Pearls of Peace: A Family Psychologist’s Circle-of-Life Blog

Growth Pearls

The Pew Research Center issued a December report (2023) showing 19% of Americans ages 65+ are in the workforce, either by choice or necessity. This number doubled in the past 35 years, partly due to older adults maintaining good bodymind health. Many more in this labor group have a college degree than decades ago. Also, work conditions have changed; office jobs are overtaking the physical labor necessary in factories and farms.

You may ask, “What motivates those who choose to continue working?” Answers range from being bored with golf or pickleball to the desire for a sense of purpose. Jane Goodall (89 years-young) continues her ecology-motivated passion for chimpanzees as well as her initiative to teach youth about conservation. Her legacy Roots & Shoots youth movement, beginning with 12 teenagers on her back porch in Tanzania, now offers programming in 100 countries. Working actresses Judi Dench (88 years-young) and Helen Mirren (78 years-young) also love their careers and defy sexist stereotypes for female actors.

Many everyday seasoned citizens return to the workforce after “retirement age.” A spunky teacher in her 60’s returned to the classroom as a substitute teacher at a private school where she puts in an 8-hour day instead of the 16-hour days that she frequently found herself working in a public high school. Her reason for a continuation of her career reflects my own reason for my current work in prevention psychology: “It’s fun, and it keeps my brain going.” I am a strong proponent of maintaining a growth mindset for every age, but it is especially important for those of us who are lucky enough to reach the seasoned citizen stage of development.

The research of psychologist Carol Dweck (Mindset: The New Psychology of Success) defines two mindsets:

Fixed mindset: You believe your qualities are set in neurological and psychological plaster—you have a fixed IQ, a set personality, and a certain moral character that defines you. A fixed mindset is a learned behavior.
Growth mindset: You believe that you are capable of continuing growth. Your personality is flexible. It has plasticity. You cultivate new qualities through your efforts. You can adjust your moral compass with your life wisdom. Your true potential is unknown.

I am not suggesting that aging into 65+ territory is easy, even for those with a growth mentality for lifelong learning. I believe that it takes a growth-and-grit mindset in your beyonder years. Psychologist Angela Duckworth (Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance) researched the importance of grit or what my parents called “stick-to-itiveness.” Duckworth’s father taught her about the value of “pushing through and doing the hard things.”

I watched the enduring persistence of the first flower pushing through snow in my garden; the Lenten Rose inspires me to make a growth-and-grit mindset my everyday compass.

Pearls of Peace (PoP) Quiz

273. When do you respond to life’s challenges with a fixed mindset?

274. What times can you recall when you were in growth mindset territory?

Gender Equality – A Moonshot?

International Women’s Day was celebrated with “her-story” highlighted on March 8^th with 2024’s theme of #InspireInclusion. The moonshot theme each year is a call to set right the global issues that impact women. In 1908 in New York City 15,000 women marched to petition for shorter working hours, equal pay, and the right to vote.

While becoming an official day of international commemoration in 1977 (initially recognized by the United Nations in 1975), a much earlier global movement had emerged in 1910 when German feminist Clara Zetkin called for an international event during the Second Conference of Working Women held in Copenhagen. The 100 women in attendance from 17 countries unanimously supported Zetkin’s proposal.

During World War I women protested the war which churned on from 1914-1918. In 1917 a significant women’s protest in Russia (held on the Julian calendar date of February 23^rd — March 8^th in Europe’s Gregorian calendar) was an influence in Russia dropping out of the war and gave International Women’s Day their special date. Stalwart Russian women organized their protest for “bread and peace.”

This year protests were wide-ranging. In Thailand protestors highlighted the need for longer maternity leave with members of Thai labor unions wearing purple pregnancy dresses. German protestors focused on women’s need for better working conditions. In London’s Parliament Square protestors sought to bring attention to girls’ right to education in Afghanistan. Groups of protestors in downtown Seoul, Korea, called for freedom for Palestinian women while supporters for families of missing and kidnapped Israeli women staged a protest in Cape Town at the South African parliament.

Despite the reforms afforded to women today, the harsh realities of inequality still exist. In America women earned 83 cents for every dollar that men earned in 2022 (84 cents in 2024), according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Internationally, women’s average disposable income rates 31% lower than for men. Gender equality cannot exist when there is such widespread income inequality.

