I am joining with Carole and friends with some sobering things this week. Hopefully, thought-provoking – but sobering none the less.

Thing One

I just want to be healthy and not feel ugly. – Rosemary Hill, IG post

I have been thinking about some posts on IG, especially this one. And, in perfect timing – the latest West Michigan Woman arrived on my doorstep last weekend and Kim Bode’s words jumped off the page at me. And specifically, her answer to the “When do you feel the most beautiful?” question! My head nodded frequently as I read both Romi’s post and Kim Bode’s interview. Why is this such a struggle for most of us me. The answer might be easy, but the reality is so much harder! I wrote these words from the bottom of the WMW article in my journal: Be yourself. Don’t let anyone dictate what beautiful means to you as a daily reminder to ignore the voices – particularly that hyper-critical inner voice.

Thing Two –

So much of the progress that would define the 20th century, on both sides of the Atlantic, came down to the battle for a slice of beach only 6 miles long and 2 miles wide. – Barack Obama, 65th Anniversary of D-Day

Today is the 75th anniversary of D-Day. I do not have any grandparents who fought in WWII – both of my grandfathers wanted to enlist to fight neither could because of their health. However, I did have a great uncle who fought on Omaha Beach in Normandy – he was seriously wounded but survived and lived well into his 80’s. There are so many images from D-Day, but Marina Amaral’s colorized images are amazing! And this article from USA Today has some amazing facts about D-Day. I was struck by the number of WWII vets still living and I am profoundly thankful to every single one of the 16 million Americans who served.

Thing Three

The real danger is if we hear enough lies, we no longer recognize the truth at all. – Chernobyl mini series

I finished the final episode of the Chernobyl mini-series to watch. I enjoyed it tremendously, especially when paired with The Chernobyl Podcast that the Two Peter’s (Peter Sagal and Peter Mazin) host. Watching it made me wonder what Chernobyl and Pripyat look like today and I found this drone video footage. And, if you think that Chernobyl is simply about the disaster that happened – you’d be wrong. It is really about what happens when the government lies, and the people believe those lies despite what they can see with their own eyes. It is both shocking and scary how eager the citizens are to believe the lies – but then we have some first hand experience with people not believing what they see in this country too! But long live the scientists – they are truly the heroes/heroines of this story!

 

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