Category: Character

Categories
Character

Protect Born-Alive Abortion Survivors

newborn

June 24, 2022 was an historic day of celebration for pro-life supporters. It’s the day the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) decided that the U.S. Constitution does not confer a right to abortion and overruled Roe v. Wade, the decision which promoted this “right” into law in 1973! However, in rewriting abortion law in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, SCOTUS did not ban abortions. Rather the court effectively ruled thatregulating abortion was a matter for individual state governments.

Want to subscribe to receive blog updates sign-up today!

As a result, pro-life advocates anticipated a decline in abortion rates given existing or new state laws restricting abortion. These laws range from total bans with no exceptions; bans with exceptions for the life of the mother, rape, incest, or the baby’s medical condition; restricting abortions after a specified number of weeks; to absolutely no restrictions allowing abortions up until the moment of birth. However, contrary to expectations, abortions have increased since the Dobb’s decision. For example, the Society for Family Planning’s #WeCount project estimated a national total of roughly 1.14 million abortions in 2024, the largest number of abortions in the U.S. in recent years.

Consequently pro-life advocacy to save unborn babies is as active as ever. One significant battleground circles around what happens to the survivor babies who are born alive after a bungled abortion. Should survivors be cast aside to die or should they be treated as any other patient?

According to Susan B. Anthony Pro-life America, polling indicates that 77% of voters support legislation to ensure that a baby who survives an unsuccessful abortion be given the same medical treatment as any other baby born prematurely at the same age. So the question arises as to why six sessions of the United States Congress—dating back to 2015—have failed to pass the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act? This bill, pending in the 119th Congress, requires the same degree of care as would reasonably be provided to any other child born alive at the same gestational age and is compatible with the polling results of three-quarters of voting Americans. The bill also penalizes health-care practitioners with up to five years imprisonment, requires health care practitioners and hospital employees to report violations to law enforcement authorities, and gives the mother of the abortion survivor a civil cause of action against the abortionist and protection from prosecution.

In applauding the passage of the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act in the House of Representatives on January 23, 2025, Congresswoman Wagner of Missouri declared:

“Innocent children deserve the opportunity to live and thrive – period. It’s up to us to be the voice for these babies who are at their most vulnerable and ensure they get the love and care they need,” . . .

Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana also commended the bill’s passage in the House:

“This isn’t a partisan issue, but a moral one. With this legislation, House Republicans are standing up for our most vulnerable Americans and defending the sanctity of life.”

Senator James Lankford of Oklahoma, introduced the Senate version of the bill with these words:

“No child should be denied medical care simply because they are ‘unwanted.’ Today, if an abortion procedure fails and a child is born alive, doctors can just ignore the crying baby on the table and watch them slowly die of neglect.”

Senate Majority Leader, John Thune of South Dakota, a strong proponent of the infinite dignity and value of those born and unborn, is committed to continuing his fight in Congress to defend those who cannot speak for themselves. True to his pro-life pledge he also spoke in support of the bill:

“We should all be able to agree that a baby born alive after an attempted abortion must be protected, and yet I fully expect that later today my Democrat colleagues will vote no on this legislation,”

As Thune anticipated, the Senate bill met with opposition in the form of a filibuster from senators blocking passage of the bill. The vote of 60 or more Senators needed to override this procedural obstruction remains elusive. Until this happens the bill is dead in the water.

          Opponents of the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act give two primary reasons why Senators are so determined to block its passage. Here are reasons and rebuttal for each argument:

  1. REASON: The bill is redundant because the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act of 2002 already protects babies born-alive after an abortion.

REBUTTAL: The 2002 law has no requirements that abortion survivors be provided with appropriate care or transferred to a hospital, and there is no enforcement or reporting mechanism if the law is violated. As a result, many health-care practitioners act with impunity when they fail to provide any care to abortion survivors and leave them to die.

