The hate that I Hate

The Hate That I Hate

I hate the hate that resides in me now

I hate the hate that is so heavy it weighs me down
I hate the hate that keeps my emotions tightly wound

I hate the hate that charges my wall
I hate the hate that lies to strengthen my fall

I hate the hate that has me in chains
I hate the hate that courses through my veins

I hate the hate that is a shadow at my side
I hate the hate that has stolen my mind

I hate the hate that blinds me from the stars
I hate the hate that has created my war

I hate the hate that has stolen my grace
My scarlet letter written all over my face

"Take My Hand, Not My Life"

"Take My Hand, Not My Life"

"No law can give me the right to do what is wrong."

--Pres. Abraham Lincoln

Picture a family of five. The first child is blind, the second is dead, the third is deaf, and the fourth has tuberculosis. The mother also has tuberculosis. Given the poor health of the family, and the chances this child will not live very long, would you call for an abortion? If yes, you just killed Beethoven.

Picture an impoverished family. There are already 14 children and the mother is expecting a 15th. Given their circumstances, would you call for an abortion? If yes, you just killed John Wesley, one of the greatest evangelists of the 19th century.

Picture a 13 year old girl, pregnant after being raped by a man. Given her age and the nature of conception, would you call for an abortion? If yes, you just killed Ethel Waters, a famous singer.

Picture a baby born with cerebral palsy. Given the fact that he had palsy before birth would you consider and abortion? If “yes”, you have just killed Chris Nolan, who  writes using a muscle in his neck attached to his forehead has never spoken or signed a word in his life, yet his poetry has been compared to that of Joyce, Keats, and Yeats. At fifteen, his first book Dam-Burst of Dreams is accepted for publication.

 Picture this, three babies born with High Functioning Autism and Aspergers Syndrome, would you consider having an abortion if you knew this at 16 weeks of pregnancy?  If yes, you have just killed these three people:

Bobby Fischer, 1943-2008, World Chess Champion

Marilyn Monroe, 1926-1962, US actress

Henry Ford, 1863-1947, US industrialist

Finally, picture a teenage girl who is unmarried and pregnant. Her fiancé is not the father and he is angry. Given the problems this child may cause her relationship, would you call for an abortion? If yes, you have just declared the murder of Jesus Christ.

“Pro-choice people and abortionists are heroic for protecting a woman’s right to control and make choices regarding her own body.” First of all, a woman is controlling her body by not getting pregnant in the first place.

Once the sperm and egg meet, DNA different from her own is formed, she is no longer dealing with her own body, rather that of her child, which is of a different DNA and thus not her body anymore.

Abortion is control and murder of a life in the womb. Secondly, I cannot begin to fathom how they justify the glorification of a child’s death as “a choice” and “heroic”.

"Fewer women would have abortions if wombs had windows."

--Dr. Bernard Nathanson, former abortionist turned Pro-Life, in his 1979 book Aborting America

http://prolife101.com/?attachment_id=397

Winter

In the dark of night
With the wind a-blowing
In front of the heater
They lay

The kid on a pillow,
The dog at her feet
With kitty all tucket
Under her hand


With a curly wisp
Did the curl their lie
Accros the plump
white sleeping cheeck

A hand all curled
In the wonder of trust
A book open
On a love forelost.

So at peace
Inside the house
The throws of winter
Blowing outside.

A-howling the wind
Blew through the trees
Swaying
This way and that

Inside all snug
Lay the kid on her rug
Companions all
Tucked around

ADVERTS YOU'LL NEVER SEE AGAIN

Mmmmmmm ....

HIV/Aids

 AIDS still matters.  Protect yourself.  Protect your partners.  Get tested.

 

I work for the Department of Health and one of my functions is to look at stats and analyze them.

Pretty exciting stuff.

The one sickness that is affecting people in South Africa (world wide, as well) is the HIV/Aids pandemic.

Now it is one thing to work with these figures, dealing with the folk at clinic (facility) base but it is a different kettle of fish when it is not just a number on a piece of paper but a family member.

You ask, if I have had that and my answer to you is a resounding "yes".

In my office environment 7 out of 10 of my colleagues have family memebers with HIV/Aids.

I then look, at our TV adverts, our books and magazines and the I shake my head in absolute dismay at what I see. 

Every advert has some sexual or genital nuance.

Every soap opera (on TV) is about this one who goes to bed with that one and so it continues....

