I was all set to write a nice short "followup" diary when my eldest goes and does something that made me proud. So tonight you get a bit of a two-fer, which also serves as a general open-thread for those inclined to jump to the Tops and then the comments. Follow me below the dingledoodle squigglie dKosagnocchi dividerthingie fold after a word from our sponsor...
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I'll start with the less exciting (and previously diaried by me here, here and sorta kinda here:
Tomorrow marks fifteen years since Mr. Brillig's diagnosis of appendiceal (yes, the little vestigial organ near where your small and large intestines meet up) cancer. Which is ten years past when the doctors shuffle your position on the statistical chart-of-prognosis and about five years past when your financial planner thinks he can get your life insurance premium reduced.
As I've mentioned before, Mr. Brillig and I mark the anniversary of his cancer on two different dates: as caregiver and research scientist, I go with the ack! ick! get it out! date; Mr. Brillig as patient marks Nov. 2nd, the day when treatment ended and his life resumed without weekly trips to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. This gives us two chances every year to remind people that (a) cancer does NOT mean terminal; and (b) good medical care both before and after a diagnosis is vital. Thanks Obama for making this possible for millions more people than had access last year.
The second part of tonight's two-fer comes by way of K1's church youth group. Today was Youth Sunday, meaning the entire service from entrance to exit was planned and performed by the youth group. Over my time in UU congregations I've learned that Youth Sunday services often are the best ones of the entire year, so my expectations are always high. This year, the ten youth participation absolutely blew me away.
The theme was "Souper Sunday" and that is not a typo. K1 crafted opening words comparing teenagers to a bowl of soup. Every bowl is different in the amount of happy and sad, chicken and celery, etc it contains, and it's up to us all as chefs to make the very best chicken soup possible by helping our children and youth grow. The youth chose music, wrote incredibly moving reflection pieces, sang, played instruments, and for the young children at the first of the two services told a wonderful story of a bunny who learns it's ok to be a bunny.
During the service we adults were asked to write down the advice they wished they'd been given as youth, or advice they wanted to share with today's youth. It was collected and laid out after service as ingredients in the master recipe for growing up soup.
Many adults see youth as too inexperienced and unformed to have things to share and contributions to make. K2 and her peers make clear that's not true. She said that after the service, one couple told her they'd been attending church here all year, and this was "the best service all year." Other adults said that given how insightful the youth were, they wished their OWN youth had been spent in our churches, which encourage questions, independent thought and learning, and introspection, and not elsewhere.
I'm proud of K1 for another reason - she's very uncomfortable speaking in front of groups. Like really uncomfy. Yet she not only wrote the opening and several other parts, she got up and spoke from the pulpit. Led the congregation in lighting the chalice. And she looked utterly cool and composed, even though she admitted later to being very much NOT composed inside.
So tonight, here's to our youth, may they grow to be wiser than their parents and help bring about a hopeful future. And here's to all those who stare cancer and other conditions in the face and say "Fuck you. I'm not done yet." Then go on to LIVE rather than curl up waiting to die.
What advice would you give to today's youth, or wish you'd been given back when?
Brillig's ObDisclaimer: The decision to publish each nomination lies with the evening's Diarist and/or Comment Formatter. My evenings at the helm, I try reeeeallllyy hard to publish everything
without regard to content. I really do, even when I disagree personally with any given nomination. "TopCommentness" lies in the eyes of the nominator and of you, the reader - I leave the decision to you. I do
not publish self-nominations (ie your own comments) and if I ruled the world, we'd all build community, supporting and uplifting instead of tearing our fellow Kossacks down.
Short form: No agenda, and I publish all noms and let you sort out what it all means to you. No self-noms. Until dailykos gives me a salary, all thoughts are my own :).
From HeyMikey:
Kossack stellaluna on the importance of primaries.
(brillig notes this is a Saturday afternoon comment in a Friday diary but seen by the nominator on Sunday. In other words, when in doubt if it's 'eligible'... send it in :))
From BeninSC:
Flagged by choco8, this comment by riogrande is like a picture with a 1000 words - much more content than the 20 words (counting title) could possibly convey.
Flagged by Turbonerd, in reply to a comment by rserven (read this first!), this comment by Trix contains delightful snark!
Flagged by Dragon5616, this comment by Gooserock takes us back to some of the glories of childhood, with some environmental wisdom mixed in!
Flagged by KenBee, this fine diary-length comment from hestal paints a beautiful picture of unspoiled nature in an earlier time. Sadly.
From Crashing Vor:
I think ladasue's divined the real reason behind the new GOP "hipster" ads.
From Steveningen:
In my diary Nathan Phelps issues statement on the death of his father, Pluto knocked it out of the park with this sharp comment.
From Yours Truly, brillig:
Eclectablog brings us in his diary news of one MI marriage, which prompted Darmok to comment in the style of Inigo Montoya.
Top Mojo for yesterday, March 22nd, first comments and tip jars excluded. Thank you
mik for the mojo magic! For those of you interested in How Top Mojo Works, please see his diary
FAQing Top Mojo.
1) I was sitting by kos — 90
2) Free speech only for billionaires! by anastasia p — 84
3) do you by jamess — 75
4) It's a traditional RWNJ tactic... by The grouch — 69
5) Jeezus, Markos, I've met you in person. by commonmass — 63
6) Exxon Valdez --- Monday is 25th anniversary by HarpboyAK — 63
7) It's Like Finance by Gooserock — 58
8) Back in the day, I did alot of FOIA/Privacy Act by oldpotsmuggler — 58
9) So...let me get this straight ericle....Are you by skillet — 57
10) Wanna play? by kerflooey — 56
11) Actually Cosmos DID include intelligent design by Elwood Dowd — 53
12) Nobody Puts Baby In The Corner..... by snapples — 51
13) I'm weeping for wildlife caught in its path /nt by jan4insight — 50
14) Oh Hai T-Dub! Even, Having A Day Named After You: by leonard145b — 48
15) an z-tra tayl? by Debbie in ME — 48
16) Nein Danke! :) by ericlewis0 — 47
17) Are they ever going to jail for these? by Horace Boothroyd III — 47
18) Sea Birds Flying in the Sun. by Dartagnan — 47
19) Spectacular coffee spit here with the barf cell!!! by Simple — 47
20) Louie is making progress. by side pocket — 47
21) Ummmm... by leonard145b — 46
22) 'The word "terrorism" is not talismanic' by Chi — 46
23) Screw `em! by JeffW — 46
24) ohai by kishik — 44
25) I can't take much more snow!.... by jennyp — 43
26) I think you missed the killer paragraph ... by chrississippi — 43
27) "How DARE you duck when I throw things at you!" by Lucy Montrose — 42
28) If the Repukes win this November then by ontheleftcoast — 41
29) At least a fine for littering, you'd think. by Whimsical Rapscallion — 41
30) I like the Blair Witch Project allusion in by Old Sailor — 41
Top Pictures for yesterday, March 22nd. Click any image to be taken to the full comment. Thank you
jotter for the image magic!