2. REASON: Born-alive babies are a rare occurrence.

    REBUTTAL: Declaring the incidence of born-alive survivor babies as rare is disingenuous and appears irrefutable because there are no federal reporting requirements and only a handful of states require reporting. However, there are several sources that report significant numbers of live birth abortions in the U.S.:

    • 284 between 1997 and 2024 recorded by states with mandatory reporting.
    • 143 between 2003 and 2014 recorded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Note: this count does not include babies who survived attempted abortions and are still alive.
    • 66 between 2013 and 2024 recorded by the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (a mandatory reporting state).
    • 700 identified by the Abortion Survivors Network.

    Supporters of the bill recognize that mandatory reporting is critical. Dr. Willard Cates, a former head of the CDC Abortion Surveillance Unit, makes this clear with his observation: “live births after an abortion are often hidden by abortionists because admitting to them is ‘like turning yourself in to the IRS for an audit.” Furthermore, Congressman Mike Lee of Utah reminded us that we must recognize the humanity of these precious children and make every effort to save their lives, . . .”

    It’s definitely easier to pretend that this atrocity is not happening in America. But ignoring the problem will not make it go away. Please call your Senator and demand legal protection and medical care for these defenseless abortion survivors. Every baby born alive deserves medical care and legal protections. Please call now to implore Senators break the filibuster and allow the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act to receive the favorable votes waiting to be cast.

    For more Angela Muir Van Etten life-affirming blog posts go to:

    Resources that informed this post primarily include the following:

    Categories
    Character

    Pregnancy Centers Under Fire

    Pro Life

    Preface

    After a series of posts on death, the timing is perfect for me to begin the new year with a post on pro-life issues. Perfect because January 18 is Sanctity of Human Life Sunday and January 23 is the National March for Life. Both events focus on the priceless value of every human life regardless of disability, heritage, or gender. Because the volume of material available is too much to cover in one post, this is the beginning of a pro-life series.

    # # # # #

    Want to subscribe to receive blog updates sign up today!

    Pregnancy Centers Under Fire

    Pregnancy centers across America are devoted to protecting the lives of pre-natal and peri-natal babies. The magnitude of their impact in 2024 is shown in a report with data collected from 2,775 pregnancy centers across all 50 states: Pregnancy Centers: Rising to the Occasion with Unwavering Care. Note the following highlights of this data:

    • More than one million new clients were served.
    • Over $452 million in medical care, support and education programs, and material goods was provided, including pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, parenting education, baby supplies and clothes.
    • Needy families received tangible, material support valued at over $116 million.
    • 8 in 10 centers provided free or low-cost medical services, staffed by over 10,000 medical professionals.
    • 29% of centers provided the service of Abortion Pill Reversal (APR)—a protocol designed to counteract the effects of an abortion induced via oral medication.
    • 77% of centers provided post-abortion support.

    So with such amazing generosity pouring into communities across the country one could hope centers would be recognized with Community Service Awards. Instead, centers are being targeted for pro abundant life activities based on their biblical beliefs. Opponents who favor abortion seek to put them out of business! If not for Christian nonprofit legal defense ministries like Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) and American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), the strikes might have succeeded. The following is a sampling of cases in which ADF and ACLJ involvement was key to putting out fires.

    First Choice Women’s Resource Centers v. Platkin

    First Choice gives women the information and resources they need to make life-affirming decisions for themselves and their unborn children in five New Jersey locations. In November 2023, NJ Attorney General Platkin issued a subpoena to First Choice demanding that it turn over ten years’ worth of documents including its statements on APR, information given to clients and donors, personnel papers, copies of every agency solicitation and advertisement, and information about outside organizations that First Choice works with. All this without any complaint or evidence that First Choice had violated New Jersey law.

    ADF attorneys challenged the unlawful subpoena on First Choice’s behalf in December 2023. Among other constitutional grounds, ADF argued that (1) it is constitutionally protected speech for First Choice to advance its pro-life mission; and (2) AG Platkin practiced viewpoint discrimination when he targeted only pro-life groups and none that advocate for abortion.

    After two years of litigation, oral argument on the case was heard at the Supreme Court of the United States on December 2, 2025. A decision is not expected until June 2026, but observers are cautiously optimistic that the decision will favor First Choice.

