Last week as I was wogging (yes, that is what we do when we get older and have bad knees, walk and kinda jog) through Memorial Park. I was shocked by the loss of trees and reminded of last summer’s drought. Those of us who use or used the park often have seen the devestation. If you drive anywhere close to the park on I-10 or Allen Parkway or Memorial/Woodway, you understand. I live 12 stories up and watch the daily removal of entire patches of trees. My friends and I discuss it and have wondered how will they ever replace all the trees?

If I am really honest with myself, I actually stopped my wogging routine about a year ago. BUT, for some reason I was recently drawn to the 45 minutes of Memorial Park and what it offers. Last week, it hit me, just how much it does offer all of us! Yes, for a dollar a day or more if I so choose, I can be a serious part of the solution of re-forestation of the park and probably buy a few trees myself. Thank goodness this campaign is not about speed. I was motivated to a new wogging plan based on this simple campaign. Maybe you two will be motivated to create your own campaign.

I have to say I love the park campaign for many reasons! Perhaps I love it because I can tailor my own plan. My campaign asks nothing from anyone, but myself. I am assuming a tree seedling is somewhere around $25 to $30 dollars. If I take a dollar to the park or empty my change tray from my car each time I wog, I can track the number of trees I will have contributed to re-forest our community outdoor sanctuary. If I skip a day from my pledge of 4 times of wogging a week, I pay double. At the end of the year I can guesstimate how many trees I donated to the community effort. I can also do the whole how many calories did I burn, inches lost, etc….but at my age, life is so IS NOT about my external beauty and appearance. It is about how short life is and how time and resources are spent.

The hardest part of the campaign thus far was finding where to actually contribute per the signs along the trail. So, let me share this with you. Directly in front of the tennis center is a tree stump on the running/wogging trail. The stump has a sign on the trail side and on top of that sign is a slot where you can put your money. Hope this photo helps.

To the Conservancy team that put this together, thank you. I am motivated to spread the word and hope others create their own campaign. Each time I think, nah, I will walk tomorrow, the opportunity to contribute to re-foresting a city treasure really is my new motivation. Yes, I know, it will not be bad for my health or stress level either! Truth is, in the end, I choose to look for as many opportunities that serve others with ease and this one IS A TEN in my book!

Carpe Diem! If we make a difference in the lives around us the end result will be a better self. See you at the park!

I watched the recent controversy over the film rating of the Weinstein Brothers film Bully. One word comes to mind: Ridiculous. I previewed the film tonight with students and adults.  To say I left the theatre impacted is an understatement. The journey into the hearts and minds of faculty, administrators, parents and children was beyond unsettling. I was drawn back to my youth as a nerdy, athletic, skinny, hairy legged, flat chested 6th grader. I remember the relentless teasing I endured. I was fortunate in that I had a huge family that lived in my neighborhood and they were my friends. But, I remember. I remember approaching the school my child attended and complaining as about the daily bullying. My voice fell on very deaf ears. Boys will be boys. Girls will be girls.

If we are honest, we have all seen or been bullied, as youth and some as recently as today at the office. I am certain the vitriolic political environment does little to ease the everyday hateful language that we all witness and engage in. Each time I hear the words to Sondheim’s song, Children will listen, I am reminded of the words children hear from the adults in their world. As I left the theatre I heard 3 adults discussing the movie. Their rhetoric was blaming and without solutions.

I was trying to remember the name of the Facebook Movement in the film and stopped  three freshman and asked them. Stand for the Silent is a page started by a parent of a child that took his life due to the bullying he could no longer endure. The parent is from Promise, Oklahoma. The girls were also a part of their High School response to bullying. They too had lost a classmate and  had friends that were being bullied. I am not sure who or how, but the result is a video; Who do you think you r? As I watched the video, I had hope. I went to vote for their video and was encouraged as I could not find their stellar work. There are hundreds of  videos on The No Bull Campaign! Most were done by students.

As for the movie Bully, it is a must see. In fact, it should be mandatory in every workplace, school, medical school, religious institution and anywhere people gather. As technology advances and cyber bullying is easier, isn’t it time we pay attention?Maybe you have not lost a child, but my guess is your child has been or has bullied. You have been or have bullied. I have been and have bullied. It stops here and now with each of us watching this film and preventing the next parent from burying a child.

