Words from the Heart

Signing of Armistice Aboard the USS Hyman Off the Coast of Pohnpei Photo Credit: (c) 1945 John H. Neas, Jr.  Over 70 years ago, my father stood aboard his ship as World War II ended. He and his shipmates had liberated the island of Pohnpei. There was a story he told about the landing that still rings in my ears each time talk turns to the ideals of freedom, liberty and justice for all. On the island, the Japanese controlled everything.  The Etscheit's, who owned a coconut grove, were placed into an internment camp. Carlos and Simmone Etscheit had three daughters, Yvette, Renee and Monique. In the evenings, the Simmone sewed scraps of material together in what appeared to be patchwork quilts. On the day that the USS Hyman liberated the island, the three sisters ran to the beach with their mother and father waving their mother's handiwork. Under the noses of their guards, Simmone had sewn together a US and Belgian flag. She believed with all her heart tha...

Lighting the Path (c) 2016 Linda M. Rhinehart Neas In the wee hours of this New Year, I was struggling to find My One Word   for 2017. In the past, the word for the year jumped out at me long before the old year ended. This year...nothing.  Then, this morning, as I searched for my word, there it was on the first site I opened - Fearless! Fearless -   to be without fear; bold or brave; intrepid .   Easier said than done! How am I going to do this?  After all, the idea of My One Word is to find an adjective that you can meditate on, in order to personify it in your own life. Me, fearless??  Yikes! So, I immediately began to meditate on this word. Who do I see as fearless? What makes them that way? What is a fearless act?  I typed in fearless women , into Google. And, there she was. One of my all-time heroines, Rosa Parks. What made her fearless? She had had enough of being pushed aside because of her race. She was tired and wanted to...