Sometimes we learn more about a person after he or she dies. That is the case for me of former First Lady Barbara Bush.
Although I knew about her as the wife of President George H.W. Bush and mother of President George W. Bush, I must admit that I didn’t know as much about her until after she died on April 17.
I learned that she took on a number of causes starting with her husband’s inauguration in 1989. These included homelessness, teenage pregnancy, children’s education, and AIDS.
As a child, Rosie Arbittier participated in walkathons sponsored by her local synagogue and placed flags on soldiers’ graves on Veterans Day.
Rosie’s story is one of those shared on the Points of Light website (www.pointsoflight.org). This week (April 15-21) is National Volunteer Week.
On the back of my driver’s license, I have signed an anatomical gift statement which says: “Upon my death, I wish to donate all organs, tissues, or eyes.”
I believe being an organ and tissue donor is one way that I can help save and heal other lives, even after I die. It is estimated that one donor can save up to eight lives.
April is designated as National Donate Life Month. This is a time to encourage people to consider being an organ, tissue, and eye donor.
It doesn’t seem possible that it’s been 50 years since the assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
It was on April 4, 1968, that James Earl Ray killed the civil rights leader as he stood on the balcony of his hotel room in Memphis, Tenn. Reverend King, a Baptist minister, was only 39 years old.
It seems as if we have made progress in many areas of our society since his death, but we still have a long way to go in ensuring an end to racism in our country.
Easter is early this year (Sunday, April 1), so we will soon be starting Holy Week on Palm Sunday, March 25.
At this time, our thoughts and prayers turn to what happened in Jerusalem during Our Lord’s passion, death, and resurrection.
As someone with Irish ancestors, I am proud to claim an Irish background, joining with over 34 million Americans who are apparently descended from Irish roots.
So celebrating St. Patrick’s Day on March 17 has a special significance for me and many others in our country. And in fact, we often say that everybody is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day!
However, it seems that with the wearing of the green, eating corned beef and cabbage, and singing Irish songs, many people don’t remember the religious significance of St. Patrick any longer.
When I think about the DACA program, Alan comes to my mind. His story was highlighted in an article published early this year in the Catholic Herald.
The article discussed immigrants who have received help at the Catholic Multicultural Center (CMC) in Madison.
They were looking for answers, not just platitudes, as a group of students and parents affected by school gun violence met with President Donald Trump on February 21.
Faced with the personal anguish wrought by the most recent school shooting in Parkland, Fla., that left 17 dead, President Trump pledged action, saying, “We don’t want others to go through the kind of pain you’ve been through.”
It was interesting to see people with crosses on their foreheads in the crowds shown after the school shootings in Parkland, Fla.
Of course, the shootings occurred on Ash Wednesday, so some of the parents and other family members had gone to Mass during the day.
Is there a message for us? The more I thought about it, I think there is.
Ever since I was in the fifth grade — when we finally got a television set in our home — I have enjoyed watching the Olympics.
Since our daughter was a competitive figure skater for many years (and I am still a member of the Figure Skating Club of Madison), I have especially looked forward to the Winter Olympics to watch figure skating. I also watch some of the other events.
I believe the Olympics continue to be important in our world today.