Today was just one of those days. It was a day of reflection, hope, and ultimately acts of love. It was a day of plans that were made, some kept, some quickly broken. It was a day of quick joy and memories of times when I was a younger athlete and now watching my friend’s child play sports. It was sharing and caring just because we could.

It was time spent taking a cousin to the airport as he was here helping manage the poor health of his father-inlaw, my uncle.

It was a day of helping my father manage his almost empty cup. A cup that will one day be re-filled on drop at a a time.

It was an afternoon watching a friend celebrate the life of her 21 year old that had lost his battle with depression. It was moments of love shared with classmates during a tragic event.

It was an evening of meeting new people that moved into the building. Many were older and one had lost her husband recently. Learning about their lives was a true joy. I could find common ground with each of them, regardless of their age.

It was a night where I was on my way to cut some fresh roses, but instead learned my friend in the building had just lost her 41 year old son that had died of a heart attack in his sleep. I was unable to speak when I heard the news. I asked if I could go see her and just give her a hug, knowing she was in shock. I have watched and participated in my aunt having to bury two children. I have watched and tried to be a friend to two others that have also buried sons.

As I was listening, my childhood friend tried to comfort the grieving Mother and said, you will get to hear all the love and wonderful things your son brought to so many. I have to have faith and hope that the outpouring of LOVE is the universal healing. I pray there is no one way to Love, rather a simple hug or presence may say it all.

I left again thinking, never wait, tell people in the moment and if they are open, physically touch them as well. I can still feel the hugs of my classmates today, the tears on our cheeks and the internal struggle of gratitude versus confusion. I can see the look on my friends faces as they face their moment by moment world of having to re-build life without their precious sons. I ache deeply in my heart and soul, which means perhaps the choices I am making to care for family first, friends second and whatever else comes after that, are the right choices. I remember when my priorities were not as such and I could not feel deeply.

I again am reminded do it now, do not wait. As one who tries their best to live in the moment, today was just another wakeup call as to just how frail life is.

Dear Father, AKA Dad, Pops, Grandfather, Uncle Marvin, 69, Brother, Merv, Old Man, Macha, and all the others,

I have to believe that at 84, this picture must still feel like it was taken just yesterday. It is hard to say how old you were, but I do know life was as you have described it was very happy. You have also said you knew how good you had it then. I assume it was at this point that you had just graduated from College and Optometry School, where you lettered as Captain of the Poker Team at each institution. And of course, you had just met your soul mate, Beverly Kaplan, from Kaplan, Louisiana.

In fact right after you and Mom married, you fought valiently for this country in the battle of Ping Pong where you sustained your war injury. To this day, you have continued to live a full athletic career despite losing a knee cap. You made sure your own kids romped with you and played sports. Nothing, later in your life,  made me happier than seeing you take out your tennis racket because that meant you would be taking me to hit balls, despite Mom thinking it was just not a “ladylike activity”. You knew it made me Happy and I guess that is really where we became best friends. You just got me and my lil southern “TomBoy” “Pitiful Pearl” self.

It seems you have a career of bringing happiness into the world. After all 59 years ago, you helped deliver Rae and Jan because Aunt Rita decided to have those girls when she was ready! There you and Mom were to help Uncle Sam and look at what happiness that brought. Lord knows how you are so loved by all the nieces, nephews and now great nieces and nephews and as the great greats get older, they too will love you. You just have that thing that our family has always needed, humor and genuine interest in everyone else’s life.

There is of course the activities you do that also engage and definitely humor others….As Dave your trainer would say, you are Different. But think about it, how would you like the nickname “Killer”? Sweet Dave is now known far and wide as Killer, but he of course is not the only one that has one of your pet nicknames. I grew up hearing and loving all those wonderful friends of yours with nicknames, most are now gone and you still speak of them and miss them. I suspect you can remember birthdays past with all of them.

Today, you world has changed in ways not even you can hear yourself say. Today, when you say, “I can’t bust an egg”, I have to laugh. Hell, I saw you shoot your age just two years ago and cried. You of course said, what’s the big deal? Well, let’s see, a big deal? I am not sure too many children get to golf with their father and certainly not see him shoot his age. That made me very happy and I know it thrilled you as well.

