Category: Mother

Sept 29th

9/29/2013

On the news today, three things inspired me to write.

1) The respected broadcaster and naturalist, Sir David Attenborough, told the BBC recently that population growth was "out of control".

By this, he means human. The reverse is true for animals. Other experts predict that the human population will peak in 40 years. How can the Earth support so many of our species? Surely, balance is required. I hate to think how that will be achieved.

1) Two women from Essex received a reply from Sir Paul McCartney, half a century after trying to contact him.

A tape they'd recorded as teenagers turned up at a car-boot sale containing their letter. A television program contacted them. Once reunited, Sir Paul wrote: "Hi Linda and Barbara, thanks very much for you lovely tape. It finally got through, better late than never. Great to hear that you found each other after all these years. Keep enjoying the music, love Paul." See more here. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-24318839

This is one of those heart-warming stories. Friends reunited, and a contact from the past.

1) Dentists have found striking levels of bad teeth in athletes competing at the London 2012 Olympic Games. A fifth of athletes surveyed said their oral health actually damaged their training and performance.

The study, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, suggested cavities, tooth erosion and gum disease were common.

Researchers said athletes, as a group, had worse dental health than other people of a similar age. Eating large amounts of carbohydrates regularly, including sugary energy drinks, was damaging teeth. Tooth pain and the resulting impact on diet and sleep may also damage performance. Many sports medics have anecdotes about athletes missing medals at major competitions as a result of oral health problems. Inflammation elsewhere in the body may also affect recovery time and susceptibility to injury.

Oral health is already a suspect in other seemingly unrelated conditions such as heart disease. People who do not brush twice a day are at higher risk of a heart attack and inflammation is common to both.

This is interesting. In my own life, my teeth suffered after producing three babies in the space of four and a half years. Apparently, my body withdrew calcium form my teeth to fund the babies' formation. Probably my bones too, because I developed osteoporosis. In the 1960s, no supplements were given to mothers.

Apart from their diet, the same theory could apply to athletes. Their body might divert calcium from one place to another. I see the effect of training on a female athlete's body. Our athletes give up a lot in their pursuit of the highest physical performance a human can achieve.

Sept 28th

9/28/2013

www.chinadaily.com.cn

Chinese police have rescued 92 abducted children. Two women were also freed in an operation involving police forces in 11 provinces of the country.

Every one of their parents must have breathed a huge sigh of relief. I'll bet they can't wait to fling their arms around their child. In China, some families buy trafficked women and children to use as extra labor and household servants, as well as brides for unmarried sons. There will be psychological problems of course for the abductees.
I could weep for them.

Authorities have held 301 suspected members of a huge trafficking network who are believed to have targeted children in the south-western Yunnan and Sichuan provinces and then sold them in other regions. Good. But what punishment could ever take away the harm they have caused?

Last year, more than 24,000 abducted women and children were freed in China, according to the public security ministry. Some of those kidnapped had been sold for adoption or forced into prostitution.

Child-trafficking has become a serious problem in China, BBC correspondents say. Critics blame the country's one-child policy and lax adoption laws, which have created a thriving underground market for buying children.

www.outdoormediacentre.org.uk

Whenever the evening news brings the story of a kidnapped child or teen living in our own country, the terrifying prospect of abduction fills the minds of parents. But it's important to remember that most kids pass through childhood safely.

One of the challenges of being a parent is teaching your kids to be cautious without filling them with fear or anxiety. Authorities say a child goes missing every 5 minutes in the UK. This is shocking!

About 2,100 missing-children reports are filed each day in the U.S. Many cases might be solved more easily if parents can provide a few key pieces of information about their kids, like: height, weight, eye color, and a clear recent photo as well as custody rights if needed.

It's almost as if a parent needs to keep proper records on each of their children as if they are property in case the child is stolen. But caution and paperwork will make filing a report so much easier.