Late night TV is all about soft porn

Then we cannot understand why the 9 year old molested the 3 year old with his finger ?????? (is this some figment of my imagination? .... no, I have worked at clinic level and what I have seen and the reports I have had to write has been emotionally traumatic to say the least)

Does sex education work, yes in a certain manner but why not educate that it is better to abstain from sex? rather than to have sex?

In South Africa, the men don't like condoms and do not let the woman use the female condom.

It takes away from their "manlihood".

The heart sore and trauma with this is the children ...... thank goodness for the strong spearheading of our government to push Neviropine and HAART treatment for our mothers/pregnant mothers and babies ...

Here is an interesting article:-

"Nearly 60 children are raped every day in South Africa and while experts agree to disagree as to the causes, or whether the pervasive belief in the so-called "Virgin Cure" prevents/cures HIV/Aids is possibly responsible for this deeply disturbing phenomenon, university researcher, Mike Earl-Taylor suggests it could well be a contributing factor, and a major one at that. Moreover, infant rape appears to be unique to South Africa, however, the Virgin Cure is not.  

In a recent Daily Dispatch, Graeme Pitcher, pediatric surgeon at the Department of Pediatric Surgery at Johannesburg Hospital and the University of the Witswatersrand, who has studied 13 infant rapes that have occurred nationally, said it was a growing phenomenon. According to Dr Pitcher it was important to distinguish between child and infant rape: "Child rape of children from five years and over occurs all over the world but the rape of infant girls occurs only here." Pitcher and his colleague, Dr Douglas Bowley, postulate some of the possible reasons are that South Africa is strife-torn with major socio-economic problems as well as the myth that sex with virgins can rid men of HIV/Aids and other sexually-transmitted diseases. 

"The motives as to why people rape infants also do not conform to the traditional motives as to why people [commit] rape. Infant rape does not have the power and sexual motive." Based on the balance of probabilities, rather than beyond reasonable doubt, my own views concur fully, with those of Doctors Pitcher and Bowley."

 21,000 child rapes, and some 37,000 adult rapes, were reported in South Africa last year. According to the South African Police Service, only one in 35 are actually reported. The actual incidence of rape could well be in excess of a million per year. It can only be speculated and extrapolated then that the actual incidence of child/infant rape has reached alarming and phenomenal proportions that should signal urgent intervention from the highest levels of government, and society-at-large."

What is HIV?

 To answer the question what is HIV AIDS, we have to start early in the epidemic. In 1985, scientists discovered the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and with it the question what is aids was answered. HIV is a virus that is transmitted from person to person through the exchange of body fluids such as blood, semen, breast milk and vaginal secretions. Sexual contact is the most common way to spread HIV AIDS, but it can also be transmitted by sharing needles when injecting drugs, or during childbirth and breastfeeding. As HIV AIDS reproduces, it damages the body's immune system and the body becomes susceptible to illness and infection. There is no known cure for HIV infection.

Cancer

My mom was diagnosed with different types of cancers over the years. Since then, it's been a long battle with numerous surgeries, therapies and everything else that comes along with the disease. Her cancer seemingly returned again (in her right lung) and yet again, she grounds herself with indomitable strength and optimism. Through it all, my mom has been a shining light of inspiration and hope. This is my letter to her and to others out there in her situation that continue to hold the light and face their adversity head on. 

Mom, this is for you....

 

Dear mom,

On this upcoming mother’s day I’d like to take time to express my gratitude for all that you have taught me through the years. The last decade or so has brought a lot of change to our family and through it all you’ve been a shining light of inspiration as you face whatever comes your way with grace and courage. I know it is not always easy, but your fighting spirit and uplifting attitude has carried not only you, but our entire family as well. I don’t think you give yourself enough credit for your strength and it is with this letter that I try to illuminate your shining spirit for all to see.

Frankly, I don’t know how you’ve done it, how you’ve been so strong through it all. 

Perhaps you feel like you have no other choice. 

Given the options, I thinkyour whole life was not taking the easy options but you have seen to face life head-on.

I have seen it with us kids, your marriage and divorce from my dad, taking on a new country deep in your fifties and facing cancer and all the other sicknesses you have had to deal with.

I look at your Facebook photo's of your garden and I know that you have no labour help and thus you garden at 74 on your knees and with a cane,a s you cannot work anymore.

You are so quiet about it all (well, you’ve never really been quiet, but you know what I mean!) and we've never really talked about it. It’s like, hmm, yeah, I’ve got cancer, so? Wow! You realized that there was more life out there for you and although it’s been tough, you’ve done your best to live it as fully as you can.

