Celebrating the angels and role models who make this world a better place.
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Archive for the ‘Angel’ Category
Young family of heroes
Posted in Angel, Role model on the Aug 15, 2007
Jonathan Abrams, an LA Times Staff Writer, wrote an article on February 15, 2007 about a young family that is feeling the hardships of this Iraq war like no other. Ellen DeGeneres invited the young family to appear on her show which encored this week and that is how I came to hear about them.
It seems that Sgt. Claudia Hernandez-Smith received her papers notifying her that she was to report for active duty in Iraq just before summer of 2006. Her husband, Sgt. Gary Smith, did not want his wife to go alone. The family had a meeting and 20 year old Audrey volunteered to take care of her younger siblings while her parents were deployed together.
The military allows these simultaneous deployments as long as child care is provided for the family.
Audrey’s sisters range in age from 3 to 18. Stephanie recently turned 18, Grace is 10, Ashley is 4, and Emily is 3. All the girls were well behaved during the Ellen DeGeneres interview. Ellen asked Audrey if the girls listen to her when she tells them to do something. She responded very honestly, “No.” They know she does not have the same clout that their mom possesses.
Stephanie voiced her concern that her Mom was not around for the big moments of her young life like her graduation, her prom and looking at colleges.
The younger girls get teary eyed each time they talk with their parents on the phone and you could see their emotions swell to the surface when Ellen turned on a monitor with their parents waiting to talk with their children via a satellite hook-up.
Ellen was sure to thank both officers for their service to our country. According to Abrams’ article, they are deployed with a Black Hawk helicopter division of the Army’s 131st Aviation Regiment stationed at Balad Air Base, about 50 miles north of Baghdad.
I applaud the efforts of Audrey Delgadillo and her courage in stepping up to take the responsibility for caring for her young sisters rather than see them split up among family members. I am also inspired by the conduct and courage of the three youngsters. It’s one thing to have your parents go way for a night or a long weekend. It is a very different matter altogether to see both your parents leave for a one to two year military deployment.
These young ladies are my heroes.
The Class of 2007
Posted in Angel on the Aug 9, 2007
I read daily about all these young kids doing the daffiest things so when I headed off to my nephew’s high school graduation in June I had no great expectations.
It was a hot, sunny June Sunday. The exercises were scheduled for 1pm. We arrived early and took our seats among the proud parents in the rear bleachers of the football field. As we waited we heard stories about previous graduation ceremonies and the various weather conditions.
Then the school band began to play the music to accompany the faculty and students’ procession onto the field. The kids swaggered through the gate as if they just accomplished a terrific feat and they had. They finished 12 years of school! Sadly, according to the Business Council of New York, “In New York 58 percent of the class of 2003 graduated within four years, far behind the national average of 70 percent, the study found. Only two states, Georgia (56 percent), and South Carolina (54 percent), graduated fewer students.” So when these kids took their seats, you could almost hear their parents sigh in relief.
Three of the students spoke, the class president, salutatorian and valedictorian. The class president’s speech was a witty and touching remembrance of their four years together. There were many inside jokes that got laughs and applause but also provoked some questions over dinner later. The salutatorian was tasked with talking about the lessons learned over their academic career and the valedictorian’s speech was inspirational to the students and parents alike. It was an encouraging message to the students that planned to go on to college and those that were putting the textbooks and notebooks behind them. Each of these student speakers were smart, poised and articulate.
The keynote address was delivered by the school’s social studies teacher, William Hennessy. What was remarkable about this man’s speech was that he talked about Alexander Hamilton not from the perspective that he was a great man but from the viewpoint that despite his early success and his many talents, he did not achieve his ultimate goal of becoming president. Mr. Hennessy concluded from his research that Hamilton did not react well to setbacks. He stressed to his students that rather than recoil in fear they should learn to face whatever failures they may experience as challenges to be overcome with more effort and determination.
He pointed out that failure is where some of the greatest lessons are learned. What a wonderful message to give kids today who are striving to do well in school, stay on top of their music lessons, be the best athlete they can be and create the art they can be proud of. He reassured them that perfection is worth striving for even if only few attain it because the real goal is learning the lessons that help us to lead fuller and happier lives.
After attending this graduation ceremony, I believe that these kids will bring us the brighter future we are hoping for! Congratulations Class of 2007!