya?”

500° below: Hell freezes over.  The Cubs win the World Series!

So come on Die Hard Cubs fans; don’t be pessimistic; don’t give up; don’t give in; don’t expect the worst.  This is our year!  At least that’s my story for April; and no April skips its turn in Chicago.

GAP

When life gets tough we could get a helmet… or… we could leverage the peace and share the power of a positive perspective.