Besides all that, I want to let you know that I love you very much. Thank you for being you and for bringing me into this crazy-ass world. Thank you for letting me make mistakes and being there to support me through my big “uh oh” moments and for the “yay” moments too. 

 

Thanks for not being as hard on me as I am on myself. I truly appreciate all you have done and it has not gone unnoticed. Thank you for your good advice and giving me the freedom to take life by the horns and live it the way I want to, not the way everyone else thinks I should.

Thank you for the good times, bad times, hard times and fun times. 

Thank you for every breath, every moment, every hug, every tear, every kiss, every smile, everything. They’ve all made me the woman I am today and I hope I make you proud.

 I know we haven’t always seen eye to eye, but thank you for that too.

Thanks for your fiery light, that is never willing to give up

Mom, I love you.

Your daughter,

Judy

Defining Cancer

Cancer is a term used for diseases in which abnormal cells divide without control and are able to invade other tissues. Cancer cells can spread to other parts of the body through the blood and lymph systems.
Cancer is not just one disease but many diseases. There are more than 100 different types of cancer. Most cancers are named for the organ or type of cell in which they start - for example, cancer that begins in the colon is called colon cancer; cancer that begins in basal cells of the skin is called basal cell carcinoma.
Cancer types can be grouped into broader categories. The main categories of cancer include:

• Carcinoma - cancer that begins in the skin or in tissues that line or cover internal organs.
• Sarcoma - cancer that begins in bone, cartilage, fat, muscle, blood vessels, or other connective or supportive tissue.
• Leukemia - cancer that starts in blood-forming tissue such as the bone marrow and causes large numbers of abnormal blood cells to be produced and enter the blood.
• Lymphoma and myeloma - cancers that begin in the cells of the immune system.
• Central nervous system cancers - cancers that begin in the tissues of the brain and spinal cord.

• Origins of Cancer

  All cancers begin in cells, the body's basic unit of life. To understand cancer, it's helpful to know what happens when normal cells become cancer cells.
  The body is made up of many types of cells. These cells grow and divide in a controlled way to produce more cells as they are needed to keep the body healthy. When cells become old or damaged, they die and are replaced with new cells.
  However, sometimes this orderly process goes wrong. The genetic material (DNA) of a cell can become damaged or changed, producing mutations that affect normal cell growth and division. When this happens, cells do not die when they should and new cells form when the body does not need them. The extra cells may form a mass of tissue called a tumor's.
  
  
  
  
  Not all tumors are cancerous; tumors can be benign or malignant.
• Benign tumors aren't cancerous. They can often be removed, and, in most cases, they do not come back. Cells in benign tumors do not spread to other parts of the body.
• Malignant tumors are cancerous. Cells in these tumors can invade nearby tissues and spread to other parts of the body. The spread of cancer from one part of the body to another is called metastasis.

Some cancers do not form tumors. For example, leukemia is a cancer of the bone marrow and blood.

MY MOTHER

 My darling Mother

 Having a mother like you IS the greatest gift and biggest advantage anyone could ever have given me.

Thank you for letting me believe that I could be whoever I wanted to be, do whatever I wanted to do, there were no limitations except my drive, ambition and creativity.

Thank you for your unwavering support through out my life's  journey.


Thank you for holding my hand when I needed it most .
Thank you for always having hope for me when I didn’t have for myself.

Thank you for telling me not to give up when I said I couldn’t do it any more.

Thank you for never giving up on me when I went through that dark period, when I shut every one out of my life. When loving me must have been like trying to hold a cactus.
Thank you for loving me through all of my rejections of help and love.

                                                                        
 Thank you for sending me that text messages of encouragement like:
'White Rabbit',
 'Just came out of church. Prayed for you.'
'God has His eye on u as He has it on the sparrow',
'If your bum is numb then you feel no pain! be happy my pretty girl',
'Baby girl enjoy and stay pretty'

Thank you Ma, those messagse helped me so much.

Thank you for mediating in my relationships.
I know it must be very hard for you to be stuck in the middle of the tensions of family members.

Thank you for being the perfect grandmother

 Thank you for being there for me, when other people didn’t know what to do with me or for me

Thank you for the beautiful cards & gifts I receive in the mail.

Thank you for being my good luck charm, my muse, my hero, my savior, my therapist.

Thank you .....

For a million things, for everything. I don’t know what I would do without you. There are so many many more things, small things, big things, I can say

I love you very very much, if I could be half as good a mother to my children as you are to your children, I will have done exceptionally well.

Thank you ma I love you, more than words can ever express.