A friend of mine sent me the link to this video and I thought it was worth sharing considering we are only days away from choosing our next president.
The video depicts Thomas Paine, author of "Common Sense," and as he takes an unbiased look at our country and its leadership, he asks, "Is it common sense the way we are running our country?"
Something to ponder...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKFKGrmsBDk
~Brooke
Friday, October 31, 2008
Thursday, October 30, 2008
In Memory of Nick
Normally, my Wednesday evenings are spent at church helping out with the high school youth group, but last night, hundreds of people came to church for a much different reason - to celebrate the life of Nick Colombo, who passed away last Friday after battling bone cancer for more than four years.I've known Nick and his older brother Ricky for more than four years as well and regardless of whether or not he was in remission, he always had a smile on his face.
Nick graduated from Valencia High School this past June and turned 18 in July. He was like any other 18-year-old boy - he loved to eat, play sports, and of course, give his brothers a hard time. He had a heart of gold, always wanting to give even when he physically couldn't - his body and heart couldn't seem to meet in the middle.
Hundreds of people were in attendance last night, honoring a life well fought for and lived out. Pastors, family members, friends from church and school, and even members of the media reminisced on memories shared with Nick. Looking out into the audience, you could see that Nick's life made an impact on everyone he came in contact with, providing each of us inspiration, hope and strength to move on.
Nick was such an incredible young man and it's hard for me to comprehend why God would take someone of such caliber away from us. Although Nick's condition - and even outcome - was no surprise, you can never really prepare for the death of someone you care about. He had so much life left to live and so much more he wanted to accomplish and it just doesn't seem fair. The only logic I can see in his death is that Jesus wanted him all to himself.
The memorial service was all around beautiful with a fair share of crying and laughing involved. So much was said about Nick but yet the surface of his life has really yet to be scratched. But the thing that hit home with me the most was the fact that Nick's death was his parents' third loss. I didn't know this, but Rick and Patti apparently had twin girls in 1985 who passed away at birth. God blessed them with Ricky a few years later, followed by Nick and Brett, who has down syndrome. I can't imagine what Rick and Patti must be feeling. They have poured so much into every child and it breaks my heart that they've have to bury not one, but three of their children.
Have they had moments of frustration and anger with God? Undoubtedly. Have they ever given up? Not a chance. Instead, they pick up their cross and continue to follow God. That to me is the ultimate testiment of faith and when I think about, Nick's life was a testiment of their faith to him.
We miss you Nick.
~Brooke
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Meeting Jack
Every time I sit down to blog, I make a promise to myself to blog more this week than the week before, but as you can see, I haven't quite kept my promise. I extend my apologies and in an attempt to excuse myself, all I can say is that each day seems to come and go with no time to blog.
This past week has been insane, for lack of a better word. Last Wednesday, my mom fell while she was at work and an immediate trip to urgent care would indicate a sprained knee. My mom had to spend the rest of her week staying off her feet as much as possible, and when she did need to walk, she was met with the discomfort of having to wear a knee brace.
On Friday, we recieved a phone call from my uncle who recently had a tumor the size of a tennis ball removed from his colon. He was being discharged from the hospital and needed a place to recover. My family gladly opened our home and have thus far really enjoyed his company. A little background on my uncle: he has been in show business for more than 30 years and as Hollywood would have it, he has some pretty amazing stories to share. As far as his medical condition is concerned, he is progressing right along and gets better by the day.
In the mix of all this medical madness, my dad had the pleasure of meeting Jack Nicholson - yes, the Jack Nicholson. Here's the story: my dad works for a local school district and during football season, he is in charge of making sure the football fields are up and running for the high school football games. Last Thursday, he had to do just that for a game between Calvary Chapel Downey and Brentwood, which was being hosted at Downey High School (Calvary Chapel doesn't have their own field and rents Downey High School's field for their home games).
Long story short, my dad was asked to escort Nicholson to his seat upon his arrival, as his son plays for Westwood. Approaching my dad in a baseball cap complemented by a pair of binoculars hanging from his neck, Nicholson was nothing but kind, genuine and down to earth.
As the night progressed, my dad expressed his fanfare for "The Bucket List," to which Nicholson leaned toward my dad and said, "Let me ask you something...did you cry?" Surprised at the question, my dad replied, "Yes...yes I did." Nicholson then said, "I used to ask people if they liked the movie, but then I thought, 'They're always going to say yes because who's really going to tell me no.' So I started asking people if it made them cry - I usually ask the big guys. And do you know who the only person was to say no? That little jerk out on the field!" (He points towards his son on the field)
My dad then asked if he would mind taking a picture with him after the game and Nicholson was more than happy to do so. In fact, he reminded my dad when the game was over. So my dad handed his cell phone over to Nicholson's driver and with their arms around each other, smiled big.
