AGING WITH GRACE: Praise For Strong, Loving Women

A series of essays.....

MY AUNT JUNE: "A COLLECTION OF WARM SMILES
SPRINKLED WITH A WRY SENSE OF HUMOR"

.....as seen through my eyes! 




By: Jacqueline E. Hughes


Yes, I continue to age each day and there is absolutely nothing I can do about it! Coming to terms with the fact that aging is inevitable, eases the negativity behind it.....to a certain degree.

Of course, it doesn't hurt to love yourself, too! I mean, what's the point of living day-in and day-out with somebody you don't have the utmost respect for....? Yourself. After all, I spend most of my time with, well, me....especially as a writer when I find myself traversing the intricate corridors of my brain nearly twenty-four/seven. I figure I had better be there for me, over anyone else I can think of.

The funny part is, especially as I age and learn more about myself, I pray that I will have no regrets. I have been told that my personality can come-off being a bit strong and too boisterous at times thus appearing to intimidate those around me. Growing older (or, as I refer to it, finally growing-up), I know the simple truth is that my passion seeps out in great, hot waves that crash onto the projected rocks having sharp, jagged edges that can harm the sensibilities of those within my circle. My ideas, stories, and intimate connection with the imagination that feeds me on a daily basis, sensationalizes the ordinary, and highlights the mundane, can be stronger than I could ever estimate. It is what defines me as a person.

Peering out from my often lonely, internal existence, I find comfort in a world splashed in vibrant colors, draped in miles of attractive fabrics, and scented with the perfume of a thousand exotic flowers! It is a good place to be. Sipping my steaming mug of green tea with honey and lemon, I quietly slip back into my surreal existence,
eventually!

I firmly believe that, as we age, we become more aware of those aging gracefully around us: a spouse, friends, immediate family members, and even public figures. And, as with many strong women, we seek-out other strong women with personalities that captivate us with their tenderness and loving attitudes towards life in general. It is an extreme pleasure to be able to acknowledge women around my own age that inspire me every single day. I would like to point a few of them out to you.

Allow me to introduce my adorable, Aunt June. Ninety-two years ago the earth was blessed by her arrival. Being the second born and having three male siblings, my father being her older brother, I can totally identify with many trials and tribulations she may have encountered given this identical birth order myself. Aunt June is the 'purple salad'  greatly anticipated and eagerly consumed every family reunion in August. She is a collection of warm smiles sprinkled with a wry sense of humor that often offsets her petite yet classic and well groomed stature. She is a fireball of energy and excitement who is always 'up' on current events and undeniably opinionated in her own right.

We totally lost touched as I grew older, married, and started a family of my own. Several years ago, not long after the birth of our first grandchild, Brenna, Aunt June and I were reconnected here in Florida when she and Uncle Louis rented a property during the winter months in Winter Haven. It was the best reunion of my life as it was peppered, once again, with her smiles and feisty humor.

Since the passing of Uncle Louis five years ago, she lives in her home located in South Bend, Indiana and we see one another as often as we can. Otherwise, Aunt June and I have become 'phone buddies' and have been known to ignore the passing of time for hours on end. She has become a best friend, surrogate mom, and a human sounding board by whom I channel my good and bad days as they are then deciphered and categorized by their relative importance. I admire this lady with all my being and often tell her that when I grow-up......I want to be just like her! Aging gracefully is her power and she's been blessed with the strength to endure just about any scenario placed before her.

Yes....I'm With Her!! How could I not be? Hillary Clinton, if you haven't noticed by now, is in the news quite a bit lately as she makes her run for President of the United States. I have reason to believe that the battle brewing between her and Bernie Sanders right now can be classified as 'mild' compared to the knock-down, drag-out fight she will soon encounter with the New York real estate mogul.

I do not feel the least bit sorry for him.

Hillary is a strong, brilliant woman who has had to endure one drama after another in her life of both a personal and public (political) nature and survived, if not made stronger and better prepared, as she emerged on the other side. Facing a male dominant world filled with its 'good 'ole boys' status hell-bent (even in 2016) on not accepting all human beings as equals, she consistently handles herself with decorum coupled with expert knowledge regarding ways to continue the progressive movement of this country and its citizens. As a mother, grandmother, and stubborn woman myself, I praise her tenacity and will always believe that she is highly qualified and sensitized towards the direct needs of all men, women, and children, with no exceptions.