According to UNICEF statistics, world-wide since 1995 the proportion of young women married as children has declined from 1 in 4 to 1 in 5. Equality is a pokey process. Globally, nearly 1 billion girls and women lack the job skills they need for the fast-changing job market; 1 in 4 girls (ages 15-19) are not receiving an education or job training as compared to 1 in 10 boys in this age range.

The UNICEF initiative, Skills4Girls Portfolio, hopes to reach 11.5 million adolescent girls with job skill-building by 2025. For example, in Jordan only half of all young women are either employed or engaged in educational training programs. Through mobile Innovation Labs, Skills4Girls provides girls with training in coding and 21^st century business skills.

It seems unbelievable when we can send technology to reach the moon that we still lack “bread and peace” for our planet’s earthlings.

Pearls of Peace (PoP) Quiz

271. Where do you see gender inequality in education?

272. How might you engage in the effort to uplift girls’ skillsets?

Leap Year Ladies

Did you even notice that we had one more day in February this past week? It was a good day for recognizing good women! On 2-29-24 President Biden issued a proclamation for Women’s History Month (March 1^st-31^st): “…we celebrate the courageous women who have helped our Nation build a fairer, more just society…though their stories too often go untold, all of us stand on the shoulders of these sung and unsung trailblazers…women are seated at every table where decisions are made….” This Administration boasts a record number of ladies-a-leaping cabinet secretaries.

I was not aware of the number of females named as cabinet secretaries (5), but I always recognize Leap Years. Two women in my family hold February 29^thbirthdays.

My maternal extended family honored my grandmother, Bertha (Alice) Ryan Whitacre, on a countrywide internet celebration. From North Carolina to Washington (and several states in-between), one remaining daughter, grandchildren and great-grandchildren gathered around the Zoom firepit to share memories. Grandma, called “Lady” by Grandpa, lived a long life (1896-1986) and was mother to 10 children (and miscarried 3 more). However, at age 12 she dreamed of becoming a missionary, even changing her middle name to Ryan as she admired Bertha Ryan, a missionary working with orphans in India.

Grandma waited until age 8 to have a February 29^th birthday celebration. At the turn of the century in 1900 there was no extra day in February. According to Aunt Joyce, birthdays were not a big deal “back then,” although she recalled that along with her 9 siblings in childhood years, everyone celebrated Grandma’s un-birthdays at midnight on February 28^th by banging on pots and pans. In honor of Aunt Joyce’s joy-filled memory, we had Zoom instructions to crash pan lids together. One cousin beat on a pan like a drum.

Meanwhile, my brother had a live celebration with another extended family, sending balloons skyward at sunset in memory of his wife’s Leap Year birthday. Pancreatic cancer cut short Pamela Scope Clark’s life (1960-2009). The helium-filled balloons all stayed together in a cluster until they were out of sight, perhaps a metaphor for how important it is for families to “stick together” through thick and thin. My sister-in-law Pam was mother to one son and step-mother to a second son, although as an obstetrics charge nurse she helped countless babies make the leap from watery wombs to first breath.

Likely you have strong women in your acquaintances, whether Leap Year babies or not, who left legacies of everyday courage. Grandma is remembered for being a “gentle woman of steel.” This description also applies to my sister-in-law as well as many other women.

Women’s contributions too often are invisible in our “his-story” books. It is the unsung heroines whose quiet strength we most need to honor during Women’s “Her-story” Month.

Pearls of Peace (PoP) Quiz

269. Who among your acquaintances is an unsung lady to remember this month?

270. How might you celebrate “gentle women of steel” during this Women’s History Month?

Resilient Black Leadership

The 2024 Black History Month theme is “African Americans and the Arts.” Bisa Butler is a role model for this theme; her quilted-fabric art, The Safety Patrol, reflects the potential of seven children. Butler’s central figure wears a sash depicting his leadership and caretaking of children as they prepare to cross a street safely. The lettering “OK” (on a diagonal on the leader’s shirt) and his left yellow eye are details that Butler further suggests are showing protection for his young charges. Her exquisite fabric art captivates audiences with a sense of determination and resilience displayed in each stitching of color-filled faces. Her figures appear ready to leap off their multi-layered wall hangings with intention.