Although my dad loved meeting Nicholson, the thing that impressed him most was the fact that Nicholson was just a regular guy - he was just another dad watching his son play football.
~Brooke
This past week has been insane, for lack of a better word. Last Wednesday, my mom fell while she was at work and an immediate trip to urgent care would indicate a sprained knee. My mom had to spend the rest of her week staying off her feet as much as possible, and when she did need to walk, she was met with the discomfort of having to wear a knee brace.
On Friday, we recieved a phone call from my uncle who recently had a tumor the size of a tennis ball removed from his colon. He was being discharged from the hospital and needed a place to recover. My family gladly opened our home and have thus far really enjoyed his company. A little background on my uncle: he has been in show business for more than 30 years and as Hollywood would have it, he has some pretty amazing stories to share. As far as his medical condition is concerned, he is progressing right along and gets better by the day.
In the mix of all this medical madness, my dad had the pleasure of meeting Jack Nicholson - yes, the Jack Nicholson. Here's the story: my dad works for a local school district and during football season, he is in charge of making sure the football fields are up and running for the high school football games. Last Thursday, he had to do just that for a game between Calvary Chapel Downey and Brentwood, which was being hosted at Downey High School (Calvary Chapel doesn't have their own field and rents Downey High School's field for their home games).
Long story short, my dad was asked to escort Nicholson to his seat upon his arrival, as his son plays for Westwood. Approaching my dad in a baseball cap complemented by a pair of binoculars hanging from his neck, Nicholson was nothing but kind, genuine and down to earth.
As the night progressed, my dad expressed his fanfare for "The Bucket List," to which Nicholson leaned toward my dad and said, "Let me ask you something...did you cry?" Surprised at the question, my dad replied, "Yes...yes I did." Nicholson then said, "I used to ask people if they liked the movie, but then I thought, 'They're always going to say yes because who's really going to tell me no.' So I started asking people if it made them cry - I usually ask the big guys. And do you know who the only person was to say no? That little jerk out on the field!" (He points towards his son on the field)
My dad then asked if he would mind taking a picture with him after the game and Nicholson was more than happy to do so. In fact, he reminded my dad when the game was over. So my dad handed his cell phone over to Nicholson's driver and with their arms around each other, smiled big.
Although my dad loved meeting Nicholson, the thing that impressed him most was the fact that Nicholson was just a regular guy - he was just another dad watching his son play football.
~Brooke
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Pass the Medicine Please
All I am going to say is that it sucks being sick! I have been fighting a relentless cold this weekend, trying to fend off a sore throat and runny nose, all the while popping DayQuill and NightQuill any chance I get.
My dad fought the same symptoms all last week and after he was healthy and back to normal, he swept my mom away for a weekend getaway leaving me sick and in charge of the boys. (Truth is, my brothers are good kids and have never ever given me any hassle when our parents are away so spending the weekend with them is not so bad!)
Anyways, I have two articles to finish by tomorrow so I guess I better get back to work - after I take some NightQuill...
~Brooke
My dad fought the same symptoms all last week and after he was healthy and back to normal, he swept my mom away for a weekend getaway leaving me sick and in charge of the boys. (Truth is, my brothers are good kids and have never ever given me any hassle when our parents are away so spending the weekend with them is not so bad!)
Anyways, I have two articles to finish by tomorrow so I guess I better get back to work - after I take some NightQuill...
~Brooke
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Home Away From Home
For the past year and a half, my nana (my mom's mom) has been living with us. My mom served as her primary caretaker, bathing her, feeding her, dressing her, and including her in family outings such as going to the theatre. To put it simply, my mom sacrificed a lot to make sure my nana was taken care of.
However, there were a few occasions over the past few months that made us question whether or not she needed to be somewhere where 24-hour care was available. After returning from our cruise, we found out that my uncle decided to put my nana into a home.
At first, the idea of putting my nana in a home was disheartening. When I think of a home, all that runs through my head are the reports seen on the news about how the elderly are mistreated. But he insisted it was a good place and that she would be better off as there was 24-hour care available.