For every year of your life until this year, you shared this day with your brother Morris, and he left you soon after Mom. I know how badly you miss him and all your siblings. Because family was and is the most important part of life, I have watched you care for each of your siblings in such a hands on manner that few could really ever understand what your commitment to family looked like and how hard it must be to watch that disappear slowly and over time. But, you and Uncle Morrie certainly did share a sense of style! And “My Boy” he too has left a legacy of happy for us to remember.

And so today, you are 84. The world around you is completely new. It must seem as if this is your first birthday. It is certainly the first time in 60 years you have had to have a “Happy” birthday without Mom. I hear everyone all day tell you what you need to do. How you need to “snap out” of it. How you need to move on. Everyone is the expert. I also know how hard you try everyday to be that Marvin that died the day day Mom was diagnosed with cancer. I see you fighting to have some Happy. I hear you say, “I am going to get better”. I am certain you will “get better” , but I also know you are GOOD. Good to the core and better is a relative term. I know without a doubt you and Mom had what few have or had, and so of course getting “better” is a struggle. Just be you each moment and know you just have to do each moment the best you can. 

Father, you are PERFECT. You always have been in my eyes and you always will be. You do not have to do anything but continue to wake up and find your way each day. No one has walked in your shoes. No one has lived your life, full of such Happy times and certainly a history full of sad. You have been the strength and the Happy for everyone for as long as I remember. So a half hearted happy birthday dad, for I too am sad on this day. And yes, we will get through it together, for we always have been and I pray always will be best friends.

For making your life a project of bringing Happy and Humor to everyone, may you one day have a full day of Happy.

By now, many have been emotionally brought into the #StopKony fold. In fact, the minute I saw this on Facebook, I was taken back to 2007. I was at my desk, when my childhood friend Karen called me with a story of her son Andy that had just returned from Uganda and asked if I would I meet with him. As she told me a little bit about the issue, I could not wait to meet Andy. Days later we met, he showed me clips of his movie The Children’s War and I was committed to helping him find the financing to finish the film which would tell the truth about Kony. Many people know Andy and helped raise the funds and create a follow up plan as to what would be AFTER awareness. In fact, Bridgeway Charitable Foundation was INSTRUMENTAL and has carried on terrific work in the area! So many individuals contributed to Students of the World to ensure the film was finished and released. And is the way of the world I try and operate in, many pointed me to Promise International and their Board Chair as an on the ground solution. I vetted each and every group before diving in! Although, I had worked with many of the individuals or trusted the referrals, I still wanted to be sure of the collaborating partners that were coming together.

So Imagine my surprise when the issue resurfaced yesterday with an immense digital presence. I spent HOURS researching the “charity” behind this phenomena. I could not find a BBB rating, the Charity navigator rating was less than stellar and there was no way to humanly contact them. Let me be clear, I LOVE the attention they brought to the forefront and pray the folks that are “buying kits”, etc, bypass that and just make a gift to Promise International or any other well vetted Charity. In fact, the organization that is behind this SHOULD be in the business of education and advocacy! They should just COLLABORATE and I am happy to help them as there are already established solutions and thus we need not sell you anything! We just need to make it easy on you, the donor to give in a secure manner.

So what does one look for beyond the bling:

I begin with the Better Business Bureau Standards as they are basic. If a charity can not at the very least pass this sniff test, something does not sit well with me. Keep in mind some are just too small  to even take the time to file, but in time do. So if they charity raises less than 250K annually and posts their 990 on their own website, as does Promise International (they are very volunteer and mission driven) then that certainly says they are transparent.

If they are selling tools and or bling type “stuff” do they then support other charities on the ground with the proceeds or are they duplicating efforts? I certainly research who the “Primary Funders” are and who is on the Board to ensure there is NO Conflict of Interest. Seems the group in question does not collaborate, has no Board Of Directors other than the three principals being paid, and a large staff. Let me suggest, I am fine with the staff and Board members being paid, if the by-laws have a clause that precludes such a possible conflict of interest. Again, I love their talented digital media presence to expose a HUGE on going issue! I am not terribly thrilled with the how they spend the funds on a SOLUTION of the children that have and still flee to the South of Uganda.

In the end, I am so happy to know that the efforts of honest, humble and passionate humans such as Andy Krakower and his team have re-surfaced. So Now you know, will you really do something? Here are two ways to help:

1) Show the video circulating or buy the film The Children’s War and then fund or volunteer for a charity such as Promise International today! Post their information everywhere! Let’s see if we can by-pass bling and create solutions!

