DP: Sacrifice

Is there a single idea or definition that runs through all the varieties of “love”? (DP)

As soon as I saw this post, I immediately thought of sacrifice. For me, there is no greater expression of love. Some might roll their eyes and think, “Oh please, she must be talking about Jesus Christ and that sacrifice on the cross.” Blah blah blah. And their eyes gloss over, temporarily leaving the planet.  

Though I might agree with the example, that wasn’t the thought I had in mind. Love is shown on a daily basis and, I fear, as time goes by, becomes less and less prevalent in our world. So, what sacrifices might I be referring to? I’m sure everyone has splendid examples.

-Emergency workers, especially those who are tired after working for hours on end, yet continue through.

-Nurses, who might be yelled at on a daily basis by both physician and patient alike, yet continue to provide care.

-Unsung heroes, the ones who help a vagrant seen on the corner. Or perhaps saving a stray animal from oncoming traffic. I remember doing that many years ago. It was Halloween night and a tabby cat had run out into an intersection. It may have been stupid (yeah, it was stupid), but I ran into the intersection as the lights turned red and “ushered” the cat to the side of the road. I promptly adopted him and brought him home. He became my dad’s favorite cat.

-Since Mother’s day is tomorrow, it is only fitting to mention their sacrifice. This should be one of the main examples of sacrifice. Daily, a mother might sacrifice sleep, the food on her plate, and the blanket that was keep her warm, all for the sake of her children. Do I speak from personal experience? Absolutely. But I’m not the only one that does this. 

 I know there exceptions to the rule and, sometimes there are some bad examples out there, but in this post I’m focusing on the positive.

Showing love isn’t solely for family or friends, but for everyone. Don’t limit yourself. You’ll lose out on the benefit of being kind, plus those wonderful endorphins! Besides, there may come a day when you might need a little bit of kindness (aka love) shown to you. 

So, if you find yourself at the grocery store, buying a week’s worth a groceries and a complete stranger comes into line behind you with only a few items.

What do you do?

 

Goodreads Genre Specific Review Groups!

 

I have started a new, small review group opportunity for our Indie authors.

There will be, to start, three separate genre specific groups: Fantasy, Sci Fi and Horror.

These rounds of reviews will be done by authors, for authors.

Any readers interested in doing reviews are definitely welcome to join!

Check out the group:

http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/100482-genre-specific-review-groups

 

Take Care of You

Recently, I’ve had to make a tough decision. Though I fought internally, I finally made the choice.

When I find something in my life causing frequent strife, I begin to evaluate myself first. Is it me? Am I the one to blame? I contact family and friends to ask similar questions. I need to know if there is something I should do to change myself.

One thing I find I really don’t care for is the cold and indifference shown by anyone who claims to be my friend. Is that what friendship truly is about? This was the situation I found myself in. Someone who claimed to be my friend….someone whom I had gladly supported and help….who stated they owed me so much…now wants nothing to do with me.

I’ve never asked for any in return for the assistance I had provided. But now that I think about it, perhaps there was something I did expect after all. Friendship. True friendship. Not feigned, your such a great friend because you’re doing things for me, friendship.

In relationships, everyone argues. We are human. But when one side tends to shift the blame to the other side, consistently, it gets old.

What do I do with such a poisonous relationship? I end it. I remove it like a malignancy. Life is too precious to surround yourself with such negativity. If you feel the person is pulling you down rather than building you up, leave immediately. In my case, it isn’t worth it and I don’t foresee it ever getting better.

So, it is with some sadness that I end a friendship I had initially high hopes .

My Liam Neeson Kick: Five Minutes of Heaven

Following The Grey, I went on a Liam Neeson “kick”.  I recall the first time I had ever seen him on screen: Darkman.  I loved his role in the movie. The funny thing was I only saw his face for a short portion at the beginning of the movie. After that, he was shrouded in bandages. A silly film, yes, but one that introduced me to one actor that would stretch his abilities over many films and several decades. I first discovered Five Minutes of Heaven while looking for other Neeson movies. For those that enjoy moral lessons, it is one not to miss. Though it touches on the past conflicts in Northern Ireland, the subject matter and what we should take from it, is more universal. No matter what time period in our world’s history, the question is the same. Does the taking of a life help further the cause, or merely lump it in with the rest of past organizations that were blinded by hate and rage?

“Fathers and brothers and friends were being killed in the streets, and the feeling was we had to do something.” – Alistair

The movie starts with Alistair as a young man who yearned for recognition. He would have done anything for approval. And he got it. Taking on his first job, he and a group of his friends put together and executed a plan. When the time came, Alistair did not hesitate. He shot and killed his target. Immediately after, he saw a young boy (Joe Griffin) who had witnessed the event. Not realizing the boy was related, he let him live and fled the scene.

“Once you have signed up to terror, and joined the organization; the group, your mind closes right down. It becomes only our story that matters, not their story – the Catholics. It’s only *my* people that are being killed, and here suffering and that need looking after.” – Alistair

The saying “If everyone took an eye for an eye the whole world would be blind” rings true. When will the world say enough is enough? When will these organizations (religious or otherwise) open their eyes and their hearts to the damage they cause? I believe in a particular deity and since you don’t I will force you to believe, or kill you trying. Is that it? If you don’t learn to love what I love you don’t deserve to exist.

There is a lot of evil in this world. And though I do not condone it…hate it with every fiber of my being, I am not qualified to judge a person. I am not equipped with the ability to read into a man’s soul and deem whether he is beyond redemption. No one is.

The young boy that had witnessed his brother’s execution had over thirty years to allow anger and bitterness to fester inside, to harden his heart. During the preparation to meet the murderer face to face, Joe learned the man who killed his brother was depressed and “broken”. He discovered Alistair’s concern was not for himself, but for Joe, the brother of the one whose life he took.  Alistair was haunted by his past. He realized it was too late to make amends. So, what was the point of the interview, the televised meeting with the victim’s family member? To be a voice that would encourage the community to stop people from joining terrorist type organizations. Because once they join, in his opinion, they are lost. Their voice becomes the voice of the group. Everyone is of one mind. Not one person takes sole responsibility for the lives taken, the people left behind to clean up and deal with the mess and heartbreak of these deaths. The mob mentality: what they are doing is right.

They need to hear those voices now, stopping them from thinking that killing is good. They need *their own* people to say “no”. – Alistair

Fellow Author Giveaway

Win one of ten (10) signed print copies of Jason Parent’s macabre thriller, What Hides Within (US, CA, and GB). Beware arachnophobes!

Enter Now:
http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/46869-what-hides-within

 

 

 

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