No Presidential election should ever be based upon the physical traits of anyone. If that were the case, I wonder how many of our past male presidents would ever be elected today. Hillary Clinton ages gracefully right before us as she displays the charm of a loving woman who understands the value of wrapping her arms around us, helping the pain subside, and then applying a feasible solution in order to make us better and stronger. Hillary Clinton makes me proud to be a woman. Simple as that. She makes me proud to pass her female legacy down to my own daughters and granddaughters. She is setting a precedent for strong, little girls who desire to embrace their future head-on.

I could go on indefinitely mentioning female mentors, leaders, and artists who have changed the world through their powerful influence and talent: Mother Teresa, Oprah Winfrey, Margaret Sanger (opened the first family planning clinic in the United States), Virginia Woolf (author), Marie Curie (scientist), Sheryl Sandberg (author and COO of Facebook), Hillary Clinton, Marie Bracquemond (Impressionist artist), and Gloria Steinem, just to name a few.

Nurturing and being compassionate....that is what we do best as women. That is where we excel. We seem to always get things done. Whether we are mothers, teachers, doctors, or friends that genuinely care about one another, women are strong role models for others. And, as we age, we value more and more the inspiration of other women in our lives and use this strength to move forward into the realm of equalization with our male counterparts.

My personal goal, when it comes to aging with dignity and grace, has always been with regard to how well I have raised my own daughters. I am blessed with two strong, loving, and nurturing ladies who are generously passing these traits down to their own children every day.

Concentrating on the spiritual influences in my life these days, I open my heart and my arms to the power and grace of Love. You may have already noticed this recurring theme throughout my writing and with good reason. Strength, Love, and the Power to Forgive will guide each of us, man or woman, down the right path to aging....with dignity and grace.



Copyright © 2016 by Jacqueline E. Hughes
All rights reserved

MORE RANDOM THOUGHTS...

A series of essays.....

A GRANDDAUGHTER'S PERSPECTIVE AND TALENT
~EASTER GREETINGS TO EVERYONE~

......as seen through my eyes!




 By: Jacqueline E. Hughes

My Mother called it constructive criticism. It was, apparently, something that I couldn't 'take' to save my life.

But, take it we did, my three brothers and I, and it became a way of life for us. It was always like the swift kick underneath the kitchen table requesting our silence when something might come spilling out of our mouths that Mother believed should not.

As if being criticized weren't bad enough, nobody wants to be judged via disapproval, especially by their own parents. Then, suddenly, like a padded glove worn to soften the blow to their own character and esteem, the word 'constructive' was slammed into the mix and coupled with the word 'criticism.' Instantly, they became two 'verbal' box cars united for the long journey down the tracks to the ancient city of 'Discipline.'

No matter how laudable, hopeful, or for the good the aim might have been, the spirit of our youthful actions had been gravely criticized by the two people we loved the most. To this day, I believe that by telling a teenager, "You can't take constructive criticism," represents a gross misuse of the power behind these two unique and important words. Spoken with a bluster of insensitive sarcasm, the best of intents towards deriving positive results almost turns into a threat instead.

While raising two awesome daughters myself, many important lessons had been learned growing up under my parent's roof. Perhaps the most important one was knowing to bite my tongue before telling my children that they could not handle constructive criticism. We do learn from our parent's examples....one way or another. I will chalk it up to 'tough love' and leave it at that.


 



The longest way around is the shortest way home....a proverbial saying of the mid 17th century, meaning that not trying to take a short cut is often the most effective way. By taking that first, single step, our longest journey commences; a brand new beginning.

With emphasis on how important a single decision may be, I always think back on how difficult, at least for me, my husband's choice to accept permanent employment in Orlando, Florida, was twenty years ago. No amount of blue skies, swaying palm trees, or the tide's pull of the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico could convince me that leaving Michigan was a good idea. Little did I know, at the time, it was the best decision of our lives.

Escaping the heartache of past economic struggles and reaching out towards the light offered by greater opportunities and prosperity, we were like a young couple once again, albeit in our mid-forties, dancing in the springtime rain with joy in our hearts and hope in our steps. We were happy! We wanted to make one another happy.

The sheer joy of being together, depending on one another, and accomplishing things as a team made us feel alive. Eventually, the gentle sway of the palm trees and the warmth of the sun symbolized that giant first step we both needed in order to understand just what the future had in store for us.