Intentions have power. Lester Strong, leaving a broadcasting career where he won Emmys for public affairs programming, holds positive intentions for youth resilience. He initiated community dialogues between young people and police officers in Kingston, NY (The Peaceful Guardians Project). Strong was CEO of AARP Experience Corps, offering tutoring and mentoring by adults (55+ years-young) to elementary school children who struggle with reading. The program reached 35,000 students in 23 cities throughout the U.S.

Strong also was Chief Development Officer for BELL (Building Educated Leaders for Life) Foundation which targeted tutoring for underserved children in 5 cities (Baltimore, Boston, Detroit, New York, and Springfield, MA). Yet in another CEO post, for SYDA (Siddha Yoga) Foundation, Strong advocates the teaching of global yoga and meditation in 46 countries.

A rising Black leader, this time a historian with a specialty in Southern U.S. and African American history, Brenda Elaine Stevenson, is professor in African-American Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles. Author of several books, Stevenson published What Sorrows Labour in My Parents’ Breast? A History of the Enslaved Black Family in 2023. She quotes Phillis Wheatley, whose poetry provided the title to Stevenson’s book. Wheatley is only one of thousands of enslaved individuals whose determined leadership fueled a resilient adaptation to the so-called “new” world.

Stevenson addresses how slavery forced Black families to make many sacrifices to keep any semblance of family life: “Enslavement did not destroy the Black family. Black people survived and survive today because of families, regardless of how these families may differ structurally and sometimes functionally from the families of other people in our society…our nation still struggles to recognize and respect Black humanity.”

Families of every ethnic background struggle today. And families who stereotype others also struggle whether they are conscious of their prejudice or not. We travel a rocky road to put Martin Luther King, Jr’s dream foremost in our hearts: “…a dream that…little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by their character.” Call me an optimist, but I believe it’s possible.

Pearls of Peace (PoP) Quiz

267. When have you experienced separations from your family’s “homeland”?

268. What is your experience of recognizing your stereotypes of those who seem “different” from your family?

Presidents’ Day and Myths

George Washington’s birthday (February 22^nd) has been celebrated in the U.S. since the 1800’s. Gifting a 3-day weekend to federal employees in 1968, the Uniform Monday Holiday Act moved the celebration to the 3^rd Monday in February and added Abraham Lincoln’s February birthday (February 12^th) to the recognition. While there are several half-baked myths about each man, two myths stand out.

Myths are part of every culture. They filter down through generations as “truth” while crisscrossing psychological and sociological issues with embellished narratives. Myths often promote a protagonist (hero) as well as some perceived antagonist. In the past a moral accompanied myth storying. However, amoral and malicious myths also exist.

Washington’s cherry tree chopping is a favorite moral myth and still is passed along to school children. Historians have discounted its truthfulness despite its message of honesty! The myth was invented by one of Washington’s first biographers, traveling minister Mason Locke Weems. The first edition of Pastor Weems’ The Life of Washington was published in 1800, a year after Washington died, but the cherry tree fable did not surface until the book’s 5^th edition in 1806.

The cherry tree myth is about both parental love and truth-telling. As told by Pastor Weems, when young George was 6 years old, he was given a hatchet and exercised his strength on his father’s cherry tree. When Augustine Washington discovered that George was the culprit, he was angry with his son. George admitted the deed, saying, “I cannot tell a lie.” His father forgave him and said that his son’s honesty was worth more than 1000 trees. George was only 11 when his father died.

As self-educated lawyer Lincoln was enroute to inauguration in Washington, D.C. in 1861, he gave a speech in the New Jersey Senate. He named books that he read in childhood that gave him lessons for life – Pilgrim’s Progress, Aesop’s Fables, Lessons in Elocution and The Life of George Washington. He also stopped at Independence Hall in Philadelphia on Washington’s birthday, delivering these sentiments: “I have never had a feeling politically that did not spring from the sentiments embodied in the Declaration of Independence.”

With such moral convictions tucked under Lincoln’s hat — who said in his Second Inaugural Address, “…with malice toward none, with charity for all” – it is disturbing that the following myth about him was malicious with political intent. The myth stated that Lincoln owned slaves, although neither he nor his father owned slaves. While his wife’s relatives in Kentucky owned slaves, this was not Lincoln’s practice.

