It's extraordinary to me that the United States can find $700 billion to save Wall Street and the entire G8 can't find $25 billion dollars to save 25,000 children who die every day from preventable diseases. ~Bono

Great social forces are the mere accumulation of individual actions. Let the future say of our generation that we sent forth mighty currents of hope, and that we worked together to heal the world.~ Jeffrey Sachs The End of Poverty

So Long Old Friend

We said goodbye to our beloved family pet this weekend. Jake has been with us almost 14 years, since he was 6 weeks old. He was a great companion and a loyal friend. The boys are taking it in stride. We've encouraged their questions and sharing their thoughts and feelings about him. They each had some time alone with him to say goodbye and I think it helped. B assured him that he was going to be with God and we have all found some peace in knowing he is no longer in pain. His final days were difficult and we are all grateful he is not suffering now. He joins Max (our first dog who passed away just before I became pregnant after 10 years with us) so we are also comforted that he is with his old friend. Here are some pictures of Jake (and Max)...

Once there is seeing, there must be acting. Otherwise, what is the use of seeing?

~ Thich Nhat Hanh

It's Time To Get Real

The Unbearable Lightness of Election 2008

The only dream worth having ... is to dream that you will live while you’re alive and die only when you’re dead ... To love. To be loved. To never forget your own insignificance. To never get used to the unspeakable violence and vulgar disparity of life around you. To seek joy in the saddest places. To pursue beauty to its lair. To never simplify what is complicated or to complicate what is simple. To respect strength, never power. Above all, to watch. To try and understand. To never look away. And never, never to forget.

- Arundhati Roy
From her book, The Algebra of Infinite Justice

Send a Letter to Your Congressional Candidates

Nearly nine million children in America do not have health coverage and millions more are underinsured. The elections in November provide an extraordinary opportunity to bring attention to this critical issue. We must seize this historic opportunity to ensure that every candidate running for a seat in the U.S. Congress understands that providing coverage for all children is something the American people want, that our children and nation can't wait, and that their commitment to children is a condition of your vote.

Send a letter to your Congressional candidates today asking them to sign the Children's Defense Fund Action Council's pledge.

Vote Out Poverty

From September 10-16, 2008 people of faith across the country will be mobilizing their communities to ask their local, state and national candidates what they will do to address the pressing issues of poverty and opportunity in America in their first 100 days in office.

In communities across the country, people of faith will be calling and writing the candidates, holding forums to discuss these issues with civic and political leadership, engaging in interfaith community service to aid those in need in their communities, and otherwise highlighting the need for increased leadership on these issues.

What will YOU do?

With the convention spotlights dimmed and the partisan parties over, we still have two long months until Election Day. Don’t stay on the sidelines – now is the time to get involved. Get behind something meaningful this election season, something that goes beyond partisan politics.

Sojourners’ Vote Out Poverty campaign asks voters and candidates to make the needs of our neighbors living in poverty a national priority and to follow the lead of the church in serving the needs of all people.

The Vote Out Poverty pledge says that we want a national plan from the next president and Congress that will:Cut domestic poverty in half over the next decade, and Provide the leadership necessary to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, a set of international goals for reducing global poverty.

Commit today to help put poverty on the national political agenda by signing the Vote Out Poverty pledge!

Dinner Talk and More

C: Mom, why is Jake [our very old dog] dying?
Me: Jake is very old and his body is tired. One day his body will stop working and then he will die.
C: What if his body stops working while we're taking a shower?
Me: I don't think that will happen but I really do not know when he'll die. He might go to sleep one night and not wake up or he might get very sick and we'll have to take him to the doctor and he might die there...
C: Another [dinner] roll please.

What kind of transition is that?!?!

This is the nature of all our conversations these days. Very serious questions, me trying to be as honest as possible while still age appropriate, them moving on to something completely insignificant and unrelated...it's kind of funny and a little un-nerving too :)

Also, God really is the maker of all things as noted by H in this recent exchange in the car:

B: Why does green mean go and red mean stop?
Me: I don't know but we always stop for red and go for green
B: And slow down for yellow
Me: Yes, we slow down for yellow
H: Well, God made it like that! (this was said in a tone that implied - DUH, Don't you guys know anything?)