    National Institute of Family and Life Advocates (NIFLA) v. James

    New York Attorney General Letitia James brought suit against 11 pro-life organizations, alleging fraud for promoting APR. Apparently AG James rejected the December 5, 2023 Charlotte Lozier Institute survey findings that 29 of 36 woman who contacted an APR hotline within 72 hours of taking the first abortion pill—mifepristone—successfully reversed its effects by taking a high dose of progesterone.

    The NY AG James fraud case against multiple pro-life organizations, prompted NIFLA to hire ADF to file a preemptive lawsuit. On December 1, 2025, a three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit unanimously upheld a lower court ruling siding with NIFLA and two pro-life pregnancy centers, Gianna’s House and Options Care Center. The panel ruled that efforts to stop pro-life pregnancy centers in New York from informing patients about APR are unconstitutional. 

    Your Options Medical Centers v. Healey, et al

    On August 19, 2024, the ACLJ filed a complaint against Massachusetts officials and their allies on behalf of Your Options Medical (YOM), a pregnancy resource center (PRC) and medical clinic which has been licensed by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health since 1999. The suit alleges that MA state officials engaged in overt viewpoint-based discrimination against YOM’s pro-life religious views, including harassment, suppression, selective law enforcement, disproportionate investigations, threats, and accusations of carrying out false and misleading advertising, and other falsehoods.

    Despite YOM, being fully compliant with state licensure requirements and having no patient complaints, MA launched a million-dollar anti-pregnancy resource center campaign via billboards, social media, and a dedicated government website, falsely portraying PRCs as dangerous facilities that mislead women and put their health at risk. In contrast, at least eight complaints filed against abortion clinics for serious safety violations—such as failure to use sterile surgical equipment and storing biohazardous material in staff break rooms—did not trigger a negative public campaign against them.

    Oral argument on the motions to dismiss by Massachusetts officials will be heard on January 29, 2026 in federal court in Massachusetts.

    National Institute of Family and Life Advocates v. Treto

    When the State of Illinois passed a law that forced pregnancy centers to promote abortion and its supposed “benefits”—contrary to their deeply held beliefs about protecting unborn life—the ADF challenged the law on behalf of three pro-life pregnancy centers. It was a relief on April 4, 2025 when the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois ruled that the law was unconstitutional, compelled speech. As ADF Senior Counsel Kevin Theriot said, “No one should be forced to express a message that violates their convictions. The government can’t compel medical professionals to choose between violating the law and violating the Hippocratic Oath to do no harm.”

    However, it was distressing when the court also ruled that pregnancy centers speech and conscience rights are not violated by a provision mandating that they provide women who ask for abortions with a list of providers. Hence the case continues in the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals where ADF will argue that “the Referral Requirement” is constitutionally protected speech.

    Obria Group and Obria Medical Groups PNW v Ferguson

    In May 2022, Washington Attorney General, Bob Ferguson, issued civil investigative demands (CIDs) for two pregnancy centers—Obria Group and Obria Medical Groups Pacific Northwest—to answer questions and produce documents. Without any reference to complaints from patients or evidence of wrongdoing, AG Ferguson premised the investigation on “possible” violations of Washington’s Consumer Protection Act as a cover for his disagreement with Obria’s pro-life viewpoint, APR advertising, and advocacy for life-affirming solutions.

    The massive amount of documentation ordered included sensitive information about contractors, volunteers, and tax preparers; complete agendas and minutes of every board of director’s meeting; donor correspondence; employee compensation and retirement policies; records of payments and in-kind transfers from affiliates; and tax forms dating back 15 years.

    Even though Obria provided over 1,500 pages of documents in response to the CIDs, AG Ferguson and his office demanded more documentation and information. With ADF representation, Obria filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, Tacoma Division alleging, in part, that the AG’s investigative demands were unreasonably burdensome in violation of their constitutionally protected rights and should stop. Six months later, AG Ferguson officially closed his investigation of Obria and stated he would not file litigation.

                For discussion of more pro-life issues, follow this series for discussion of federal and state legislation, and defunding Planned Parenthood. 