Sept 20th

9/20/2013

nationalsafety.wordpress.com

Storms are raging over planet Earth. My planet, my home. Along with every perceptive person on the planet, I care about the tragedy others are suffering. Has something gone wrong to make Mother Nature angry?

In the US state of Colorado, the flood toll has risen to seven people. Further south, in Mexico, victims are alone. A Red Cross worker has said they can not be reached.

Yesterday, the tropical storm battering the south-west of Mexico was upgraded to a category one hurricane by US meteorologists. Hurricane Manuel in north-western Mexico threatens more destruction, the US National Hurricane Centre says. Tropical storms Manuel and Ingrid left at least 80 people dead earlier this week and 40,000 people are still stranded in the popular resort of Acapulco.

Now, Typhoon Usagi moves towards Philippines, Taiwan. It could become the most powerful typhoon of 2013. The tropical hurricane is expected to hit China over the weekend. Philippine officials have issued storm warnings for flash flooding, landslides and storm surges for several northern provinces.

Is the Earth fighting back? If so, what is the problem?

en.wikipedia.org

I'm not sure if weather conditions are worsening lately, or if I didn't hear about so many world-wide catastrophes before. Either way, Mother Nature seems particularly violent with these latest storms. I'm not saying the Earth has a consciousness or a sense of right or wrong—or even a self-preservation instinct. Maybe in the future scientists will discover, in their never-ending probing, a form of intelligence in every stone and grain of sand or minute particle of rock the way the machine on Mars is seeking a record of past life within rocks after not finding the expected methane.

Of course, I won't discount the healing power of crystals. Colorful stones of all different shapes and colors sit on our living room mantle-piece—just in case they should work their magic over our senses. A star moonstone even features in my novel Still Rock Water.

As to the problem the Earth might perceive: overcrowding by a species playing with nature the way they would a toy. Never caring if they smash and destroy, they look up to Mother, waiting for her to fix it.

14th Sept

9/14/2013

Amnesty International has denounced the forcible eviction of tens of thousands of homeless people from makeshift camps in the Somali capital, Mogadishu.

The human rights group says the process has led to large-scale human rights abuses. Some 370,000 people have been living in the camps, having fled drought, famine and fighting.

Badbaado, the refugee camp located outside of Mogadishu, Somalia, formed as a result of the 2011 East Africa drought and famine, and houses roughly 30,000 refugees.

Food aid is available for refugees there, but its supply has been tenuous due to the policies of al-Shabab. The limited access to food has been a source of violence in the camp, and there has also been looting by freelance militias and government forces. Due to the unsafe conditions, some refugees have fled Badbaado to seek other camps.

Now, the makeshift camps and tent cities in Mogadishu are hampering the government's drive to relocate hundreds of thousands of displaced people to camps on the outskirts so they can rebuild the city.

The Amnesty report says the relocation plan could have been a positive development if it had respected the security, fundamental rights and basic needs of displaced people.

However, the government plan proved to be inherently flawed and seems to have resulted in large-scale human rights abuses and forced evictions.

In March, Human Right Watch said displaced women in Mogadishu were reporting being gang-raped in the camps. The groups said managers of the camps—often allied to militias—were siphoning off food and other aid.

Some residents told Amnesty bulldozers had flattened their shelters, destroying their possessions and leaving them with nowhere to go.

On 21 August, Amnesty delegates visited the area. They saw evidence of a large number of shelters having been recently destroyed.

This world is so unequal. The place where we are born decides how our life will be mapped out. Even if motivational leaders lectured these displaced refugees, the audience faces little hope of achieving greatness. I guess, they can strive for their potential—be the best they can be, love their neighbor and tread the path their birth set them on to the end. If only we who have plenty in comparison could share what we had. I can't see any way of helping these people.

Sept 13th

9/13/2013

The news story this morning is so sad.