Sure, we played with the possibility of sitting on the porch of a log home in Iron Duff, North Carolina, gently rocking back and forth while sharing tidbits from our day and staring out at an incomparable view of green mountains and gentle valleys. Not a bad way to usher in the golden years. Then, there will always be the desire for, what I believe to be, the benefits of living in France for a period of time. Such beauty and grace set apart from our present society lacking, for the most part, in both.

Ultimately, after twenty years of discovering what mysteries lie within our own hearts, home is calling us back. Unable to resist the siren call of the land, our amazing children and grandchildren, and all of the family we left behind in order to follow a better life, the arrow points north, for better or worse.

The appeal of working together on our 'little yellow cottage' and filling it with good times and our five adorable 'little people' up in Kalamazoo, is pulling at us. Delightfully, by taking that first giant leap, another wonderful journey is about to commence.

The act of terrorism inflicted upon Brussels, Belgium, this week applied another deep notch in the 'tree of life' and is, painfully, questioning our credibility as loving human beings once again. 

We can fight it with all the gusto we can muster, but fear keeps rearing its ugly head from around the tree trunk and life, as we once accepted it, has changed. Even though we say it won't take away our freedom and peace, it has; it won't make us think twice before making that next reservation and traveling to lands yet to be discovered, but it will....to a certain degree, anyway. Inevitability is a tough nut to crack.

It sometimes feels like we're playing an elaborate game of Russian roulette where any act, if repeated several times, is likely to have disastrous consequences. Then I ask myself, is this how you want to live out this beautiful, short time we have to enjoy on earth? Of course not, I say, because being truly free is being free from fear itself.

The martyrs that perished or were injured at the airport in Brussels and while riding the Metro beneath her streets....they did not suffer without a purpose. Their lives matter as much as those of Paris or San Bernardino and their ultimate sacrifice will never go unacknowledged or taken for granted. It is precisely because they unintentionally gave up their lives for our freedom, we owe it to them to be grateful and forever conscientious of their gift to us all.

We will keep purchasing our airline tickets (if we can afford to) and utilizing the precious use of the Internet to pick and choose the perfect accommodations for a day, a week, in the future. We will anticipate meeting new people and familiarizing ourselves with their way of life. I will hear new stories, see new sights, and I will continue to write about them for the pleasure (My intent, anyway!) of all to read and enjoy.

And that, my friends, is true freedom!



                                                                                    

FEAR IS OVERRATED

Fear is overrated
Akin to stress and woe
With its odd angles and dimensions
It will infuse into your psyche
Injuring the Spirit and the Soul

Stand tall and proud this very day
Employing common sense and love
Defeating all of the hate-mongers
Demigods hell-bent on destruction
Profiting from our pain

We've been there before and we've done that
It's time to change our course
Let peace and tolerance navigate us
Into a mindset far away
From bigotry, death, and war

If some must hate, then let them
Sometimes there is no recourse
But keep them in our hearts and prayers
For, in the end, life's burdens
Will seem lighter upon our shoulders

Now close your eyes and hear the sound
Of peace and calmness gathering
Into your mind, body, and soul
Like liquid love, it flows and ebbs
Within you and without

Relaxing deeply, concentrate on
A world free of fear
Place hate far away from you
And allow the feeling of happiness to
Open up all possibilities

You will see that
Fear is overrated, akin to stress and woe
Focus on the positive; eliminate the negative
Infuse love throughout your being
Allow its power to grow



HAPPY EASTER TO YOU AND YOURS....



Copyright © 2016 by Jacqueline E. Hughes
All rights reserved

COFFEEHOUSE CHATTER ~ RAY AND PETER

A series of essays.....

.....as seen through my eyes!





By: Jacqueline E. Hughes

From time to time, our neighborhood friends meet at the corner coffeehouse to relax, sip their favorite brew or concoction, and warm-up their hands and hearts...together!

Some might think of their meeting as a 'cleansing' or 'purification of the soul.' Even though they may share similar backgrounds and values, their ideas and opinions are as diverse and variable as the weather outside of the little shop.

Let's grab a cup of our own, take a comfortable seat, sit back and listen to what today's chapter of 'Coffeehouse Chatter' has to offer....

