Dear Reader,
When I was your age, I wasn't very open to advice. Perhaps you'll be the same but it can't hurt to offer you some lessons I've learned.
Don't expect work to be fun. Today, the message is "Do what you love. Follow your passion." Fact is that even if you could get a "fun" job, most of it isn't fun.
The most likely route to career contentment is to find work that isn't too hard or too easy, that's ethical, with a good boss, a decent commute, and that pays decently. Then work diligently at it so you're good at it. Please remember that your heartbeats are more valuably spent when being productive. I've written about this in TIME (link is external).
There's no one right approach to relationships. How close to be with your friends, family, and romantic partners depends...
Lifestyle
Dear Montgomery County Board of Education Members:Susan Burkinshaw
Abuse thrives in secrecy – in 2012 the Maryland State Board of Ed directed you to take concrete steps to protect children in schools. Your response was silence.
In September of 2014, MCPS, under the direction of Dr. Joshua Starr, began to respond to media attention to “isolated” incidents of child sexual abuse at Baker and Clemente. Since then, dozens of cases have been publicized that had previously been mishandled. We all know now that these incidents are not isolated. There is a systemic problem in MCPS and there should be accountability for the travesties committed against children in our schools.
As a parent volunteer on this workgroup/advisory group, there has been selective transparency – we are still...
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Dear Pastor,
Please forgive the impersonal nature of this communication, but I know of no other way to reach you. I would love the opportunity to speak with you one-on-one, but chances are very slim that you would take my call. Sometimes, it seems safer to hide one's head under the covers than to address the monster under the bed, but this nightmare is real. There is a Devil loose and he is destroying everything that is good in this nation. As much as you would like to say that it's not your "calling," the truth remains that you have been given the responsibility of shepherding God's flock. Please keep in mind that they are HIS sheep and He has entrusted them to you.
The videos of Planned Parenthood's diabolical harvesting of baby body parts has exposed the true nature of abortion for...
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Dear Knyondra,
I am the parent of 2 children on your bus. I know the kids are going to give you a hard time, and you are going to probably get some bad feedback from a few parents due to today’s late delivery of the children. But, I want you to know that I appreciate what you are doing for my children. There is absolutely nothing on this letter to contest, you are making the rules loud and clear, and are not being unreasonable by sharing this letter. Your addition was very well thought out, and I feel that your intentions are good. It is relieving to know that someone cares enough about the children on the bus to put forth the effort and commitment to their safety. If my child ever becomes the culprit, please contact me personally. But, you just keep on doing your job ethically, and if...
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Dear most important people in our children’s lives,
I write because setting our children on a clear path--academically, socially, and emotionally—is the most important thing we do. We also have to keep a roof over their heads, put food on the table, keep them safe, and educate them. None of these tasks is easy and collectively they can be overwhelming. When we say “It Takes A Village,” that is an understatement!
Yet we often do this work alone. We overlook the important partners we have in working toward the success of our children. We are so busy that we do not consider how much lighter our responsibilities can be if we seek each other out. Principals and teachers, we often say that parents are our children’s first teachers, yet we do not consistently reach out to parents in...
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Open Letter to the Body of Christ By: @CreoNthali (A friend of God)
This letter is written for every believer and follower of Christ. It is pivotal for the body of Christ to be constantly aware of its challenges, to reflect on its weaknesses and seek to unite. I would therefore like to invite your attention to the matter of concern raised in this letter, simply because it affects the entire body. This note is not about denominational differences nor is it to promote certain spiritual practices while demoting other forms of service, because even the bible itself says “there are different kinds of service, but the same Lord” {1 Cor 12:6}. I pray that this letter stirs up the spirit of unity amongst those who will come in contact with it.
The South African Council of Churches (SACC) has...
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Dear babysitter to my baby girl:
Thanks for doing this. Thanks for agreeing to care for her for a couple of hours while I tend to a few things. I would honestly rather be doing nothing except care, play with and cuddle my baby girl. However, I have to work right now.
As much as I’d love to bring her along with me, sometimes it just isn’t possible. I believe in moms being able to bring their babies around while they work — don’t get me wrong there. If I could manage things better, she would totally be by my side, with full nursing and cuddle access to me. In a perfect world, I’d do that.
But things aren’t perfect. Sometimes they aren’t always practical. How I wish they were, because I don’t like goodbyes. With my firstborn, I would feel a sense of relief at the onset whenever I’d...
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Dear G7 leaders,
Today marks the first day of the G7 summit. In a few hours’ time, you will get together and have the chance to make this meeting a historical one for the world’s most vulnerable children.
I have been sitting at the G7 media summit in Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Bavaria amongst my wonderful World Vision colleagues for a few days now. Work is full on...policy briefs, last minute checks and media advisories’; connecting with journalists...everything goes.
The conversation always turns to 'if G7 is still relevant’ or applicable in the 21st century with divided opinions.
Did you know that during the two days of this G7 summit, 34,000 children will die from preventable causes? That means, every day, 17,000 children continue to die from diseases like pneumonia,...
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Dear councillors:
We are writing regarding your council's decision earlier this year to close its publicly-operated child care centres - a decision that we, and many others, actively opposed. We note that the provincial government's shift to a new funding formula significantly improves Peel Region's childcare funding situation. Indeed, it appears that Peel will benefit from a significant 53 per cent increase in next year's additional provincial child care funding. In fact, it appears that Peel will see the largest funding improvement across Ontario.
With this in mind, we are calling on you to take this opportunity to reverse your decision to shut down all Peel Region's high quality Learn Play Care centres. We believe that the additional $28.5 million Peel will receive dramatically...
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Dear Micaela,
As educators, we have witnessed children, from the elementary-level to high school, as well as adults in college, excel incredibly in some cases and fall short of potential in others. In fact, the most concerning thing for an educator-parent to observe in a very capable student is not realizing her/his potential. We are sure you understand that the pressure we put on you to excel is not a case of us asking you to do something that you aren’t capable of doing, but rather our expectations represent what we know you have the preparation, support, and intelligence to handle. Having said that, we also have witnessed some students become demotivated by inordinate amounts of pressure being placed on them at an early age. Thus, it is our hope to be thoughtful and caring while...
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