2) In the future, do some research before you just emotionally react! I did and am glad.

p.s. What did I get paid for working on this project in 2007? Not a dime, but that is not the standard I choose to live by as to success. When I met Andy and Lisa Sylvestri Erwin, I had been more than paid by having been touched by angels that get it done!  There are other clients we get paid to help and that is because they have the resources or understand the value of well thought out socially responsible projects and businesses. And where is Andy? Oh, he is in another part of the world making a difference in his quiet way just by walking his walk of LOVE!

The news was spread and is being spread far and wide over the issue of Beren Academy  forfeiting a playoff basketball game this weekend.  I saw articles posted from international publications as well as the usual suspects domestically. Fox National News  picked up the story of this Orthodox Jewish High School that refused to play the scheduled game , which is on their Sabbath. The Jewish Community was and is outraged. Emotions are running high. People, both Jews and Non-Jews are calling LaQuinta, Wilson Sports, Farmers Insurance as they sponsor the TAPPS Association, which is holding firm on their decision to not allow the game to be rescheduled. People are calling the Board of TAPPS and opposing school. At first glance I too was furious and posted the first article I saw. And then, I looked at the deeper and BIGGER issue.

So who or what is TAPPS? Let’s start with their purpose per their by-laws:

The Purpose of TAPPS is and shall be to organize, to stimulate, to encourage and to promote the academic, athletic and fine arts programs in an effort to foster a spirit of fair play, good fellowship, true sportsmanship and wholesome competition for boys and girls.

Who is a member of TAPPS? :

Membership in TAPPS is limited to private and parochial schools in the state of Texas, with students enrolled in grades 9-12.

a. Private schools are defined as those schools that are established, conducted and primarily supported by a non-government agency -or- primarily supported by student tuition.

b. Parochial schools are defined as those schools that are controlled by, supported by, or within the jurisdiction of a church parish. (According to Websters, a parochial school is : a private school maintained by a religious body usually for elementary and secondary instruction.)

2. All member schools shall submit contract and payment of annual dues and event fees to the state office by September 1 of the current year.

3. Applications for membership of new schools must be made to the state office in writing by the school’s chief administrator. Applications will be considered by the Executive Board and its decision will be reported to the membership. Note: Former TAPPS member school having withdrawn in good standing will be required to follow all procedures as outlined in Article III of the Constitution. Any former TAPPS member school not in good standing will be required to follow all procedures as outlined in Article III of the Constitution and in the By-Laws – Probation and Sanctions.

And finally what does the TAPPS discrimination policy say as to who they can not target to exclude:

No student otherwise eligible under TAPPS Constitution shall be denied, because of race, color, sex, or national origin, the equal opportunity:  (NOTE: THE word RELIGION is not here) I question if this is even LEGAL in the year 2012? Especially in light of the following I found?

1) TAPPS Again says No to Muslims : Now this happened months ago and I heard nothing! Why?

2) Here is a sample of the Beren Academy Story: Arizona News was typical and really missed the bigger picture and real story; broken by-laws and TAPPS overall lack of following their stated purpose.

As a Jewish woman, I am torn over this issue.  I grew up with the Holocaust as my path for being Jewish and what  injustice and hate can do. I was raised to stand up for those with no voice as no one did that for my relatives that died. The same relatives that faced the horror and consequences of silence. The same silence and whispers that painted Jews as anything but human. The same horror that painted a religion and all its people as evil and no one spoke out. And yet, when the TAPPS organization on February 5th, 2011 said NO to a Muslim School, there were few articles, little if any support and frankly it was unnoticed.

This is NOT the first time or issue I have been torn over  in my own community. It is not the first time I have been upset that we are the first to look out for our own at perhaps the expense of others. And I hope I do not lose my Jewish card, but really it is time we take a stand and become a verbal and visual active people and light unto the nations.  In fact, until we all walk the walk of what our religions teach, LOVE, we will be able to easily focus on any religion’s behavior but our own. So I chose to try and speak out as to the real issue in this case as I see it.

Yes, I am sad that the Jewish and Christian Communities did not stand up when the Muslim Community faced TAPPS hideous behavior. After an exhaustive Google Search for TAPPS, I found this blog which describes a bigger picture as well; MosesMosesMoses, touche! I am sorry Beren has worked so hard and may not play the big game, but let me suggest, their sacrifice and YES, conviction to not play on the Sabbath, may have brought to light a 501-c-3 Corporation that quite simply put is perhaps not in compliance with their own by-laws and the State Attorney General may need to account for  the how and why.