IRELAND ~ ATLANTIC COAST

RAY AND PETER.....



RAY: Will you take a look at those three over there in the far corner.....just chatting away non-stop forever now!

PETER: I know. I see those gals here often and they never seem to lack the ability to communicate, that's for sure. I think it's kind of cute, though.

RAY: Cute? Can we guys say 'cute' and get away with it? (Huge smile on his face.)

PETER: Yep! Times are definitely changing, Ray, and we have to change along with them or be left behind. Even if it's calling something 'cute' in public. I mean, just look at us. We're sitting here in a coffeehouse on St. Patrick's Day sipping, well.....coffee!

RAY: Point taken. Years ago we'd be in the local Irish Pub by this time of the day, sipping another pint O'Guinness and not thinking about much else. But, that was long ago now and I'm not saying that didn't mess me up a bit, anyway. I always figured if my folk back in the homeland didn't think twice about it, I could get away with it, too!

PETER: Not so much. At least, not if you wanted to stay happy by keeping family and friends around you and not alienate their affections like someone else we know about. I still have a difficult time thinking about Sean these days. (Look of deep sadness on his face.) It just isn't worth it.

RAY: When was the last time you heard from Sean? I heard that after he lost his job everything hit the fan full force.

PETER: It did! Guess his Irish temper set in and there really wasn't much anyone could do for him after that. Well, that coupled with the drink. Afterwards, Margie said he was only bringing pain into her life, as well as for their three kids...and, he left the house. Last I heard he was in a small apartment and cleaning offices at night. That was over six months ago, already.

RAY: It's our stubborn pride you know!

PETER: Our pride?

RAY: You. Me. Guys in general. We're brought up to be so macho that when the first thing doesn't go our way.....we sort of run to our 'crutch' of choice. Look where it got Sean and it would have taken me, too, if you hadn't verbally cuffed me in the head a few times. I have always appreciated your intervention, Man.

PETER: Yeah. I think your Mary and the kids are much happier now that you've 'seen the light,' so to speak, you old goat! Don't think I don't know what a struggle it was for you, too. I was just glad to be there when you needed a major reality check, my friend.

RAY: Like I said, that was a long time ago.... (Reflectively staring into space.)

PETER: I wish someone could have been there for Sean....

(Both men sit quietly for a minute or so.)

RAY: And life has been darn good for some time now. By the way, you're still coming over to the house after work for dinner, right? You know Mary has this habit of making sure our bachelor friends are fed well....especially on major holidays. You have to be the first to admit her Shepherd's Pie is award winning.

PETER: It's her bread pudding with bourbon sauce that tops everything off for me. She's making it for tonight, isn't she?

RAY: (Head nodding affirmatively.)

PETER: Of course I'll be there. Wouldn't miss it for the world. Are Jan and Michael going to be there, too?

RAY: With all of their kids. You know my Mary......if she can't feed a minimum of ten or twelve people at a time, she just isn't happy! Always told her she should have opened her own restaurant or catering place. She loves cooking so much.

PETER: But then the world would have been deprived of a talented writer. No, I like it better this way. It's like having the best of both worlds.

RAY: Look...one of our 'ladies of the corner table' is getting up for refills. She's enjoying her early morning with a cute hop to her step, I think. Another half a mugful? What do you say, Peter?

PETER: I say that the times are certainly changing for the better today! A fabulous meal with good friends to look forward to, more delicious coffee, and......you just said the word 'cute' and never flinched one bit! Happy St. Patrick's Day, Ray!!!

RAY: (Smiles) Happy St. Patrick's Day, Peter.....





Happy St. Patrick's Day To All.........


Copyright © 2016 by Jacqueline E. Hughes
All rights reserved

DINOSAUR MENTALITY

A series of essays.....

SYMBOL OF THE RICH AND POWERFUL
IN DOWNTOWN ORLANDO, FLORIDA

.....as seen through my eyes!




 By: Jacqueline E. Hughes


You sit upon your pristine perch like the giant creatures that once roamed the earth, all snug and confident within your lofty position, brave in numbers, ready to conquer the world. Personality bold, often brazen and proud, like the brass ornaments of a pawnbroker designating minuscule loans while procuring intimate pieces of mortal souls, you represent monetary success and unabashedly savor the desperation of your clientele. "Two to one, you won't get your possessions back," cries the 'money man' as he carefully buffs his new addition preparing it for the glass display case where symbols of human despair stand at attention like trophies on a wooden shelf.

