St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee

Today I received a solicitation from St. Jude's which was founded by the late entertainer Danny Thomas (father of Marlo Thomas). For many years I have been able to be a modest financial supporter of this marvelous institution and the wonderful care they provide to children. I especially laud them for providing care for children whether or not the parents are able to pay for such care. If ever I win the lottery (Reminder to self: Buy a ticket) I would be thrilled to make a huge contribution to St. Jude's. I must confess, however, that I can barely bring myself to watch their infomercials on television because seeing children suffering from terminal illness just breaks my heart. I am a devout coward when it comes to witnessing tragedies befalling children (and their parents), but I want to support organizations that can and do address, treat, cure, assist, and/or prevent any such tragedies. Some of you may be unfamiliar with what St. Jude's does, the criteria for being a patient receiving care, the warning signs of childhood cancer, and/or the amazing results they have achieved since opening their doors in 1962. If so, I encourage you to visit their website http://www.stjude.org. Also, if you want some delicious recipes visit www.stjude.org/gameday as today's solicitation included a recipe for Yum Yum Brownie Muffins which I am going to try this week. There are many worthwhile charities that help children, and certainly St. Jude's is one of the best as evidenced by their results.

Children Are Precious So Why Do We Not Protect Them As We Should?

Yesterday's news was horrifying about a little girl dying after being locked in a box overnight for eating a popcicle from the freezer. Her guardian(s) are alleged to be the culprits in this oh-so-sad scenario. When I hear things like this it makes me physically ill. As I watch the world news about babies being abandoned en route in Somalia as their parent(s) walk to escape the famine my heart breaks for those innocent and helpless little ones. The idea of being cruel and abusive to your baby or toddler most likely would never occur to you, and yet it happens. The thought of leaving your newborn or child of any age on the side of a road to die would be something I pray you cannot fathom. And yet these things are happening, and I ask myself again and again what is it going to take to protect the children of the world. Human trafficking, child abuse of all kinds, abandonment, child predators, lack of food and clean water, no health care, and the list of problems in the world goes on and on. One person cannot do everything, but one person can do something. If all the "one persons" decide to do something then perhaps we can end some, if not all of the problems that make life so difficult and at times downright horrible for the precious children of the world. Ask yourself, what can you do? Even with children of our own, we still can reach out to help others. As we experience the present economic crisis in the USA, we probably all know someone who is struggling to care for their child or children. Look around for opportunities to make a difference, and if you see or know of a child suffering abuse of any kind don't stand by and do nothing. Silence is consensus, and little ones have no voices. Will you hear their cries? Will I? I certainly hope so.