So, is there a Lawyer that wants to investigate the real issue? An organization that wants to take TAPPS to the mat? I look forward to supporting whoever steps up to the plate and knocks this out of the park, in the game of life and justice for all.

So, until then, perhaps this might get a ball rolling: Please consider signing and spreading this petition! Click on ME and thank you.

I am beyond furious at the hypocrisy and loud voices that are all over the Komen/Planned Parenthood debate. I have seen so many people post on digital media spaces, email and or send viral petitions and they have NEVER before this noise suggested they were passionate about Komen, Planned Parenthood or Women’s health issues. Truth be told, there is NO debate to be had. I have far more questions than answers, as should we all.

1) How many of you or those around you that are publicly posting on Social Media have ever participated in a NATIONALLY sponsored Komen or Planned Parenthood event or funding request? If so, did you ask where the funds would go at the time? What were the administrative costs? Could you designate your hard earned funds and those of your supporters to a local program? (Probably not as they designate them for you through their grant making committee). And you still participated and are now upset?

2) How many of you that are screaming have researched who funds Komen or Planned Parenthood and has a seat on their Board of Directors? Are there perhaps conflicts of interest?

3) How many of you have personally funded a local program to support women that needed affordable health care? Have you raised awareness and funds on a day when there was no noise? If you are upset, did you ever make a gift to National Planned Parenthood or Komen? I suspect National Planned Parenthood  will benefit from this debacle as will Komen, taking the control once again out of our local decision making. Just watch the national media work us all up into a frenzy so we support the NATIONAL organizations of our political persuasion. Now the good news is a few friends have quickly sent links to local organizations that may actually benefit, if and only if the local organization can create relationships with the new contributor that last past the noise.

4) How many of you screaming folks screen the requests you get from friends asking for support for any charity? Do you ask yourself, is this a program or a serious sustainable  501 c-3 Corporation? How many of you sit on a 501 c-3 Corporate Board that have a sustainability plan so when your funders change their minds, your clients do not suffer?

5) If you work in development for a 501c-3 Corporation, how much research do you do on the funds you ask for and receive? Did we learn nothing from Enron? You know the Enron Foundation, the one that left the city of Houston hurting for all those pledged dollars that never came? If we had done our homework, we would have quickly seen their was NO ENDOWED Foundation, rather a convenient pass though based on marketing and tax needs. In most cases the “President” of todays Corporate Foundation, view it as their own money and fund the groups that put them or their companies in the most highly visible marketing situations. We all know that is so good for the bottom line: SHAREHOLDERS. We brand this as corporate social responsibility. They always were and are risky funds to ask for and take without a solid long term replacement strategy.

Are there answers? Of course, we are the answer. We can research a local need and work with an established program, not re-invent the wheel and create a new 501 c-3 Corporation in our own name! We can each just fund one small need. Yes, my family did that very thing when Mom went through chemo and was always cold in the infusion room. Someone had already created a center in their own name and that was fine with me! They invested HUGE personal financial assets and we were happy to support that. We saw a serious need for a blanket warmer, did our homework, stayed on top of the development department and took responsibility for the funds we solicited.  It was one letter. It was seamless and  it took the 501 c-3 Corporation we chose a long time to actually purchase it, but you know what, that was our impatience. Compared to what it costs them to ask for and if funded, wait for national grant funds or federal dollars to trickle down, I am thinking we did a wonderful thing. For all I know Komen has pledged funds locally that we counted on and now what?

Please stop the noise and get serious as to how and why we grow business and 501 c-3 Corporate activity. We best educate ourselves and fast. No, Komen/Planned Parenthood is not the issue. We are. We are jumping on the noise train instead of funding with our brains. Fund your local world that supports your passion. Stay away from monolithic national systems and political debates that distract us from solutions. You want a local organization to fund? C’mon, how hard can that be……….. really?

I am not sure if this is a standard practice today, but if so, maybe it should not be! I still believe we can mentor energetic and caring business owners without insulting them. Though, this has taken time for me to personally develop .

