Do You Love Your Children and Grandchildren?

Guest post by Roger Carlton.

Say Whaaaat???? Have you gone crazy???? Of course, I love my children and grandchildren. I hug them. Listen to their problems and wipe away their tears. Feed them and care for them. I want to raise them to be good moral people. That columnist must have gone crazy to ask such a question.

Well, if you think I am crazy, that headline achieved its goal. It got your attention. This columnist really believes you love your children and your grandchildren, but you need to think about that love not just in the present. The future is just as important and you have the chance to show that long term love at the polls.


Here are some questions that you might think about to ensure a good future for your children and grandchildren:

  *   Does the candidate believe in protecting the environment or are they a climate change denier?
  *   Does the candidate respect people of all genders?
  *   Does the candidate have the patience and analytical ability to make key decisions that consider all the options?
  *   Does the candidate have the ability to compromise in order to get things done?
  *   Will the candidate have a moral compass that keeps him or her from doing things for their own personal gain?
  *   Does the candidate respect our rich history of accepting immigrants as long as that is done in a controlled manner?
  *   Will the candidate be able to control their desire for revenge when someone does not agree with them?
  *   Will the candidate be  bipartisan once in office?
  *   Will the candidate be able to draw honest, trustworthy, motivated and energetic people into their administration?
  *   Does the candidate believe in paying fair taxes?
  *   Does the candidate have a vision that defines a better world for everyone?
  *   Does the candidate extinguish fires or pour gas on them?

Early voting begins February 3rd and ends February 29th. Absentee ballots must be requested by February 25th and returned by 5:00 pm on March 3rd which is the day of the election. This is a primary election which winnows down the number of candidates for many offices. The final election is November 3rd. You don't have to vote for the political party in which you registered. The Elections Office can explain that to you.

Those are just a few questions to think about as you select a candidate. Thank goodness we live in a democracy and have the right to vote in a hopefully honest election. Please remember that you are selecting a candidate not just for today. Focus on the future for your children and grandchildren. Please don't squander your vote or decide not to vote at all.

Maureen Ryan Griffin's Motherwords

A few days ago, I attended a band concert at the school of my smart and athletic nephew, Will. I am completely impressed with the music made by those children. Will is 12 now and he plays trombone. He is in the advanced band. But there were two other groups, the beginning and the intermediate band. As I sat and listened I watched the proud parents with phone cameras held out in front of them hoping to capture the faces of their children and the sound of music. I hope some of them also kept a written record of this evening.


Will's family celebrated this special night together at a nearby restaurant and it was such fun to see the big smile on his face when we told him, truthfully, how proud of him we are. He wore his tuxedo shirt and tie, and looked handsome, but still boyish.

Maureen Ryan Griffin, writer and teacher from Charlotte, NC holds a workshop called Motherwords. She teaches mothers and grandmothers to write and save in notebooks, the important things and the not so important things that happen in the lives of their children. See the link for Empowered Mommies on the sidebar and read a recommendation for Maureen's workshop.

Anyone who has children, young or adult, might want to use this method of saving those special moments in your childrens' lives.