Yes! Magazine - always focusing upon Powerful Ideas, Practical Actions - is one of our favorite sources of information and fun. The magazine and wonderful website provide vital information on five powerful areas: Peace and Justice, Planet, Economy, Power People and Happiness. Occasionally, we're going to direct you to some of their articles and research that touch our fancy. We hope you enjoy.

Important news for all families from July 19, 2010 New York Times, written by JOHN LELAND:
"As states face severe budget shortfalls, many have cut home-care services for the elderly or the disabled, programs that have been shown to save states money in the long run because they keep people out of nursing homes.

Our friend and author, Bonnie Kogos (of Manitoulin Adventures fame), sent along an interesting article from USA Today on Gail Sheehy and her new book, "Passages in Caregiving." It's a journey through the building of a personal safety net - for herself and a loved one - including some lessons to learn, some traps to avoid, and "turning chaos into confidence."  

Is there strength in numbers? In community? What if a large group (diverse and non-unified) seeks to serve as a group sending out specific thoughts or well-wishes? How would we measure success?

I'm not sure there is an answer to any of these questions. Surely the science of group actions is not an exact science. But I was thinking: Is today's internet and the acts of some on social networks to create a community acting together or sending out good thought and well-wishes a deed of good, or simply a cacophony of many numbers?

My first reaction is simple - if nothing else, numbers (friends, caring individual individuals, caring community and safety net members) seem to bring a sense of belonging and inclusion - and that's good, right? Even individual well-wishes delivered in a caring manner represents good.

One of the goals of Personal Safety Nets is to promote expressions of appreciation and gratitude for the supports and supporters we have in our lives. Our newest Poet Laureate does this so well. Here's more about him and his poem, "Thanks."

Note: This came (a few weeks ago) from a reader and friend whose family reached out to embrace and be embraced. We couldn't have said it better!

In our family, how we choose to celebrate, publish, dread or assiduously ignore major milestones is less grounded in obvious traditional absolutes now that the elders have all passed to the other side. In our sights is the high school graduation of our middle son, Addis, from Garfield High School. The question for us arises in two parts -
• how shall we properly celebrate this?
• who is there left to tell? Who is part of Addis' family?