A girl of 16 has been charged with the murder of a newborn baby boy at a house in Lincolnshire, UK. Police were called to a property 5 September. A post-mortem examination revealed the cause of death was a blocked airway and that the child had choked. Officers are piecing together the sequence of events over the last couple of days. Lincolnshire Police said a girl of 16, who cannot be named, had been charged with murder and would appear at Grantham Magistrates' Court later.

So sad. I can imagine the circumstances and wish I could change things.

This is the sort of news snippet I used when looking for ideas. I would turn it into a short story in one of my novels in the Moonstone Series. Liliha is drawn into visions, where she sees through other people's eyes and hears their thoughts. She never knows where she'll arrive, but is determined to help.

By whispering into their mind, she offers alternatives.

Here's an example from my work in process:

~~~~~

Too quick. Reach a safe place. Liliha staggered through the doorway and pressed her back against the rear wall behind the shop counter. She dropped her coat and bag and checked the customer gazing at the street outside before tilting within the deviation toward another place.

* * *

I peer down with my tunneled telescopic vision and ignore the fuzzy edges and the surreal floating sensation. Below, occasional cars roar along a wide road. Concentrating on this area, I hover under bright, late morning sun and get my bearings. To one side, shops line the roadside and people stroll along the pavement.

Ahead of a line of traffic, a car slows. The horn sounds.

A child stumbles along the edge of the road--a toddler on unsteady legs, dressed in pink trousers and top. More cars reduce speed.

I zoom toward the closest pedestrian and meld with a middle-aged woman. "Pay attention to the road."

She turns her head and notices the toddler. Her first instinct is to help, but she hesitates. I read a deep-seated problem inside her consciousness.

'Quick. Get the child before a car runs her over'.

Overcoming her uncertainty, she darts forward and swoops the little one up into her arms. "Well done," she whispers to herself. "When I tell my husband, he'll say, 'Good for you, Daphne'." She speaks louder to the child to be heard above the traffic. "What are you doing on the road? Where's Mommy?"

The girl points.

Our gaze swings to a woman lying prone close to the gutter between cars, face tilted sideways. Daphne tucks the child on her hip, hurries over, and leans close, adjusting her burden to compensate. "What's wrong?"

The disheveled woman mumbles. A strong smell of alcohol rises from her swollen lips.

"Mommy, Mommy." The child squeals and wriggles. Daphne lowers her to the ground.

Worry seeps into Daphne's mind. Unless she reports the incident to the police, the child will be in very real danger and she can't remain with her. She's on her way to pick up her grandchildren from pre-school.

She doesn't want to call the authorities. Flashes of her unhappy childhood with foster parents rise to the surface. Welfare services took her from her own lackadaisical mother. She wouldn't wish a similar future on any child.

The slumped woman stirs, but then sags.

'Call the police', I whisper. 'Things might not turn out the same way for this child'.

The toddler tries to wander off again. When Daphne grasps her, our gaze falls on the dial of her watch. Close to the time to collect her charges, she scans the area for someone else to take over.

I issue a strong certainty to her. 'You must call'.

She flicks open her phone and asks for help.

A female voice says, "An officer will be with you very soon. There is one just around the corner. Please remain with the child."

The little girl struggles, but Daphne keeps a firm hold on her dress strap. With a squeal of tires, a motorbike stops. A uniformed officer dismounts, removes his helmet and strides over.

After explaining the situation, Daphne alerts him about her need to leave while he bends to examine the woman. She blurts, "What will happen to the child?"

"Don't worry, Ma'am. We'll keep them both safe for the night, and if all is well, they'll be released in the morning."

Daphne hurries away to meet her charges.

I lift off too.

* * *

Soft sounds in the tearooms eased Liliha's passage--the hum of the refrigerator, an occasional muffled clink. She'd love to find out what happened to the mother and little pink toddler--so innocent. The child had no control over the circumstance of her birth. However, the mother would have been intoxicated before and could be again. She might pull herself together after the humiliating experience of being locked up for the night.

~~~~~

I wish I could have sent Liliha to help the young mother mentioned in the news item before she took such desperate action.

