by Madeline Laughs
Today I am reminded of humankind and the joy of living in a society where we are free to discover our worth and to share our thoughts, feelings and ideas with our neighbors. I am also humbled and saddened by the presence of war and unrest in other parts of the world and wish to reach my arms around the planet to embrace the lonely, the orphaned and the lost.
This week I have spent some time in a military town surrounded by men and women in fatigues going about their daily lives here stateside at the market, pumping gasoline, shopping for toys. And every time One passed close enough to brush against me I could feel the thousands that are still fighting, the ones that have passed on and the ones that wait to be deployed. These soldiers are my neighbors, they are my people. Continue reading