    For more Angela Muir Van Etten life-affirming blog posts go to:

    Resources that informed this post primarily include the following:

    Categories
    Character

    The High Cost of Protecting Life

    sanctity of human life

    One thing we can all agree on is that we live in an intensely polarized society. Our various views on “life” being one of the most divisive issues. On one hand, people see life as an invaluable gift from God that is worthy of protection despite beginning at an inopportune time or being imperiled by disability or poverty. On the other hand, people see life as a choice to be made by women in control of their own bodies without regard for God’s hand in creating life and making humans in His image.

    Sadly the discourse on “life” issues often demonizes those with opposing viewpoints. Rather than lose friends or create enemies, we sometimes retreat from expressing our opinion. But we need to boldly share our perspective while respecting those with a different belief.

    Want to subscribe to receive blog updates sign up today!

    I was praying for such courage when in the midst of a highly emotional discussion on abortion at the 2022 Little People of America (LPA) national conference. In a post Roe v. Wade world, the group was intent on getting LPA to advocate for abortion rights for women with a pregnancy where it was known the baby had a terminal genetic condition and would only live a short-time after birth. Although the group did not agree with my pro-life position, at least they listened.

    Organizations with a pro-life mission, such as crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs), are a special target of abortion advocates. They are often attacked for providing care and resources to women facing difficult or unexpected pregnancies. For example, Planned Parenthood has described CPCs as “fake clinics” with a shady, harmful agenda based on lies, misinformation and propaganda about abortion. But this is a distortion of CPCs mission and practice. In 2022, a survey of pregnancy centers disclosed free services to women, men, and children, including: pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, parenting education programs, prenatal care, linkages to vital community and public health resources, and baby diapers, wipes, formula, clothes, and more. CPC refusal to offer or refer women for abortions does not make the clinics fake.

    In 2015, the State of California passed the Reproductive “FACT” Act which forced life-affirming pregnancy centers to display information, including a phone number, on how women can obtain a free or low-cost abortion. With help from the Alliance Defense Fund, the National Institute of Family and Life Advocates (NIFLA) sued California Attorney General Kamala Harris in federal district court, alleging that the Reproductive FACT Act violated its First Amendment rights to free speech and free exercise. In 2018, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) agreed with NIFLA’s allegations. In NIFLA v. Becerra, SCOTUS found that the California law was an unconstitutional content-based regulation requiring NIFLA to advertise abortion—the very practice they were devoted to opposing.

    After SCOTUS’ June 2022 decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization found that the U.S. Constitution doesn’t contain a right to abortion, CPCs have been subjected to violence and vandalism requiring 24-hour security, anti-graffiti paint on buildings, reinforced doors, and bulletproof walls. Please pray for the protection of “life” advocates.

    You may also want to read:

    Categories
    Character

    Give Generously

    Give Tuesday color stacked
    Giving Tuesday

    On GivingTuesday—November 28, 2023—the whole world will come together to give back through acts of kindness, gifts of voice, time, talent, or treasure.

    Last year’s tenth anniversary of this global phenomenon, saw an estimated 37 million Americans donate over three billion dollars in only 24 hours! So this year, let’s join the movement to see what we all can accomplish. The global hardships are gigantic and gruesome, but together we can make a difference.

    Want to subscribe to receive blog updates sign up today!

    Every act of generosity counts and

    everyone has something to give.

    If your postal service and email boxes are anything like mine, they’re stuffed with solicitations from charities. So many that it gets annoying, especially when it’s from a charity we’ve never even heard of. But rather than getting irritated, I sort through the mail to look for those charities I approve and support. Rather than automatically tossing or deleting, I stack the snail mail and move emails to a donation folder for future consideration.

    Although I haven’t always donated on GivingTuesday, it’s beneficial to do so since the concerted effort of millions encourages more giving on this day and throughout the year. Also I’ll time a gift to my chosen charity if they have notified me of a matching grant for every dollar given.