Long story short, my mom and I took a tour of the home the day my nana was taken there and I have to say it's quite nice. It's very intimate with only 15 residents and it's set up to look just like a house, with cozy living rooms, clean bathrooms, a large kitchen, and comfortable living quarters. The staff is extremely friendly, offering to cook some of my nana's favorite Cuban dishes in order to cater to her own preferences. Best of all, the home is close to our house so we can visit her whenever we have the chance and she can come to our house for holidays.
With all that being said, my family went to visit my nana on Saturday and while we were there, we met Josephine, one of my nana's housemates. Josephine is a ball of fire, to say the least, and wasn't too happy to see us at first. My mom explained to her that we were there to visit my nana and within seconds, Josephine's demeanor changed and she happily shook each of our hands, telling us to have a good day and behave ourselves. Meeting Josephine and observing her attitude towards people made me wonder if she is ever visited by family or friends. It made me sad to think of the possibility of her family dumping her there and never coming back to visit. The sad truth is, that's not too uncommon these days.
You may not have a family member in a home, but take it from someone who does - a familiar face or friendly gesture makes their day. It doesn't take much to make them happy - play a card game with them, sit with them while they watch TV, ask them how their day was, etc. They just need someone to talk to and need to know that someone - anyone - cares about them.
More importantly, don't forget that these men and women are mothers, fathers, grandparents, brothers, sisters, and close friends. They are still human beings who deserve the same quality of life as anyone else.
So the next time you come across an elderly person, be sure to say hello and smile - it might be the only friendly gesture they have received all day.
~Brooke
However, there were a few occasions over the past few months that made us question whether or not she needed to be somewhere where 24-hour care was available. After returning from our cruise, we found out that my uncle decided to put my nana into a home.
At first, the idea of putting my nana in a home was disheartening. When I think of a home, all that runs through my head are the reports seen on the news about how the elderly are mistreated. But he insisted it was a good place and that she would be better off as there was 24-hour care available.
Long story short, my mom and I took a tour of the home the day my nana was taken there and I have to say it's quite nice. It's very intimate with only 15 residents and it's set up to look just like a house, with cozy living rooms, clean bathrooms, a large kitchen, and comfortable living quarters. The staff is extremely friendly, offering to cook some of my nana's favorite Cuban dishes in order to cater to her own preferences. Best of all, the home is close to our house so we can visit her whenever we have the chance and she can come to our house for holidays.
With all that being said, my family went to visit my nana on Saturday and while we were there, we met Josephine, one of my nana's housemates. Josephine is a ball of fire, to say the least, and wasn't too happy to see us at first. My mom explained to her that we were there to visit my nana and within seconds, Josephine's demeanor changed and she happily shook each of our hands, telling us to have a good day and behave ourselves. Meeting Josephine and observing her attitude towards people made me wonder if she is ever visited by family or friends. It made me sad to think of the possibility of her family dumping her there and never coming back to visit. The sad truth is, that's not too uncommon these days.
You may not have a family member in a home, but take it from someone who does - a familiar face or friendly gesture makes their day. It doesn't take much to make them happy - play a card game with them, sit with them while they watch TV, ask them how their day was, etc. They just need someone to talk to and need to know that someone - anyone - cares about them.
More importantly, don't forget that these men and women are mothers, fathers, grandparents, brothers, sisters, and close friends. They are still human beings who deserve the same quality of life as anyone else.
So the next time you come across an elderly person, be sure to say hello and smile - it might be the only friendly gesture they have received all day.
~Brooke
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Shootin' Hoops!
For the past month, my brother and I have been spending our Monday evenings playing basketball at our church, Emmanuel Reformation Church. The league is part of a ministry outreach and welcomes men and women of all ages to play. There are two levels of play: 'A' being those who play basketball either everyday and/or for a high school/college team; and 'B' being those who play but aren't up to par compared to the A's. I, of course, am on the 'B' level.
The first few weeks were spent getting to know one another and seeing how well we played with each other. So last night, after picking teams the week before, we played our first game. My team did very well and ended up winning by 6 (each basket counts for 1 point, not 2).
Needless to say, I've really enjoyed getting back out on the court again and meeting people from the church. We are somewhat new to the church so it's been great making friends. And more than anything, I really enjoy playing basketball with my brother. It's out little Monday night date!
~Brooke
The first few weeks were spent getting to know one another and seeing how well we played with each other. So last night, after picking teams the week before, we played our first game. My team did very well and ended up winning by 6 (each basket counts for 1 point, not 2).
Needless to say, I've really enjoyed getting back out on the court again and meeting people from the church. We are somewhat new to the church so it's been great making friends. And more than anything, I really enjoy playing basketball with my brother. It's out little Monday night date!
~Brooke
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