Sept 12th

9/12/2013

camelshump.co.uk

Children who read for pleasure are likely to do better in maths and English than those who rarely read in their free time.

The study, by the Institute of Education, London University, examined the reading habits of 6,000 children. They analyzed the results of tests taken at the age of 16 by 6,000 children, all born in one week, from the 1970 British Cohort Study.

This seems a long time ago. I wonder if the same results would apply to children of our age. So many changes have taken place, with computers, more television, and hand-held screens. I notice Amazon are showing children reading from kindles in their latest television advertising.

The result of the study indicated reading for pleasure was more important to a child's development than how educated their parents were. The researchers concluded a wide vocabulary helped children absorb information across the curriculum.

The findings showed readers at the age of 10, who had been reading books and newspapers more than once a week right through to age 16, performed better than those who had read less. Read More.

www.telegraph.co.uk

The Institute of Education also looked at the impact on test scores of having brothers and sisters. Youngsters with older siblings were less likely to do well, particularly in vocabulary. This could be because children in larger families spend less time talking one-to-one with their parents and have less chance to develop their vocabulary skills. There was less effect on older children, although they may score lower on vocabulary.

Once again, studies show the likelihood of a strong reading ability enabling children to absorb and understand new information and affect their attainment in all subjects.

The next study should be how to interest potential gangsters in reading for pleasure. Here, I think parenting skills could play an adverse role in setting bad models of behavior. Not always, though. My children loved to read and developed high IQ's. Yet one of them turned to crime. So, far be it for me to judge other parents. I know the heartache and the shame it can cause when your child throws off everything you have taught them.

Here are excerpts from letters written over several years before my son's death at age 28 years:

I am still the same son you know. I am just harder of heart and more callous toward the world and its contents. It may not help my afterlife, but I now have a place in this one. My only real enemies are those in blue, and because I have really long hair, they don't even like the look of me. [...]

[...another...]I thank you for all the time you patiently spent bringing me up. I thank you for loving me through all the times when perhaps you didn't feel like it. And last but more important, I thank you for the side of my personality which just loves, and is seen by everyone no matter what I am up to, where I am, or what I am doing. I know also, that some of this was naturally in me, but, like my artwork, it was carefully matured so as one day both may have a chance to play their parts in my life.

Yours with great love and adoration, [...].

Sept 9th

9/9/2013

www.nation.com.pk

Coastguards report more than 700 people have been rescued in the last two days from boats carrying migrants and refugees off the coast of Italy.

These people are leaving behind their place of birth, their friends, maybe family and everything they own. They have made the desperate decision because what they face is worse. They have no choice if they want to live. I can't imagine facing something similar.

The upsurge of violence in Syria and Egypt has caused an increase in the number of refugees attempting to reach Italy in recent months. As a result, thousands of people have made the hazardous crossing from North Africa to Italy or Malta in open boats.

theguardian.com

Italian coastguard and beach goers help in the rescue of about 160 migrants whose boat arrived near the beach at Morghella, near Pachino, south-east Sicily. According to the Italian Council for Refugees (CIR), more than 18,000 migrants have died in the Mediterranean over the last 15 years.
Photograph: Valentino Cilmi/EPA

Vessels loaded with people from Syria, Egypt, Eritrea, Nigeria and Ghana are arriving in poor state, often in difficulty, off Sicily. Migrants are assessed to see whether they have genuine grounds for seeking asylum in Europe. Italy has urged its EU partners to do more to share the burden of housing them.

Where can these desperate migrants go? They try to reach the closest place of safety—fathers, mothers, children and their aging relatives. They've left their fete to the sea and braved the unknown to find a new home. Many never reach protection.

Although things become desperate in our financial times for the aged in Britain, they don't compare to the plight of these poor people, whose future is blowing in the wind. Listen to Bob Dylan's song:

Yes, how many times must a man look up

Before he can see the sky ?

Yes, how many ears must one man have

Before he can hear people cry ?

