What's Goin On?

Life has been busy and full! I only have a few weeks left before I meet the newest member of our growing family. Excited doesn't really cover it. Additionally I am mindful to spend some time with my first born and husband, appreciating this time with them before our family takes the next step. The changes (and sometimes challenges) of my now over 2 year old are amazing, and I feel so blessed to witness them first hand on a daily basis. It is especially poignant for me as I watch the news headlines and the extraordinary stress families are experiencing. It makes me even more grateful for my strong family, friends, and community support, and ultimately for me as a person of Faith, to God.

On Twitter I have been following and linking to several news stories including the continuing struggles of women in Afghanistan to retain some of the fragile freedoms that they have regained in the face of a retrenching in interpreted Islamic dogma, as well as the inspiring role that women are playing in the riveting events in Iran. Also, I have been closely following the H1N1 epidemic reporting, and I have to say that this is one to definitely tune into and not blindly follow the nightly news sound bites. While it is true this virus is nothing to underestimate, the scale and scope of the proposed reaction by authorities is something that gives me tremendous pause. Whether it be rushing a vaccine that will not be fully tested and vetted, to compulsory measures that may be employed to ensure vaccination compliance, there is a personal liberty storm brewing that will test the underpinnings of democratic ideals. I do not think that I am overstating this in the least, and that is very worrying. And if you happened to catch the BBC miniseries Torchwood this past week, what made it a little to scary for me was the echoes of plausible truth that the writers wrote into this "science-fiction fantasy" that touched a little to close to home in view of developing events.

As with many of the difficult issues that I read about daily, I do not suggest that one become paralyzed with fear, nor dismissive with denial...just as always, be informed, make your own assessments, and exercise your personal rights actively and robustly.

Back to doing just that for my family!