    Of course, there are so many things we can give that are not calculated in dollars: food to a pantry, blood to a bank, essentials to a homeless shelter, and kindness to others. Among the 50 kindness gestures suggested by GivingTuesday are the following:

    1. Bring popsicles to a park on a hot day.
    2. Clean out your closet and donate some items.
    3. Ask for donations instead of birthday gifts.
    4. Cheer up a friend in need of cheering up.
    5. Compliment five people.
    6. Tell someone why they are important to you.
    7. Let someone go ahead of you in line.
    8. Send three cheerful postcards to people who won’t be expecting it.
    9. Forgive someone.
    10. Include someone with a disability in your plans.
    11. Call someone and talk instead of texting.
    12. Refresh a delivery person with a snack or beverage.
    13. Put kind notes inside some library books.
    14. Smile at everyone you see.
    15. Pay it forward.
    16. Give voice to your favorite cause on social media.

    You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus:
    It is more blessed to give than to receive.’
    Acts 20:35 (New Living Translation)

    And for the greatest gift of all, remember:

    God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.
    1 John 5:11 (New American Standard Bible)

    Many thanks to the https://givingtuesday.org website for informing this post and providing motivation for joining the movement.

    And for details on my blog and dwarfism memoir trilogy, go to https://angelamuirvanetten.com.

    Image credit: RDNE Stock project, https://www.pexels.com/photo/an-elderly-mab-receiving-a-cup-of-drink-from-a-volunteer-6646992/

    Categories
    Character

    Employee Theft and Embezzlement

    stealing

    Employee theft costs employers up to $50 billion annually and negatively affects about 95% of businesses, 75% of employees admit to stealing from their employer at least once, and 60% of employees would steal if they knew they wouldn’t get caught. Clearly the need for National Honesty Day on April 30th has never been greater.

    My husband Robert is one of the 22% of small business owners to experience employee theft. The trust and responsibility held by employees in a small business put him at greater risk of being robbed.

    Want to subscribe to receive blog updates sign up today!

    Robert was confident when he hired another little person we had known since she was a teenager as Secretary #7 in his rehabilitation engineering practice serving people with disabilities. He saw no reason to run a background check. Not that it would have exposed a problem; she like 96% of employee thieves had no prior fraud convictions. Robert expected her to do well with her bright personality, four-year degree, personal knowledge of disability issues, and work experience. She was in her 20s and nowhere near 49, an embezzler’s median age.

    One of #7’s duties was to prepare checks for Robert’s signature. Her degree made learning the accounting program easy, but did not insulate Robert from becoming a fraud victim; 49% of employee theft is performed by those with a university degree.

    After only six weeks of employment, #7 embezzled the first of 21 checks. She took advantage of being in a smaller organization where check and payment tampering is four times more likely. After seven months, #7 was fired for poor performance, unpredictable behavior, and lying. We didn’t know if she was living beyond her means or having financial difficulties, but it was evident that she coveted my new car. In hindsight, we know these were embezzlement red flags.

    After #7’s termination, Robert noticed bookkeeping anomalies and requested copies of canceled checks from the bank. We were stunned to see his forged signature on checks totaling $9,164.68. She even forged a check to pay her taxes. And the reason #7 gave for stealing? She needed the money.

    Only 16% of companies call the police to launch an employee theft investigation. But Robert agreed to be a support witness in the banks criminal prosecution of #7. She was arrested, charged with 21 felony counts of forgery and altering business records. Although she could have served prison time, a plea bargain led to three years’ probation, counseling, and restitution. Her father was a big part of this generous deal because his restitution payment of $4,000 persuaded the district attorney to plead the charges down to misdemeanors.

    We didn’t want #7 to go to prison, but in his victim statement to the judge, Robert recommended community service hoping it would give her an appreciation of those truly in need. We were amazed when she did pay all the court-ordered restitution. The bank manager told us that this almost never happens. According to employee theft statistics, businesses typically get back less than half of their stolen money.

    If you’re a victim, get help during National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, April 24-28, 2023. Contact Carla at CILO at 561-966-4288 ext. 125 or email cpazmino@cilo.org.

    Image credit: Tumisu from Pixabay. https://pixabay.com/photos/stealing-money-cash-dollar-case-3937735/

    This post is based on an excerpt from the second book in my dwarfism trilogy, “Pass Me Your Shoes: A Couple with Dwarfism Navigates Life’s Detours with Love and Faith.” For more information and memoir buy links, go to https://angelamuirvanetten.com where you can also subscribe to my weekly blog.