Yes, how many deaths will it take till he knows

That too many people have died ?

The answer my friend is blowin' in the wind

The answer is blowin' in the wind.

Sept 6th

9/6/2013

www.bbc.co.uk

After a dawn raid on two Christian sect communities in Bavaria, German police removed 40 children. New evidence pointed to ongoing child abuse by members of the Twelve Tribes sect, officials told Germany's Spiegel Online website. Apparently, group members offered no resistance.

Twelve Tribes follows teachings in the Old and New Testaments as God's direct word. The US-founded sect believes in spanking children if disobedient. Denying abuse, the group explained the use of a small reed-like rod was intended to inflict pain rather than damage.

www.themercury.com.au

"Desiring to be good parents, we do not hit our children in anger, nor with our hand or fist," the group, which has communities in 10 countries around the world, says on its website about raising children. "We know that some people consider this aspect of our life controversial, but we have seen from experience that discipline keeps a child from becoming mean-spirited and disrespectful of authority."

More than 100 officers were involved in the operation to remove the children, who have been placed temporarily with foster families.

At first reflection, this action seems cruel. When authorities remove children from their parents en masse, there are often far-reaching, unpleasant consequences.

Lately, I've noticed how out of control some children seem to be in public places. Back in the 60s when I raised my children, I handed out love in abundance, but let my children see my disapproval of bad behavior with 'no' accompanied by a quick tap to the behind. Nowadays in the UK, teachers as well as parents are prevented by law from chastising their children. I fail to see how the youngsters will ever care enough to grasp the guidelines without discipline. However, delving deeper into the Twelve Tribes way of life gave me quite a shock.

#Source from a website to help parents. http://www.twelvetribes-ex.com/

The life of the typical Twelve Tribes member is very simple. Women’s dresses and “sus” pants are hand-made and most other clothes are purchased at thrift stores. The community grows much of its organic food. Upon joining, members give up all their possessions and do not own worldly treasures such as TV’s, radios, jewelry or expensive cars etc.

Exposed to a cacophony of contradictions which assault their conscience, community members must work long hours (16-18 hours a day) for no pay. Women usually stay at home and the men do not regard them as sources of wisdom or knowledge. Children probably experience the worst plight, with many forced to endure thrashings that leave them black, blue, and sometimes bleeding from the back of their neck to the soles of their feet.

The outside world rarely sees the scars and welts left on the back sides of these poor abused children because the sect teaches that doctors and hospitals are evil. #

Apparently, the Twelve Tribes are approaching drug affected patrons at Bob Dylan concerts in their latest drive for more recruits in USA's New England or the Midwest. Dylan is scheduled to tour through October. The Twelve Tribes recently peeled off the tour and headed to the Great Lakes area. You can find the bus there. As always, a sign hangs outside the open door saying, “Welcome! Please Come In!” On the back of the bus, a message reads: “We know the way. We’ll bring you home.” But perhaps it’s best to heed the advice of Dylan himself: “All the truth in the world adds up to one big lie.”

Sept 3rd

9/3/2013

People are growing taller. We all knew that, but now it's been proven by a study. Data was collected on hundreds of thousands of men from 15 European countries. Since the mid-19th century, experts have found the height has increased by almost 11 cm or 4 ½ inches.

Published in the journal Oxford Economic Papers, the paper looked at data from sources including military records and modern population surveys from the 1870s to 1980 in 15 European countries.

Greer - www.nndb.com

It looked only at male height because there was too little historical data for women. Now that's a shame. Women were of lower status in this period. I can think of a few tall women who have been leaders of our time.

Germaine Greer, entrepreneur and writer of The female Eunuch amongst other books. In 1939 (age 74) she was born just before me in the same place in Australia.

Porter - www.mirror.co.uk

Janet Street Porter, an English journalist and television celebrity. First book, Baggage, written in 2004. Born in 1946 (age 66) London.

