Hello everyone,

 

I have a story to tell you. This is a story about a girl who was abused. She told on the person who had hurt her and someone killed him. This made her realize how powerful her voice was, that it could cause someone to die and so she stopped talking for six years. During this time her grandmother raised her and would say to her every day, “Sister, Mama don’t care what these people say about you, that you must be an idiot, you must be a moron because you can’t talk. Mama know when you and the good Lord get ready, you’re going to teach all over this world. You’re going to be a mighty teacher.” (Taken from recent CNN interview)

 

 

 

Hello everyone,

 

Well, winter has shown itself early this year. Halloween hasn’t even come and our pumpkins are all covered in snow. Of course, this snow will melt away as first snowfalls do, but it has been a reminder to prepare for what is to come. Throughout eastern Canada and the north eastern US, there were many power outages due to the storm that went through over night on Tuesday, October 28. In Ottawa 25 cm of snow fell!

 

My question is are you prepared for winter? Is your family prepared? By prepared I mean do you have extra food stocked up and an emergency kit full of candles, flashlights, a first aid kit, and all the essentials you need to get by and survive when winter storms leave us stranded and without power. It is important to be prepared and now is definitely the time to do it. Go to this website to get all the details on how to make your own emergency kit so that winter weather won’t catch you off guard.

 

 

Hello everyone,

 

I know our Canadian election is past, but the United States federal election is coming up fast. I have just read a story that has reminded me not to take for granted the freedom that we have in this country. There are about 50,000 registered voters in Georgia who, through a computer malfunction, have been sent notification that they cannot vote in the election unless they can prove their citizenship. One such woman, Kyla Berry, was about to vote in her first election, carried a voters card, and has a US birth certificate and passport.

 

Think about it. Just one simple computer malfunction can take away rights and freedoms that we have fought for here and that many fight for throughout the world. That’s incredible and it has certainly made me stop and realize just how important and fragile those rights can sometimes be. Of course all the US voters who were taken off the voter’s list will get everything worked out, but they might not do so before this election. When we lose our rights and freedoms it can be devastating so it is very important that we uphold those and that we never take them for granted. Spend some time today thinking about what rights and freedoms you have and take a moment to be grateful

 

Hello everyone,

 

Just a few days ago I wrote to you about inspirational people. Sometimes we call these inspirational people heroes. Do you have a hero? Many of us do and a hero can be anyone whom you admire and who does great things to help others or to succeed in a specific area of expertise. Your hero might be a hockey player, an actress, one of our astronauts, or simply the lady down the street who selflessly gives of herself every week volunteering at the local food bank.

 

Now I want you to think about this. Maybe your hero has a hero. That’s right. Even very famous people might have a hero, someone who stands out to them. For example, Susan Sarandon is a very famous actress and her hero is a woman who survived 16 months in a death camp and now helps save African refugees. This woman’s name is Rose Mapendo and she is just one of many heroes that are working hard every day and of whom we often never hear. These people are making a difference in the lives of others without being in the spotlight. Maybe there are people like this who are making a difference in your life and you don’t even know it. Take some time today to think about the heroes in your life, both those you know of and those you don’t. Sometimes the best way to thank these people is by being the best you can be and living up to your full potential.

 

Hello everyone,

 

In Canada this is a time of giving thanks. Thanksgiving is celebrated all over the country with stuffed turkeys and all sorts of wonderful food and desserts. The pumpkin pie is yummy and we all feel full after we feast. But Thanksgiving is so much more than that. Thanksgiving is about really taking the time to think about your life.

 

I challenge all of you to take time to do this. I don’t mean just muttering a few words at the dinner table about what you are thankful for. I mean doing some real thinking and even writing it down. Make a gratitude list that you can hang on your mirror or keep in a special place. This list will be very useful to you at all times, but especially when things seem to be going badly. I recommend looking at this list every day, when you get up and before you go to sleep. It will always remind you of what you have in your life.

 

Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday, but let’s try to keep that spirit of gratitude throughout the year, especially in hard times when we really need to reflect on the abundance in our lives. You will see that you just might become a “glass is half full” person.