Recently I had an exchange with a young entrepeneur. I had been watching them from afar and was intrigued. I reached out and we had a brief phone call. I will certainly take responsibility as our call may have been too honest on my part as to what could be and where there may be room for improvement. I never heard back from the owners outside of some RT activity and sharing on digital media outlets. We never met face to face.

Then, last year, the young company needed a “financial sponsor” for a Brand opportunity. I loved the business and concept so reached out and was considering a “silent sponsorship”.  By the way, the company owner sent a tweet and Facebook Post and I reached out to them.  They sent me a tweet and we moved the chat to email. I sent them an email and  received an “auto reply response”:

Hello and thanks for your email!

Please understand that we have  full-time jobs and commitments that runneth over.  We get dozens of emails   but unfortunately can’t respond to each and every e-mail. We’ve created a list of FAQs below and hopefully you’ll find your answer there!

We will follow up on media requests as soon as possible.

For all other inquiries that are not addressed within the FAQs below, we will make every effort to respond to your e-mail within a week.

After my initial exchange and spam filter you know what, the sponsorship did not happen. Now, I have not heard from the business owners until last week. And again, they want to meet as well as have some financial support. After 4 email exchanges, with the same auto-reply I finally was able to schedule a meeting with the business. It is the same business in the Auto-reply they are wanting to Brand. (I see no need to name the business and have deleted any and all references so as to keep this a teaching moment, for this seems to be happening more and more).

So, two issues come to mind:

1) The auto-reply suggests to me that the business may not be ready for Branding? Or change the auto reply to reflect the Brand and Business you want to build and apparently do full-time? Maybe I am way off? If so, please help me understand!

2) Be very mindful of creating a relationship with people. If you ask, please try and also offer. Believe it or not, you do have a lot to offer. Like a simple email out of the blue to see how someone is doing……or a thank you for something. Make a list of a few people you want to form a relationship with and do your part each and every day. You will find how easy it is and how appreciative people are for human touch.

I hope this is helpful and pause and cause for thought.

Dance? You gotta be kidding. My life in review of dance is definitely hilarious and poignant.

First dance, ballet and tap classes, age 5-8. Torture. I want to play any sport, but that is not “Southern or prim and proper”.

Next dance I can remember, middle school. Will I ever get asked to dance? Not likely since  I was wearing a purple headgear, bobby socks and could braid the hair on my legs.

High School Prom and well let’s just say, he was gorgeous in his blue tuxedo and a really nice young man. I am not sure we ever danced. In fact, I remember nothing else of this milestone dance.

College in New Orleans was a daily class in how to dance under any condition. Danced my way through every opportunity I could.

Post College, singles dances and will I get asked to dance. Not likely since I am at least a foot taller than all these Jewish Men and can beat them in almost any sport.

Married, working, and raising kids and I seemed to just dance through any and every situation regardless of the beat I heard.

Divorced and single again. Danced in a big group as often as possible. Seems I was not at all concerned with how I grooved to the new moves or music. Was free to dance.

Lately, seems my friends love to dance when we are celebrating. And we are getting very good at creating opportunities to dance. Sometimes it is just me and one other or a few others, but music and dance with friends has become fun. Spontaneous joy!

Tonight, the music on the I-pod has me DANCING and enjoying each move as I feel the gratitude for this moment. Yes, alone at sunset, cooking a gorgeous meal, and happily dancing.

Yup, it ain’t just me. The struggle of real change seems to be the situation for so many around me. Truth is, I seem to fight the reality that faces me each day as well. I know in my head and now my heart, that change is real.  I have for a long time “understood” change, or so I thought. I was once labeled a “change agent” which kinda makes me laugh today.

To experience real change, I am learning the hard way, or perhaps the natural way, acceptance. I watch my friends, associates and family members struggle with the changes brought on by both the lives and death of their loved ones. Bottom line is change is not to be feared. CHANGE IS! It is never easy if it matters. If you have ever experienced the final moments of some one’s life, you understand: You fight to hold on. You fight to let go.

For me, I fight to hold on to the love and let go of the anger. I fight to hold on to what I gained through the intimacy of the death process and let go of the old tools I clung to for survival and self protection. Easier to type than to live for sure! In each moment that seems to be the choice, over and over again. And the older I get, the more I wish to let go of the old messages in my head and substitute them with the new ones I have adopted. Yes, I am fighting for CHANGE, the sustainable kind that impacts my soul and perhaps others for the better. And no, it is never easy.