Very vivid in my memory is the loss of my grandparents.

When we lost my Dad’s father we were stationed in Hawaii and only he could return for the services.

I remember my paternal grandfather as a kind man who worked hard during very tough times to support a wife and 7 children. His illness and death left a profound mark on my life as it was my first experience in the loss of a loved one.

Then the loss of my paternal grandmother at a time when we spent most days concerned with the well being of Dad who was serving in Vietnam.

Grandma was a stern woman who did the best she could to raise those 6 girls and 1 boy. She was not warm and funny like my grandfather but always made certain if you visited that all your basic necessities were met. None of her (sometimes hard to take) personality traits changed the loss we felt at her unexpected death.

My maternal grandparents were a very important part of my life growing up. They visited us whenever they could no matter where we were stationed. I never really had a “home” as others know one, but when on leave my folks would say “we’re going home” I always knew that meant to visit Grandma and Grandpa.

Mom too came from a large family and when we would arrive “home” all were there to greet us..aunts, uncles, cousins friends. It was always quite a reunion and yes that’s what it was as there were times the absences were lengthy.

I am the oldest grandchild and my grandmother would inevitably, within an hour of arrival instruct me to “take the younger ones for a walk to see the reindeer” so final preparations could be made for the meal we would all share. Those plastic reindeer, those bib aprons, a glider swing and the amazing smells and sounds of their home all formed powerful memories.

Learning to iron was not a chore because Grandma taught me. Nothing was ever wasted..it was eaten, used or shared. Church on Sunday was expected and no argument for ever offered as everyone knew it would be promptly rejected.

My grandparents, with whom I could not share anywhere near as much time as I would have liked formed many of the values I carry today. Their love was unconditional and the respect they commanded was well deserved. Losing them was one of the most difficult and heartbreaking experiences of my life.

I cannot imagine as any of my grandparents were lying gravely ill that I would do this:

I just know I couldn’t!

Maybe this is the way the Senator deals with grief and for that I will pass no judgment. But, once again, IMHO this shows that Barack Obama puts himself first, even over and above the woman who raised and nurtured him.

The link above the video has more not only about the Senator’s grandmother but also his treatment of his own mother. Sometimes it’s not words but actions which speaks volumes about the character of a man or woman. This, I believe is one of those times.

One can only imagine how appreciative the parents of these children must be:

When you hear that we had nothing whatsoever to do with the injuries sustained by these children and yet stop at nothing to help them recover, it reaffirms that the citizens of this country (be they military or civilian) are some of the most compassionate in the world.

HT:Classical Values where Simon provides a link to a site which accepts donations for this makeshift clinic.

When one sets aside their own chance at personal wealth and seeks no notoriety for their accomplishments, they qualify as a special individual in my humble opinion.

Kaziah Hancock has used her talents to comfort those who have suffered a terrible loss.

To me, not just an incredible artist, but a wonderful, selfless person.

Wheelchairs for Iraqi Kids helps needy disabled children of Iraq by providing high quality pediatric wheelchairs, each sponsored by individual and corporate donors. Sponsors receive a picture of the disabled children as they are placed in their wheelchair for the first time! This is a unique opportunity, as families around the world have the opportunity to directly impact the life of an Iraqi family with a very real need in a big way.

Here’s Michael Yon’s post on the above topic, complete with photos.

While visiting Mr. Yon’s site you might want to also take a look at his most recent post.

Many Iraqis seem eager to reconcile. Iraqis, to my knowledge, do not talk of partitioning Iraq, as many folks thousands of miles away used to think was inevitable. The negotiations in Baghdad are grinding and frustrating, but progress is occurring, although it never will occur quickly enough for either Iraqis or for us.

Received this in an email a while back, (author unknown).

The Wooden Bowl

A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and four-year -old grandson.

The old man’s hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered.

The family ate together at the table. But the elderly grandfather’s shaky hands and failing sight made eating difficult.

Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor.

When he grasped the glass, milk spilled on the tablecloth.

The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess.

“We must do something about father,” said the son. “I’ve had enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating, and food on the floor.”

So the husband and wife set a small table in the corner.

There, Grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner.

Since Grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl.

When the family glanced in Grandfather’s direction, sometimes he had a tear in his eye as he sat alone.

Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled food.

The four-year-old watched it all in silence.

One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood scraps on the floor.

He asked the child sweetly, “What are you making?” Just as sweetly, the boy responded,

“Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and Mama to eat your food in when I grow up.”
The four-year-old smiled and went back to work.

The words so struck the parents so that they were speechless.

Then tears started to stream down their cheeks.

Though no word was spoken, both knew what must be done.

That evening the husband took Grandfather’s hand and gently led him back to the family table.

For the remainder of his days he ate every meal with the family.

And for some reason, neither husband nor wife seemed to care any longer when a fork was dropped, milk spilled, or the tablecloth soiled.

While simply written, there are many lessons to be learned from these words. When I hear people use the phrase “children learn what they live,” I nod in agreement.

When I see a son or daughter out and about with an aging parent assisting them with little things which may now be beyond their ability, I smile, often feeling as though I would like to approach them and say, “well done.”

Those who care for the elderly on a daily basis and do so with compassion and the patience sometimes necessary are to be commended.

Whether it be done by a child or those who have reached their twilight years, there is no tragedy associated with a glass of spilled milk or a few peas on the floor. The tragedy comes when we handle these things with anger and harsh words.

Don’t sweat the little things, life is far too short.

Reader David kindly sent a copy of an article from the Albuquerque Journal.

This editorial tells a different kind of story about illegal immigration from what we are used to hearing.

I saw this story on television one day last week and felt terrible for the man involved and yet he is a hero and humanitarian in the best sense of the words.

