During tile last snowfall, little purple and yellow crocuses were already in bloom, wearing crystal necklaces. Nearby, standing as straight as a line of Marines at attention, were daffodil leaves, awaiting the arrival…
By Barbara Morris
What a joy it is to welcome spring!
During tile last snowfall, little purple and yellow crocuses were already in bloom, wearing crystal necklaces. Nearby, standing as straight as a line of Marines at attention, were daffodil leaves, awaiting the arrival or their bud stems. I’ve even seen one precocious violet already in bloom!
In spite of all this, I’m afraid to store away the snow shovel and winter boots because the last time I did that, it snowed the next day. And, one year I saved a week’s vacation to be taken in April — and that week we had about the deepest snow (way above our windowsills) that we’ve ever had.
Somehow, each change of season seems to me to be almost like a new year — a time for a brand new start. How I would love to see some of our community young people, those who seem so unproductively adrift, suddenly become inspired enough to grow into the responsible people we would like them to be, and who they very much can be.
There are a great many ways they could do that, and I think once the process is begun, they would be proud of themselves for the effort. Lots of people are ready, willing and able to lend them a hand, but they have to want to. Old ways and old friends (who may not really have been friends at all) may be hard to resist, but can you think of any worthwhile goal that’s easy?
One good place to start is one of the special youth programs run by the New York Police Department. They would much rather have people learn the right way to stay out of trouble than to catch people getting into it. I think there is nothing that would make this whole area more proud than to have all our young people praised for setting the best example for the rest of the country. We already have the majority in that category, but we can’t make a large a claim to fame without everyone joining in.
If you want to try something on your own, (some project that might be a good example to follow), or want some other source, let us know about it by dropping the paper a note. You may contact me, or News Editor David Glenn by e-mail at glenn@timesledger.com or write to The Times/ Ledger Newspapers, 41-02 Bell Blvd., 2nd Floor, Bayside, N.Y. 11361.
We are very fortunate that there are so many opportunities to do good things in this city and country. Almost daily we receive requests for help for a variety of groups that have undertaken tasks that no small number of people could accomplish alone. This afternoon, in fact, I was surprised to receive an appeal from Barbara Bush, Ambassador-at-Large for AmeriCares. According to the literature that was sent, AmeriCares cargo planes loaded with tons of medicines, antibiotics, and surgical supplies have been “First to Bring Help, First to Bring Hope” in such emergency situations as earthquakes in El Salvador and India; Hurricane Mitch in Central America; a cholera outbreak in Chad; gun fire wounding civilians in Chechnya; fighting in Rwanda; and children stepping on land mines in Bosnia. They have also responded to flood, hurricane and earthquake victims here in the United States. Doctors who volunteer to work with AmeriCares work with and teach doctors the proper techniques to administer the delivered medical supplies. Donations would be gratefully accepted. Checks should be made payable to AmeriCares, and sent to AmeriCares, 161 Cherry Street, New Canaan, CT 06840-9975.