Fake news myths are rampant today with the deliberate intent to misinform people. When any narrative is a myth but simply repeated frequently, people tend to believe it is true. The children are listening.

Bake a cherry pie in honor of presidents with truth stories! Throw in some blueberries as I did to honor both Republican and Democratic Presidents.

Pearls of Peace (PoP) Quiz

265. What myths influenced your childhood?

266. What books have taught you moral lessons for life?

Lunar New Year

Shaolin Monks Training, China (Photo by Steve McCurry)

More than 20% of our planet — billions of individuals in China, South Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, and Thailand (as well as many who live beyond Asia) – will celebrate the Lunar New Year from February 10–24^th this year. Celebrations follow the second new moon after winter solstice (December 21^st). While each culture has various traditions, a major focus centers on prosperity and family reunions.

2024 is the Year of the Wood Dragon. The wood aspect relates to stability, honesty, loyalty, creativity and growth, while the dragon is a symbol of strength and power. Buddhist monks at Shaolin Monastery seem to epitomize “dragon” attributes in a photo on exhibit at Loyola University, Chicago, by photographer Steve McCurry.

Spring cleaning and paying off debts accompanies Chinese celebrations, also known as Spring Festival. The day before the new year kicks off is time to sweep away bad luck and make room for good luck. Spring Festival originally celebrated crop-planning for a largely agrarian culture. Alongside praying to ancestors for successful crops, a myth about a monster accompanies Chinese festivities. Since a young boy fought off the monster named Nian with firecrackers, people enjoy fireworks today to ward off bad luck at midnight on Chinese New Year’s Eve. Festival observers set off another round the following morning for good luck.

Traditionally, families swept the tombs of their ancestors and burned fake money to symbolize bringing their ancestors good luck in the afterlife. Families today give money to children, other family members, friends and employees in red envelopes. The digital world has taken this monetary gifting into a new realm; digital “red pockets” have become trendy. People may wear red clothes as red symbolizes energy, happiness and good luck.

The final day of Chinese Lunar New Year celebrating is Festival of Lanterns and includes spiritual traditions. A recognized practice for more than 2000 years (beginning in the Western Han dynasty), many continue to view the holidays (holy days) as religious. The emperor of Eastern Ming dynasty was a Buddhist who initiated the lighting of lanterns. Monks offered prayers.

On a secular note, in early times Chinese women were not allowed to leave their homes. An exception was made for this final day of celebrating Spring Festival; females could be outside the confines of their family, light lanterns, moon gaze, and interact with men. Some call this China’s Valentine Day.

Just writing about spring festivities, I am developing a strong case of spring fever. If we add a Pennsylvania groundhog myth to this possibility-filled celebration, 2024 will be an “early” spring! Cultures embody myths, whether a furry groundhog or a fire-breathing dragon. What else escapes our reality-check these days?

Pearls of Peace (PoP) Quiz

263. How might you recognize some symbol in your “early” springtime?

264. Where are you in your pursuit of any New Year’s resolutions?

Digital Zoomers & Boomers

Gen Z’ers (Zoomers) – born between 1997 and 2012 (or currently the ages of 12-27) – have needs that current culture has overlooked. Zoomers are suggested to be the “best educated” generation. In the U.S. 57 % of Zoomers have enrolled in a 2-year or 4-year college (compared to 52% of Millennials and 43% of Gen X). Education has a goal of teaching critical thinking skills, but there is a lag in teaching social skills as Zoomers also are identified as the loneliest generation. Who teaches kindness and sincerity?

Chinese sage Confucious (551-479 BCE) focused on personal and governmental morality with kindness and sincerity as inspirations. He is attributed with this pithy observation: “Education breeds confidence. Confidence breeds hope. Hope breeds peace.” We certainly need to figure out how to wage peace on the planet. Loneliness is not an arrow headed in a direction toward the target of peace. Statistics kept on mass shooters show that individuals are younger than in previous years; the median age of U.S. mass shooters from 1980-1989 was 39 but the median age since 2020 is 22 years old.

Shooters at K-12 schools and colleges have been current or former students. Many were victims of cruel teasing and bullying. What is lacking in our educational systems for this “best educated” generation?

Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt teaches ethical leadership at New York University’s Stern School of Business. When interviewed by Krista Tippett, Haidt offered this educational recommendation: “Let’s cancel 2 years of math for all of our high school students…and put in statistics, basic economics…and introductory psychology.” In a 2022 essay in The Atlantic, he addressed the monumental role of social media upon young minds.