In my school years, my head peered over those of my peers. I grew to the height of 5'10" by early adulthood. Several experiences turned me away from public gatherings. Once, my girlfriend and I went to a rock-n-roll dance without my mother's knowledge. I wore the usual outfit of the time: full skirt with petticoats, clinched at the waist with a wide belt over a fitted blouse. A short man of Italian descent clung to me and shuffled for one whole song with his head pressed against my generous breast. Hence, I didn't socialize much due to a feeling of ostracism. Men liked me alright—just not the way I wished for.

In that same year of 1958, my 15-year-old friend and I went to the movies to see Jailhouse Rock. Elvis Presley represented all that was naughty to me—sexy rebel that he was. We walked along her inner-city street amongst whistles and comments from boys driving by in flashy cars. My mother would have been shocked. I guess luck favored me enough to come away from the experience unharmed. (You can see what I looked like if you click the home page above.)

Nowadays, most of the young people I see are tall and proud.

I understand what the expression 'look down upon' truly means. What are your experiences with your own height? Has being short, medium or tall ever caused you a problem?

August 25th

8/25/2013

Society is losing the plot as it becomes more secular and less trusting, the UK's outgoing Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks has said.

1913 commons.wikimedia.org

My husband and I recently got to know an orthodox Jewish family. The children are well-behaved, quiet and respectful. When asked a question, they replied in a composed, thoughtful way. Without a shadow of doubt, the children will do well in their adult life, especially with the support of their community.

"If people work for the maximum possible benefit for themselves then we will not have trust in industry, in economics, in financial institutions, we will not see marriages last."

He also said institutions, including marriage, broke down when a person begins to lose faith and society becomes very, very secularized. He doesn't blame any government, but says it's the fault of what we call culture, which is society talking to itself. In the interview he argued that the breakdown of marriage had exacerbated child poverty in the UK. Children become the real victims.

"A situation where children grow up in stable association with the parents who bought them into being is probably the biggest influence on the eventual shape of a society."

Quote from: For Your Marriage — An initiative of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

Marriage, the union of one man and one woman, is a personal, but not private, relationship with great public significance. Marriage is good for the couple; it is also provides the optimal conditions for bearing and raising children. Marriage makes an essential contribution to the common good. Some specific benefits are identified below.

Marriage and Health

• On average, husbands and wives are healthier, happier and enjoy longer lives than those who are not married.

1916 commons.wikimedia.org

• Men appear to reap the most physical health benefits from marriage and suffer the greatest health consequences if they divorce.

• Married mothers have lower rates of depression than single or cohabiting mothers, probably because they are more likely to receive practical and emotional support from their child’s father and his family.

Marriage and Children

Children raised by their own married mother and father are:

• Less likely to be poor or to experience persistent economic insecurity

• More likely to stay in school, have fewer behavioral and attendance problems, and earn four-year college degrees

• Less vulnerable to serious emotional illness, depression and suicide

• More likely to have positive attitudes towards marriage and greater success in forming lasting marriages

I'm on the right

I agree with the precepts from these religions. In the seventies, my own children were happy, stable and well-behaved, whereas many of their friends were not. Their father and I worked together to present consistent guide-lines in a loving, caring home.

Nowadays, the only children I come in contact with are those accompanying their parent to the supermarket. Those children, mostly babies, are well-behaved on the whole. Their mothers are from a higher income bracket.

However, driving along the high street in Borehamwood, sometimes I notice children being dragged along the pavement beside strollers by uncaring and often smoking mothers. The children are screaming and the mothers are yelling between puffs.

Many people nowadays strive to get ahead, and accumulate as much wealth as possible. They live for the moment without considering the consequences for the whole of their community.

Where is society headed? If children are raised without rules, how can they hope to work with others in society when they mature?

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Author

Francene Stanley, author of many published novels. If you like my writing, why not consider purchasing one of my books? You'll see them on the sidebar below.
Born in Australia, I moved to Britain half way through my long life.