Since there is no online link to the Journal I’m going to quote the story:

Manuel Jesus Cordova Soberanes brings to mind an Albuquerque cop who played “What If” one morning while listening to talk radio.

A caller to the talk show asked: “What if a cop stops an illegal immigrant who has committed no other crime and lets him go and two weeks later he commits an act of terrorism? What about that, huh?”

The cop I talked to that morning said: “What if I stop an illegal immigrant who has committed no other crime and I let him go and two weeks later he prevents an act of terrorism? What about that, huh?”

Which brings us to Manuel Jesus Cordova Soberanes, an illegal immigrant who neither committed nor prevented an act of terrorism, but did produce a moment of simple human decency.

It was the kind of thing that must make for a bad day at the office for the demonizers in the immigrant debate, the people who would have us believe that the Cordovas of the world would be our most dangerous enemies.

I first noticed him a few days ago when this headline popped up on the Internet: “Illegal Immigrant Rescues Orphan in Desert.”

From what we know so far, he did exactly what the headline said he did.

In Thursday’s Journal, in an Associated Press story, the illegal immigrant explained why: “I am the father of four children. For that, I stayed. I never could have left him.”

Here’s the story: Christopher Buztheitner, 9, whose father died earlier this year, was on a trip with his mother.

There was a car crash. She died. The boy wandered in the desert near the Mexico border.

Cordova, making his way on foot to the U.S. in hopes of finding work (he’s a bricklayer) came upon the boy.

He gave the boy his sweater, built a fire to keep him warm and 14 hours later a group of hunters found them.

The boy was reunited with relatives; Cordova was sent back to Mexico.

Now, in the larger immigration picture, there are many difficult questions this incident can never address.

But in the matter of the demonizers, the Lou Dobbses of the world, who accuse illegal immigrants of spreading leprosy; or the buyers of billboards to decry the “criminals” running amok in Albuquerque, this decent, good-hearted man from Mexico speaks volumes.

Picture him in the desert at the moment of decision.

If he stays with the boy, he will most certainly be sent back to Mexico.

If he leaves the boy, the boy’s life clearly is in danger.

He chooses to stay, saying later that he thought of his own children.

I think I’d have to call that “family values.”

In the long run, this good man will not matter to the demonizers among us.

No talk shows will spend hours examining the man’s values, extolling his decency.

But for just a moment, Manuel Jesus Cordova Soberanes gives the lie to the demonizers.

And for just a moment I hope the demonizers of decent, hard-working people will rethink their tactics.

But the moment passes. They won’t.

Thank you, Manuel Jesus Cordova Soberanes for saving this boy’s life even at the expense of realizing your dream.

Thank you, Jim Belshaw, for writing this article, and thank you, David, for sending it to me.

Now, use your lawlerly skills to get me off the hook for posting the entire article.

The White House recently announced that President Bush issued pardons to 16 individuals. Their offenses included bank fraud, conspiracy to defraud the government, possession of marijuana and cocaine, and mail fraud. During his first term, Mr. Bush issued a mere 31 pardons and commutations. To date he’s issued 113 pardons and three commutations. That’s less than any two-term president in the modern era. In fact, you have to go back to George Washington to find a president who served two-terms and made fewer acts of clemency.

Today, it’s hard to think of President Bush apart from his political philosophy of “Compassionate Conservatism.” After all, he went out of his way to promote the concept. Given that the Founding Fathers gave the presidency the power to pardon as a means of demonstrating the government’s mercy, you would think that President Bush would make good use of it. While it’s difficult to think of compassion in numerical terms, issuing a paltry 116 pardons and commutations doesn’t seem very compassionate.

Story

The Anchoress is asking for help for a family which certainly seems to be in need and also for a good friend.

It is the type of help which I am certain will be offered by many of us who read, comment and write here at “J’s.”

I took this outside my parents’ home yesterday evening. It was a full-spectrum, 180-degrees rainbow. You can hardly see it in this photo, but a second one was forming near the first.

Of course, you can give the scientific explanation for rainbows of refracted light and all that, but here’s the real explanation for the rainbow, according to God.

Genesis 9:8-16:

Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him: “I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you and with every living creature that was with you—the birds, the livestock and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you—every living creature on earth. I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.”

And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.”

—Truman

I received an email from my friend and former partner at HRP, COgirl, who has asked me to help get out the word to our readers to see if you will send some money over to Operation A/C.

If you saw the post yesterday about Michael Yon’s latest report you saw that it is extremely hot in Iraq and our troops are doing anything they can to stay as cool as is possible.

From Hang Right Politics and other blogs is a request to give money to this organization via Pay Pal to buy air conditioners for our men and women in this sweltering heat.

The following quote is from Black Five, a mil blog.

On Friday, June 22nd we will begin taking sign-ups from S4s (unit supply personnel) and entire deployed units who are in need of the air conditioners. We already have many units on the ground asking, and our inbox is stuffed with several hundred emails. I asked the people who run this war to help me and they flat out told me, “NO!”(They’re very good at that.)

The question is will you help us do this again? We got those 9,400 air conditioners to our troops in the past by the Grace of God and supporters who believed in us. We know it will once again happen that way this time around.

So we are asking for your financial support. You can go to www.operationac.com and donate by clicking the PayPal button. Or you can send us a check—we are a 501(c)3 non-profit company and our federal tax ID is 02-0699201.

Republican or Democrat, liberal or conservative, these are American men and women suffering in the heat of Iraq. See what you can do by going to Operation A/C and clicking on the Pay Pal button to help get as many air conditioners as possible to these great people.

My husband has me on a tight budget now, but he agreed this is a worthy cause and we have made a donation. Click the Pay Pal link on the top right corner of the Operation A/C site. The first thing you will see is your login but scroll above to put in a dollar figure or you will think your password doesn’t work. Then put in your login information.