Our family and friends as much as we love them, will continue to grow older, and be taller (or shorter), wider or thinner, gain hair/loose hair, with or without us. School days for youth march on. Even though we do not have youngsters of our own, family members and friends are happily and sadly in some cases heading back to school.
Family and friends are facing tough decisions on what university or college to attend, anxieties about their new roommates, vocation resolutions, missions, vacations? Will or will they not, have a few vacation days hopped scotched in during the remainder of the year? Again, this will happen with or without us.
My mother, surprised us all this year, by adding an addition to our family tree, by way of a 4-legged, small puppy, named Tuffee (I have probably misspelled his name); of course, Mom did this without us, but we were so happy that she did. My sister, without us, is surviving breast cancer; another is fighting horrid kidney stones and lipotripsy action, without us. A nephew is on a mission in South Africa, another is hitting a mile stone in New York. Our brother-in-law is heading to Iraq. Even though our family and friends are doing things ‘without’ us physically. Our hearts, love, and soul, are 'with them always'.Our hearts still ache with loss for family and friends who are no longer with us, and whose laughter has been hushed for awhile. WE KNOW we will hear their laughter again, in time. We will continue to work hard, play hard, embrace and absorb life, and love every moment we have in our phase(s) of life.
Our religion continues to be very important to us. Like time, our religion (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) continues to move on with or without us. We WANT to be on that bus, train, jet, or walk, for the long haul.
Life. Life will happen with or without us. We want to make the most of and cherish ‘our time’ and ‘do it together’. We intend to make the most of it and enjoy it. Whether time flies by in Chicago, or the warm sunny skies of California, or if we find ourselves in another state or back in the dry, but glorious desert state, of Utah or Idaho. Time will always go by, with or without us. WE ARE TRULY GRATEFUL FOR THE UPS AND DOWNS, THE SPILLS AND TURNS, AND THE EXHILLERATING RIDE OF LIFE!
-Shelly
The original inscription read, 'Thirteen United States of America'. The original document was signed on July 4, 1776,the 2nd Continental Congress didn't ratify it until March 1, 1781. Once it was ratified, they changed the inscription to read, "The United States of America".
Thomas Jefferson in the first original draft penned the words, "He has waged cruel war against human nature itself, violating its most sacred rights of life & liberty in the persons of a distant people who never offended him, captivating & carrying them into slavery in another hemisphere, or to incur miserable death in their transportation thither." However, the paragraph was edited out of the final draft by South Carolina and Georgia. Thomas Jefferson was upset about the removal of the paragraph up until his death.
The youngest signer of the Declaration of Independence was Edward Rutledge of South Carolina who was 26 years old. Benjamin Franklin, at 70 years young, was the oldest signer of the famous Declaration.
Richard Stockton was one of four signers of the Declaration that were captured by the British. After being incarcerated and under duress, he recanted his statement. When Richard Stockton returned to New York, his house was in ruins and his possessions were gone. The imprisonment ruined his health. Before Richard died he re-affirmed his oath and allegiance to the United States.
In 1989, at a flea market a bargain hunter bought an old worn out painting for $4.00. Tucked under the canvas was one of the 24 original documents of the Declaration of Independence known to exist. For a $4.00 investment it sold at auction for $8.14 million.