    Categories
    Character

    Legalization of Infanticide Looms After Dobbs

    Infanticide unsplash

    Almost 50 years of fighting for pro-life values paid off when the United States (U.S.) Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade with its June 24, 2022 ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. The Dobb’s decision eviscerated the former federal constitutionally protected right to abortion and upheld Mississippi’s ban on abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy.

    Yet Dobbs does not herald the end of abortion.  The polarizing positions of pro-life and pro-choice advocates are now duking it out in Congress, 50 state legislatures, and the ballot box. The fight is fast and furious.

    Want to subscribe to receive blog updates sign up today!

    The Women’s Health Protection Act of 2022—prohibiting governmental restrictions on abortion services—passed the House of Representatives on July 15, 2022 (it was not approved in the U.S. Senate). In 2022, states enacted 50 pro-life laws and 77 pro-abortion laws. In the November 2022 election, California, Michigan and Vermont all passed referendums enshrining reproductive rights in their state constitutions.

    In the past, pro-choice rationalizations for abortion claimed “life begins at birth, not conception” and “a fetus is not a baby until it can live outside the womb.”  Today’s ardent pro-choice advocates make an even more egregious attack on life by alleging that  babies born alive after a botched abortion should not be protected because they’re not “actual persons,” “morally relevant,” or fully human until they are “self-aware.” In so doing, they promote infanticide—euphemistically called after-birth or perinatal abortion. They hold that the well-being of parents outweighs the interests of a living child. Just as progressive is the idea that a newborn imposes no obligations on a parent because whether a child will exist as a person in the future is a parent’s choice.

    Are these the reasons why—as of 2019—19 States allow infanticide and let abortionists leave babies to die if they survive an abortion?

    Does this explain why California passed an infanticide law in September 2022 permitting perinatal (post-birth) abortions of babies due to a pregnancy-related cause without civil or criminal liability or penalty?

    Will the California law be a forerunner of similar laws in other states, or will states back off because the Maryland bill sanctioning “perinatal” deaths up to the first 28 days after birth did not pass?

    Will infanticide—a deliberate killing of a child that is under a year old—be decriminalized or denounced as murder subject to criminal penalties?

    Will American society sacrifice the lives of innocent infants born to women who choose not to raise a child with a disability or illness and decline to take advantage of abortion alternatives like safe haven laws and adoption?

    The answers to these questions lies squarely with the American people.

    So let your voice be heard on January 22, 2023, Sanctity of Human Life Day, with a stand for prenatal and perinatal life. Celebrate the January 11, 2023 passage in the 118th Congress of the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act in the U.S. House of Representatives (H.R. 26), and call your Senator to nail down a vote for the bill when it comes up for a vote.     

    You may also want to read:

    Categories
    Character

    Be Thankful in All Circumstances

    Thank God

    A call to gratitude at the end of the year suggests I forgot to flip the calendar from November to December. Not so. Rather, it’s my reflection on the 2021 events for which I am grateful; a time to thank God for His goodness because His faithful love endures forever as declared in every verse of Psalm 136.

    I’m thankful that the June diagnosis of Macular Schisis was in my left eye which has the lens implant for reading. Despite my left eye being unable to read the top letter on the eye chart, my right distance lens implant can read with magnification glasses and enables me to continue driving.

    Want to subscribe to receive blog updates sign up today!

    Clearly the failure of eye drops to resolve the eye schisis and a November diagnosis of a hole in the macular was not good news. But I’m thankful that I was referred for surgery to the world renowned Bascom Palmer Eye Institute in Palm Beach Gardens with a highly acclaimed surgeon. The decision of my brother and sister to fly more than 9,000 miles from Sydney, Australia to West Palm Beach, Florida and the timing of international COVID-19 travel restrictions being lifted to make this possible was a blessing. Their support were crucial to my making it through the post-surgery constraint of being face down 24/7 for seven days.

