Hey! Where's the rest of my Family?

Here in Ontario, today, February 18th, is a new holiday introduced recently called "Family Day." There seems to be controversy over this special day, since a good number of people are opposed to it, for several reasons. Some say it was politically motivated, being introduced by the Liberal Government to help secure a future election, and others complain that small businesses can't afford to pay employees for another day off. Hearing this, I sure hope an extra day off during the year doesn't cause the nation to turn to anarchy or result in the economy spiraling into a recession! If that happened, I would feel more than a little guilty for enjoying the pleasure of spending time at home with my family.

We're living in a society where families are working harder and struggling to stay out of debt. For the most part, it's impossible for the average worker to live without debt. Perhaps, many of those who are opposed to this holiday work for the Federal Government, who don't quailify for the day off, since it is a provincial holiday only. I received mail this morning, so a postal worker managed to trudge through the rain, snow, sleet, and hail, or icy side streets to accomplish their mission of deliveing bills on time. I would like to personally thankyou.

However, if federal emloyees couldn't cope with thoughts of having to work while witnessing others having the day off, and the stress was too much, they can qualify for a mental health day off, with pay. Ottawa, as most of us would probably guess, is a city with the most government workers in the country. A radio news reporter mentioned that traffic was pretty light in the normally busy downtown area today.

Anyway, I hope everyone, who is home today, enjoys the time off, you've certainly earned it. Of course, you probably already know, you're just going to have to work harder the rest of the week to catch up.... :)

It's a New Day

What else is there to talk about but the weather? "Lot's" is the answer. Let's start by having a conversation or discussion with each other. Here's how it will work. We'll each take one of two sides. One of us will do the writing and the other will do the reading. Okay, you don't have to guess which side you're on, since I get first dibs.

The world is a sad place. Over my lifetime I don't remember seeing a day go by where there wasn't a serious problem happening somewhere in the world, in one country or another. That's sad. We are all so wrapped up in our own lives; a career, raising children, illness, you know; everyday problems and responsibilities. That doesn't mean that there aren't people who try or have tried to make the world better. Of course we have probably heard of famous names of humanitarians like Mother Theresa and Albert Schweitzer, but there are everyday people who also do good work. I have been fortunate over the years to have met good people who have helped me, without even having to ask. Some people just have a natural abiltiy along with the generousity to help others.

Although they may never read this, I would like to thank them.

Oh yes, by the way; Happy Valentines Day