Like tyrannical bullies, you are the captor of innocent souls that cling to you in utter fear and total fascination, small armies of puppets, their strings being manipulated by your power and fame; a misguided group believing to be safer with you rather than against you. All the while you interrogate your opposition by means of 'Pride-and-ego down' techniques employing the attack of self-image based upon a real or imagined deficiency voiced about them. Even skilled bullies can cross the line with this approach entering into the world of humiliation and degradation. But then again.....this may be your goal all along! Thick skinned and ego driven, you embrace these tactics with all the gusto of a soulless fool.

Brash, bold, and diverse like the group of once great creatures that walked heavily upon this earth displaying horns or crests upon their heads like anointed crowns of Kings and Emperors, your attempt at unification is merely a smokescreen created to conceal the true purpose of your regime. Power. You are hungry for it. What major tantrum might you throw if denied it? We shall have to wait and see.

Even the mighty dinosaur had its Achilles' heel; the soft underbelly proved a weakness that may not seem important but was actually mortal. All living beings are subject to weakness and vulnerability and, you are no exception. Be especially careful while adjusting that gold and 'precious stone' encrusted crown atop your golden head for this may expose your weaknesses for all to see. Vanity, or ostentation occasioned by ambition and pride, may serve as your deficit as you sit upon your ignoble throne high above the lowly creatures who have been deceived into believing that by pledging their loyalty to you, they will receive the benefits of an unbound and worthy life.

I only ask that common sense, kindness, love, and respect for one another guide us through these next few months as we struggle through the negativity we now witness on a daily basis. The prospect of a more wholesome future is the one redeeming feature of all this sordid pain and misery.

May the power of goodwill reign down upon all of us by rendering the spirit of the times and the needs of this nation to take precedence over any other consideration. Especially over those of a blind and misguided soul whose lineage of ruthless hate-mongering, through the grace of good overtaking evil and with hope in our hearts, will soon become extinct.


Copyright © 2016 by Jacqueline E. Hughes
All rights reserved

EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN......

A series of essays.....

CLASSIC STYLES REMAIN POPULAR
FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION

.....as seen through my eyes!

By: Jacqueline E. Hughes


Fashion and trends are repeated and revived all of the time and we bear witness to this fact every day, in one way or another.

In my closet resides a classic wool suit that my beautiful Aunt Lou modeled for a prominent South Bend, Indiana woman's boutique, Frances Shop, back in the early Nineteen-sixties. This stunning, tailored suit is as beautiful today as the memories of Aunt Lou are in my heart.

Finally, our 'disposable' society is beginning to wake-up! Reduce - Reuse - Recycle are powerful words that are reaching out to so many of us today. And, without getting all "Green" or "Planet Earth" on you......yet, I'm so impressed that they have! The nice part is that the process is becoming 'second nature' to most of us.

Prefixes are key morphemes in English vocabulary that begin words. Let's take the prefix re- for example, which means 'back' or 'again and again,' and apply it to our every day lifestyle, beginning with the three re- words mentioned above.

By reducing our direct and indirect energy usage, we end up reducing the carbon footprint of our life. Carbon footprint equates to the actual amount of carbon, or CO2, that is required by each one of us in the process of creating the energy we use, to the goods and services we buy and use. Buy your goods locally, if possible and, always remember that Mom was right. Don't waste food. Garbage in our landfills produces methane. If we pay attention to our consumption and waste habits, we can find many opportunities to conserve.

A growing percentage of us reuse our paper, plastic or 'tote' bags to bring groceries home from the store. This, in itself, is a huge step towards recycling. Separating paper, plastic, aluminum, and glass and placing them in designated bins to be picked-up each week is the first step to processing used materials into new, useful products. This helps us reduce the use of raw materials that would have been used, uses less energy, and is a great way of controlling air, water and land pollution.

Why, like so many other great ideas, has it taken so long for recycling our waste products to take effect?

Closed mindedness, red tape, laziness, and money (who's going to pay for it?) are reasons that come to mind.

Continuing the theme that 'everything old is new again,' I take you back to 1968 when Stewart Brand launched an innovative publication called The Whole Earth Catalog. This catalog was groundbreaking, enlightening and a large part of the '60's counterculture that defined rugged individualism and back-to-the-land movements before personal computers and desk-top publishing. 