    Robert repeatedly falling out of bed was a major concern, but highlighted his need for a bedrail, to put the ‘botox in the bladder’ procedure on the schedule, and for physical therapy. I’m glad that all three interventions helped to prevent further falls. Although I confess I’m still working on appreciating his refusal to follow his exercise regime.

    The prayer and practical support of my church family during the weeks of our incapacity were indispensable and gratifying.

    I’m thankful that God protected us from being exposed to COVID-19 and that our double vaccination came without side effects. One way of staying safe at home was to order home delivered groceries. Our neighbors even benefited when my order for nine individual bananas was misinterpreted as an order for nine pounds of bananas!

    Every two weeks we appreciate Dilma’s house cleaning services. She even discovered a leak in the toilet soon enough that we could benefit from the generosity of Robert’s cousin who fixed the problem before major damage was caused. Maintenance issues in an aging home are inevitable so when the pool pump and water softener both needed replacing we were grateful our savings were sufficient to cover the cost.

    Through it all, I appreciate being able to complete the last book in my dwarfism trilogy, Always An Advocate. I’m thrilled at the excellent contributions made by the editor, book cover designer, typesetter, endorsers, and book reviewers. (NOTE: the audiobook is expected to release in January 2022.)

    So I wrap up the year with this advise, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.” Philippians 4:6 (New Living Translation)

    For information on my writings, go to my website at https://angelamuirvanetten.com.

    Categories
    Character

    “If You Can Be Anything, Be Kind”

    Kindness
    Image by Prawny from Pixabay

    For 13 years, I lived in a city that was twice designated as “the kindest city in America,” first in 1940 and then in 1992. Rochester, New York earned this moniker in 1992 when university students pretended to accidentally drop something, need change, or be disabled and needing assistance. The title went to Rochester because more people went out of their way to help than in 35 other cities studied.

    When Readers Digest reported this story in July 1994, the kindness trait was attributed to the transformation of the city more than a century earlier when evangelist Charles G. Finney held religious revivals in Rochester in 1830, 1842, and 1856. When thousands, across all social classes and ages, converted to Christianity the moral character of the city changed for the better and people lived to do good.

    Want to subscribe to receive blog updates sign up today!

    I no longer live in Rochester or know the current character of the city, but I do know that God shows kindness to all people regardless of whether they follow Him: the sun comes up every morning, birds sing, flowers bloom, the list is endless. Likewise, God gave us all the capacity to be kind. Yes, everyone. Wherever we live, whatever our faith, we can be kind to one another. “Kindness is a gift everyone can afford to give.”

    Kindness to a complete stranger, a family member, or a coworker makes the world less caustic and more caring. February 17th, #RandomActsOfKindnessDay, encourages kindness. According to actor Morgan Freeman, we can change the world one random act of kindness at a time. And the world surely needs changing!

    We can all share examples of how a simple act of kindness made our day. I have certainly benefited from neighbors showing me kindness by bringing in my garbage bin from the end of the driveway, dragging fallen palm fronds to the vegetation pile for pick up, or helping to lift or carry something heavy. Church and family members have been kind in too many ways to count. Plus, “I have always depended on the kindness of strangers.” This is true for me when grocery shopping, pumping gas, or retrieving luggage from an airport baggage carousel. But Tennessee Williams gets credit for the quote. 

    So this February 17th how will we show kindness to people with disabilities? Sometimes a smile is all it takes. According to William Arthur Ward, “A warm smile is the universal language of kindness.” Other ideas include:

    • Allowing someone with a mobility impairment to jump ahead of you in the line
    • Helping someone in distress like the driver who pulled over to help a woman whose front wheel on her wheelchair slid off the sidewalk and got stuck in a garden
    • Calling someone who is staying safe at home during the pandemic
    • Donating to a thrift store that employs people with disabilities
    • Volunteering at a food bank serving people whose disability income does not put enough food on the table

    For more of my writings, go to https://angelamuirvanetten.com where you can subscribe to my weekly blog, find several retail links to my book—“Pass Me Your Shoes”—and get updates on the Fall 2021 publication of the third book in my dwarfism trilogy, Always An Advocate.