Use Your Power!!!

 It has been a very long time since I wrote a blog about John and it is not even a full moon today but I have been thinking about his upcoming birthday on November 12th and wishing he was here to give him a gift....when it occurred to me that I actually COULD give him a gift this year!! I could give him a gift that was always very dear to his heart...and I could help him do something that would make me happy to...partly because this is a message I share with John and partly (mostly) because after 11 looooong years I can be his mom for a brief moment and help him out!! 

You may be wondering why I am so sure that this blog would be something that John would want me to do and I will tell you a story that John's freshmen English professor from Syracuse (Dr. Eileen Schell) relayed to me after he died. Dr. Schell told me how much of an impact John had on her because he could offer his options respectfully and kept his cool when others tried to bully him. She watched him try to help a student who was struggling because he was from a privileged background and didn't know how to study. Dr. Schell told me she never had a student like him before and knew when she saw glimmers of him in students after she had him they would be good students. She even saved a paper John wrote on NAFTA and used it as the research she brought forward to the college so she could bring a group of students to Mexico! Apparently, he was the only student in the class that actually read the entire thing!! (Personally, I always thought he would be a great writer for Al Gore when he was doing his environmental research) The professors at Syracuse made John feel so good about himself...it was the first time in his life that he thought he was smart...I will be forever grateful to them for that!! 

As John worked his way through college he would occasionally suggest ideas about what he might do in life....once he threw out the idea of running for office ...to which I replied: "Oh, John,  politicians are all corrupt!!" He told me " Mom, I will be the first honest one!" So, as you can see, he had a passion for public service....and he always voted ... it was just something we did in our family...I never had to coax either of our kids to vote. We just did it.  

And that is where the message of this blog comes into play....When I write a post I usually ask you to do an act of kindness and this one is asking specifically for an act of kindness for your country.  For some of you, this could be a big deal...it is not always easy to get off from work to stand in a long line to exercise this right...so if it helps you think of it as a birthday gift for your friend...You will be doing something for John that he can not do himself....and I know...I KNOW... he would be thankful to you for doing it. 

Happy Birthday my sweet boy...and happy Voting Day to all his wonderful friends who have supported us these past 11 years!!