www.bgdailynews.com

My letter to the Editor concerning the Government Run Health Care was published in the Bowling Green Daily News Paper today. It is titled "Health Care Proposal Leaves Questions". It is in the "Opinions" section. I will post a copy of it below.


HEALTH CARE PROPOSAL LEAVES QUESTIONS

Will government-run health care resemble the Cash for Clunkers program? President Barack Obama said the Cash for Clunkers program was not a failure, that it instead was more of a success than they ever expected. Some car dealerships are understandably pulling out of the program because the government owes them thousands of dollars, and the red tape seems to be a nightmare. Will the government-run health care be a bigger success than he could ever expect as well? Will doctors and hospitals be waiting months for their pay from the government? Will all the red tape involved be so overwhelming that no one can fill it out correctly? What will happen to us then? Lisa Young Bowling Green

Brittany's Visit

Brittany surprised us and came in for the weekend. It was wonderful to have her home. She hasn't been home in over three months and probably won't be back before Thanksgiving. We spent the weekend cooking and eating. We watched movies and ate and played Scrabble and ate some more. We made brownies together like when she was little. She brought her two dogs, Majors and Abby. The weather was perfect for playing outside with the dogs. She has only been gone an hour and I miss her already. I started to get very emotional as I stood in the driveway and watched her drive off. I remembered the first time I watched her ride off on the School Bus. The first time I watched her pull out of the driveway by herself after getting her licenses. I wonder if I will still be like this when she is 40. She has been gone from home for over 4 years now and I hate to see her leave as bad now as I did the first time. We want to raise our children to get an education, to do well and be independent, but at the same time we wish that they would stay little forever.

Stay at Home Mom

Chad went out to eat with us the other night and we got on the subject of "stay at home Moms". Chad told me that he was so thankful that I was a stay at home Mom. He talked about not worrying where he would stay if he were sick, how good it was having ME be the one to get him ready for school and put him on the bus and get him off of the bus. Not wondering where he would stay during the summer and most of all that only Brent and I influenced his thinking. He said that he didn't think that he would be who he is today if I had of worked (other than Photography) outside the home. I was so proud that I almost started balling right there in the restaurant. As a stay at home Mom, I always struggled with, "was I making the right decision." I knew that they had friends whose Mom's were Nurses, Teachers, Social Workers and so on. I wondered if I should be a "Professional" or just be a Mom. I knew a lot of Moms that only spent maybe 3 hours a day with their kids. And those 3 hours were spent feeding, bathing and putting them to bed. They barely even knew their own children. My Grandma along with a couple of others kept me when I was little. I cried when I had to go home. I was so much closer to my Grandma and my Babysitters than I was my Mom. I am so glad that Chad feels that he is who he is today, because I was a stay at home Mom. He sure did turn out pretty good, if I say so myself.

My Son the Artist

We visited Chad last night and saw his latest art projects. He is working with Acrylics, and painted a portrait of his friend, Derrick Hammers. He also painted his girlfriend, Lindsey Porter a John Lennon portrait. He has always been an excellent artist. When he was only 3 years old, he drew a picture of a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. I was amazed, there was no question what it was. I knew then that he had an extreme amount of talent. We are very proud of him.

Kage Loves the Pool

Our boy Kage is the light of our life now that it is just the two of us. The joy and entertainment that he brings us is immeasurable. He loves it when we get in the pool. He gets his ball, drops it in the water and waits patiently for us to get it and throw it back to him. He will catch it in his mouth then drop it back in the pool. He is so much fun we just love him.

Thunder (L) & Lightning (R)

When Brittany was 9 years old she decided that she wanted a horse. Any time that they wanted something that was not exactly necessary, we would tell them to save their money and when they had saved enough that we would take them to get it. This was a good lesson for them. It taught them to save their money and watch it grow and then purchase the item themselves. I am really glad that we did that because they are both really responsible with their money and take pride in what they have worked for and bought themselves instead of just getting everything that they wanted handed to them. So Brent told her to save her money and when she had $500.00 that he would take her to get a horse. Well, we thought problem solved, she will change her mind or she will never save that much money. About 6 months later she presented Brent with a shoe box that had $503.00 in it. Needless to say we were shocked. She had saved every penny that she got for her Birthday, Christmas, allowance and good grades money. We realized that she REALLY wanted a horse. Brent took her to buy Lightning. He was such a great horse and was so good with the kids. That was her first major purchase and we learned to never underestimate her again.

In Memory of My Grandma

Twenty years ago today my Grandma Evelyn Graham passed away. She was one of the most caring, loving and nurturing people that you could ever hope to meet. When I was little I would cry all night with ear aches (which turned out to be a tumor on the base of my brain). I only wanted my Grandma. I remember many nights that my Dad would go and get her at 2am. She would heat towels and hold them on my ear and rock me all night. She would say over and over that she wished that she could take away my pain. Somehow the pain would ease. Even as an adult she did the same thing. When I lost my first child she stayed with me for a couple of days after his funeral. Again, she held me and said over and over how she wished that she could take away my pain, and I know that she would have if it were possible. I wish that my children could have known her. Chad was only 6 months old and Brittany was 2 when Grandma died. Here is a poem that I wrote a couple of years after her death. It was published in Treasured Poems of America 1995 Fall Edition page 293.

MY GRANDMA'S HOME

My Grandma's Home was a place where everyone was welcome,

Her door was open night and day,

It was a place to feel safe and secure,

Knowing that you would never be turned away,

What better joy than to see her face light up when you entered through the door,

To know the love she gave us will last forever more,

My Grandma's home was filled with love and laughter,

from the foundation to the highest rafter,

It was a place to go when there was nowhere left to turn,

Where love and values, there we learned,

To see her face once more I will always yearn,

But I know I will see her smile and hear her laugh again someday,

When God calls me to that Glory Land far away.