I am always amazed to see dependent teens holding some digital device in their hands instead of playing the old-fashioned way (i.e., using one’s hands for a myriad of independent possibilities). A recent U.S. Congressional hearing that grilled the major CEO’s of social media will not curb the time Zoomers spend on their gadgets. Zoomers are guinea pigs as the first generation to be weaned on social media and the internet.

Baby boomers — born between 1946 and 1964 (or currently the ages of 60-78) — are hitting retirement age in record numbers, although 1 in 5 individuals 65+ choose to continue working according to a Pew Research Center study. However, 2024 is slated as a record-breaking year for U.S. retirement as an average of 11,000 Americans a day will celebrate their 65th birthday.

How many of the newly retired or semi-retired will join Zoomers in spending most of their time in the digital universe? What other possibilities might exist for this highly talented generation? What opportunities are there for getting involved in some intergenerational activities that interrupt loneliness for both Zoomers and retired Boomers?

Pearls of Peace (PoP) Quiz

261. How much of your day do you hand over to a digital existence?

262. What might you do to reach out to Zoomers?

Dry January Pearls

The Finns and Brits are ahead of the U.S. in limiting alcohol. Taking a month of the year to abstain from alcohol goes back to 1942 in Finland, but in 2012 Great Britain named “Dry January” as a public health initiative from Alcohol Change UK, a charity. According to one survey from University of Sussex, 71% of those who took part in Dry January reported sleeping better; 67% stated they had more energy, 58% lost weight, and 54% noticed skin improvements. Women may benefit most as their bodies take longer to break down alcohol, so they suffer greater risks in health and safety issues.

In spite of Dry January sounding simple — no alcohol from January 1-31 – most courageous people making this New Year’s resolution do not stay dry. The first Friday in the month appeared as the first common weak-link day last year. However, for those who keep their resolution, there are big rewards: improvement in a diabetes risk of nearly 30% and in Britain 49% reported losing weight (6-15 pounds) without drinking for a month. Additional health benefits include reduced blood pressure, a change in a marker of liver inflammation, and perhaps the most important finding in one British survey was that nearly 3 in 4 sustained lower drinking levels of drinking after Dry January.

Some prefer “Damp January.” They might follow the 1-2-3 drinking rule: 1) No more than 1 standard drink per hour; 2) No more than 2 standard drinks per occasion; 3) NEVER exceed 3 standard drinks per occasion. A “standard” drink is 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of rum or vodka. While drinkers may notice some irritability when they stop drinking on New Year’s Day and go “cold turkey,” the benefits outweigh any temporary side effects. Alcohol can decrease stress hormone levels leading to a calmer vibe, but when an individual stops their drinking episode, stress hormones return and even spike higher.

Cardiologist and neurosurgeon Dr. Sanjay Gupta states, “There is no amount of alcohol that is good for your health.”

In the U.S. 15-19% of adults resolved to engage in Dry January in recent years with Gen Z participants expressing most enthusiasm. This is good news, as 60 million adults reported binge drinking during the past month of holiday time (5 or more drinks for men, 4 or more for females within about 2 hours.) Reportedly, 1 in 4 binge drinkers have this weekly habit.

You might consider the part(s) of your personality that either resolved to make it a Dry January or now plan for a Clean February. Name that part of your personality that makes an intention. Center into calmness with elongated breath cycles. Be kind to any part(s) breaking your intention. Ask questions. There always is a worth-listening-to story when we change our minds.

Pearls of Peace (PoP) Quiz

259. When have you followed through successfully with an intention?

260. When you ditch an intention, what do you do next?

Resolutions Check-in

Q: Why did the crane cross the road? A: The grass looked greener on the other side. How often do you think there must be a better there than the details of your current life? What would you do with Elon Musk’s money?

It has been 21 days since New Year’s Day and it is time to check-in on your resolution(s). While some mistakenly say you can set a new habit in 21 days, do not believe them. Most studies have found that it takes at least three times longer. If you struggle to make any headway on your desired resolution(s), perhaps you ditch your to-do list and try time blocking or timeboxing.