An Open Culture publication describes the Catalog as essentially, "a paper-based database offering thousands of hacks, tips, tools, suggestions, and possibilities for optimizing your life." 

Founder Stewart Brand, in his 1968 CATALOG article, "We are as gods" said, "At a time when the New Left was calling for grass-roots political  power, Whole Earth eschewed politics and pushed grassroots direct power—tools and skills." It pushed science, intellectual endeavor, and new technology as well as old. As a result, when the most empowering tool of the century came along—personal computers, Whole Earth was in the thick of the development from the beginning.

According to Open Culture, Steve Jobs, while speaking to Stanford graduates in 2005, described it as one of the 'Bibles' of his generation, made with typewriters, scissors, and Polaroid cameras, it was sort of like Google in paperback form. It was idealistic and overflowing with neat tools and great notions.

On the back cover of the final regular issue in 1972 (It was published intermittently after '72) was a photograph of an early morning country road, one you might hitchhike down or walk along as you watch the sunrise. Above the picture were the words: "Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish." Pointing this out, Steve Jobs concluded his speech to the Stanford class by saying, "It was their (Whole Earth) farewell message as they signed off. I have always wished that for myself. And now, as you begin anew, I wish that for you."

These are powerful words, "Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish." Intense sentiments coupled with a philosophy of life that many of my generation believe has allowed us to remain free-thinkers with young ideas for so many years.

As a writer and avid social media fan, I am happy to be a part of several Public Groups on Facebook that embrace modern storytelling while pulling up and utilizing as much historical information as possible. They include Passages to the Past - Historical Fiction and Historical Novel Society. Each serve as forums for the discussion of historical fiction, history and writing, reading, and publishing historical fiction. Many published, non-published, and totally amazing writers comprise these groups and offer understanding and sage advice to fellow writers and lovers of historical fiction. Another way of merging the past with present day!

However, my favorite re- word happens to be....repurpose. For me, this is an art form that tugs and pulls at my heart because it deftly defines the phrase, 'Everything Old Is New Again.'

Being a true 'Romanticist,' I proudly display my Grandmother's apple cookie jar in my own kitchen. This is the same jar that my brothers and I, along with each of our cousins, would delightfully dip into just after giving Grandma a huge hug and a kiss! Always freshly baked, we all knew her cookies were lovingly placed in that jar for our immediate consumption.

My enjoyable obsession with the 'old' began with the refurbishing of a camel-back steamer trunk when I was in high school and led to acquiring several different antique pieces for our Victorian home located in Eaton Rapids, Michigan. I discovered life within the various grains of wood comprising each piece and marveled at the craftsmanship defined by the hands and hearts of their creators.

Recently, while renovating our Master Bath and kitchen, Dan and I made every concession we could to repurpose items we already owned. We not only saved money in doing so, but the excessive amount of pride we experience upon entering each room feels so good and taps directly into my sentimental mindset.

A masterfully constructed Lane dresser and mirror set serve as the main components of our new Master Bath. With a hat of colorful granite and glass, and displaying shiny chrome buttons of bling, this soldier stands at attention beneath the same mirror that has reflected its beauty and service to others for so many years.

LANE DRESSER WITH MIRROR AND
  PAINTED DRESSER WITH ADDED SHELVING

Not wanting to dispose of the dresser that we had purchased to use as the changing table and storage for our newborn daughter many years ago, I washed it down in a sea of white paint while Dan helped it to stand proud and tall atop handmade shelving. We inserted baskets onto the shelves to create a convenient storage space. Perfect!

Reconfiguring and refinishing our old kitchen cabinets adds two more re- words into the mix and saved us money while greatly reducing our carbon footprint at the same time. Creativity, imagination, and good taste are certainly the keys to the art of repurposing. The cool part is that anyone can do it.

Here are other re- words worth incorporating into our lives that may help us reconsider our past and place the new world of waste and depletion into proper perspective: Rediscover - Review - Redo - Reinvent - Revisit.

Reclaim: To restore and bring ourselves back to a right or proper course. Understanding this word promotes the due diligence required to bring back a more positive and wholesome way of life. Our future absolutely depends on it.




Copyright © 2016 by Jacqueline E. Hughes
All rights reserved