13
The Winner of the Emergency Go-Bag is…
Marsha, comment #3! Congrats! Please send your mailing address to aimee@aintyomamasblog.com.
Thanks to everyone who participated in the Ready NYC Giveaway. If you didn’t yet check out the Ready NYC website, make sure to stop by there to learn helpful tips about preparing for an emergency. Let’s hope none of us ever need to actually put these tips to use, but it’s best to be informed and prepared!
09
In Honor of 9/11: Something to Remember While We Never Forget
(photo courtesy of Think Progress)
Islamic Fundamentalism is to Islam as ________________ is to Christianity.
The answer?
The KKK.
If you’re a fan of West Wing, then you may remember the thought-provoking episode that aired shortly after the 9/11 attacks (portion embedded below my signature). In that particular episode, the character Josh Lyman explains to students that it is wrong to judge an entire religion based on a handful of lunatics that use their religion as an excuse for inhumane acts. We don’t think of the KKK as Christians and we don’t attribute the KKK’s actions to the Church. So why would we attribute the horrific acts of Islamic fundamentalists to the entire Muslim religion? As a shell-shocked nation searching for blame, we needed to learn that lesson. Nine years later, many are still struggling with that task.
Between the debate over acceptable locations for a Muslim Community Center, physical violence against Muslims, and the burning of Quran’s, the persecution against Muslims seems to have only worsened.
When does it end?
Americans need to be careful to make sure that the freedom of which we boast is a freedom consonant with American values, and not an America premised on euphemism, bumper sticker mentalities, and flat-out hypocrisy. Americans cannot claim to believe in and stand for American values — values that stand for pluralism, equality, tolerance, and coexistence — while demonizing an entire religious group. We claim to be better than repressive governments that are intolerant of difference. So let’s either be better or abandon the pretense.
Don’t fly the flag of tolerance while extolling bigotry. Don’t claim to believe in freedom of religion while protesting the construction of an Islamic Community Center. If we’re really for freedom of religion, then any street in this country should be able to peacefully house Churches, Synagogues, and Mosques. (continues…)
07
The Just Spotted 2010 OC Blog Awards!
I’m pretty excited right now. Why?!? Because I’ve been nominated for my first blog award!
*Cheers!*
One of my favorite local guides here in SoCal is a website called “Just Spotted” and I have been nominated for their 2010 OC Blog Awards under the Personal & Family Blog category. If you enjoy my blog and would like to vote for me, please click HERE.
There are some fantastic fellow nominees, including a few of my favorite bloggers, so I know it’s a long shot. However, I’m truly appreciative and honored to simply be nominated. No, really. OK, now go vote for me.
Thank you, readers!
01
Preparing for an Emergency: Ready NYC & Giveaway!
On September 2nd, New York City is kicking off National Preparedness Month. If any city has learned how to be prepared for the unimaginable, it’s New York City. But you don’t have to live in New York to learn how to prepare your family and home in the event of an emergency or crisis situation. As someone who has always lived in areas prone to earthquakes, I know how incredibly important it is to have an emergency kit and a strategy plan to help keep my family as safe as possible. No matter where we live, no one is ever completely safe from the possibility of a disaster or emergency situation. From fires, earthquakes, and floods to terrorist attacks each and every one of us is vulnerable. And, as parents, we must be especially responsible in ensuring that our family is as safe as possible should the unthinkable happen. Believing that your family can just “wing it” in an emergency is irresponsible and potentially life-threatening.
The Ad Council and the New York Office of Emergency Management (OEM) have joined forces to create Ready NYC , an excellent website devoted to helping people prepare for any type of emergency. Check out the Ready NYC website and, if you’re on Facebook, make sure to “like” the New York Office of Emergency Management (OEM) Facebook page. Both of these sites are excellent resources and will help parents and families everywhere prepare for any type of emergency in three steps:
26
Saying Goodbye
My wedding day, shortly after my grandparents celebrated their 64th wedding anniversary
“I’m glad you’re here, Aimee. It’s almost time. I hear Grandma calling for me.”
It was August 11th, the day after my Grandfather would have celebrated his 69th wedding anniversary with my Grandma. They never got the chance. She passed away on New Year’s Day.
I left my Grandfather’s home in tears, trying to come to grips that the end was near. I called my Dad and e-mailed my brother and sister in Afghanistan. The next week was a flurry of activity. I canceled my trip to San Francisco for a blogging conference. My father arrived from the East Coast and my sister flew in from Afghanistan for a few days so she could say goodbye. My brother, sadly, was unable to get emergency leave from the Army – something we are all still upset about. However, he wrote our Grandpa a beautiful and touching letter which we read to him. My uncle, cousins and other family members also stopped by to be with Grandpa during his final days. He was surrounded by love and the comfort of family. To die any other way is tragic, I thought to myself. This is the way it’s supposed to be. My Grandpa knew we were all there for him. He could hear our words and feel our soft touches and gentle kisses. He managed to give his great-grandson one last high-five and give him a kiss. My father caressed his forehead to soothe him, just like my grandfather did to help calm all of us when we were children. He told us he was a little scared, but ready to go. He had been preparing himself since Grandma died. She was waiting for him.
On their wedding day, 1941.
My Grandpa died on Monday, August 23rd. He was almost 91 years old.
This isn’t supposed to be a sad story and it certainly isn’t tragic. My grandparents had a good long life together and a great love story. Although I feel sad and miss them terribly, I celebrate my grandparents. They were very much a part of my upbringing and helped shape me into the person I am today. My grandparents helped instill core values into all of their grandchildren and taught us that being a good person is the most important thing in life – be loyal and loving to your spouse and family, work hard, use your potential, give back to others, and never lie, cheat, or steal to get ahead. And, perhaps most importantly, fill your home with love and laughter.
I had heard about couples in very long relationships where one would pass away shortly after the other, but I never imagined that it would happen to my grandparents. Perhaps it’s because I never imagined my life without them. But, now, here I am. Living without them. If only I could hear my Grandma laugh one more time or listen to my Grandpa talk about his beloved Dodgers (the man was a human encyclopedia of all things baseball). If only we could talk one more time about how to make the perfect Challah french toast or Matzoh Ball Soup (still working on that one). I’m glad that in the last year, I started to talk more with them about our family history and record some of our conversations on video and audio. I heard stories that I had never heard before and I feel grateful that they shared so much with me. I live with no regrets, except that I didn’t go to just one more baseball game with my Grandpa.
Life goes on and mine will, too. But I’ll miss them everyday that I keep living it.