Successful CEO’s like Bill gates and Elon Musk use time blocking. Musk might win the prize for the most time-managed individual, as he pre-plans his day with no unscheduled time slots! And as unbelievable as it may seem, Musk’s time blocks are 5-minute segments. Supposedly, he knows how much time any task takes. To not experience a “planning fallacy,” one must keep a timed record of certain tasks, perhaps using a time-tracking app.

While time blocking may work for Musk and others, it seems robotic. Where is there room for an unexpected phone call from a family member or friend? Where is there a sense of flow or creativity where time-watching is detrimental?

An argument supporting this regimented goal-setting is Parkinson’s Law: any work tends to expand to fill up the time allotted for it (C. Northcote Parkinson). When time is restricted, a task takes less of your time. Also, the Pareto Principle applies: the 80/20 Rule suggests that around 20% of your efforts will produce 80% of the results (Vilfredo Pareto).

Another time management technique is timeboxing. Time blocking is about planning when you will work on something, while timeboxing has an emphasis on limiting how long you spend on a given task. You set an upper limit on how much time you will do a certain task (exercise for 30 minutes, for example) without having a set time. Timeboxing encourages one’s progress by setting timely and manageable limits. Anyone can do something for 30 minutes a day…with intention.

Where is any focus for looking at the reasons why a person does not follow through on their intentions? Trust me. This will be a productive use of your time, and the first step may take no longer than 5 minutes. Here is a starter version. There is a part of your personality that sets your resolution. Name that part of your personality. There is another part (or two) that does not follow through. Name the part(s). Are you engaged in a parts war? Notice your breathing. Center into calmness. You can embrace opposite parts when you are CONSCIOUS of these parts in the present moment. Find insider peace.

Pearls of Peace (PoP) Quiz

257. What is your name for the part of you that sets resolutions?

258. How often do other parts interrupt your good intentions?

Justice January

On Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, we address the dire consequences of injustice. January is Human Trafficking Prevention Month. While impossible to believe, reportedly there are 50 million modern slaves due to human trafficking today. It is estimated that 20% of trafficking victims are children. A group called Love Justice International is making a difference. With their installation of transit monitors at railway stations, bus stations, and border crossings, Love Justice looks for red flags of trafficking. The group’s efforts have intervened with 50,000 individuals before they were physically and/or psychologically exploited for their bodies or their labor. Human trafficking is a hidden and hideous crime. A language barrier and/or fear for one’s life prevents victims from asking for help.

I found signs (in English and Spanish) for victims to seek help in ladies’ bathroom stalls in airports. In Chicago there were many details about various kinds of trafficking. While many think of sex trafficking (street prostitution, massage parlor prostitution, internet pornography or “escort services”), the bathroom list of other trafficking activities is long: private home housekeepers or nannies, servile marriages, farm work, factory work (meat-packing plants), construction work, begging rings, and hotel or restaurant work. The bathroom sign also detailed having passports or identification taken away and being threatened with deportation if one refuses the work.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safely Administration (of the Department of Transportation) requests that drivers keep their eyes open at transit sites, highway rest stops or gas stations. There are Indicator Cards to aid one in detecting human trafficking. While not all indicators would be present in every situation, these indicators could help detect a suspected trafficker and calling 9-1-1 could save a person from victimhood:

A vehicle dropping off/picking up individual(s) at other vehicles/trucks;
Flashing headlights at people in the parking lot;
Talk about a “commercial company” or “sale” on citizens band (CB) radio;
A suspicious vehicle parked in an unusual location;
A person told not to speak or appearing coached on what to say;
A person exhibiting signs of physical or emotional distress or abuse.

Human trafficking is prohibited in the 13^th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, yet justice often eludes victims. Many criminal situations are underreported, as recent migration, substance use, mental health issues, runaways or homelessness frequently accompany victimhood. And then there is the monetary factor — according to the National Human Trafficking Hotline, this is a multi-billion dollar “industry.”

While it seems that U.S. culture might rise above such sordid slavery of individuals, we have to acknowledge where we are at the present moment. I took the time to read the bathroom charts and hope that others will educate themselves about this important issue as well. Let’s follow our Constitution. Yes, Dr. King, we dream “…that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed….”

Pearls of Peace (PoP) Quiz

255. How might you prevent the abuse of children in your community?

256. What steps can you take to recognize labor trafficking?