Page 8A THE BEACON February 2018
From a dog ' s point of view
By BamBam & Tammy Turner
Happy New Year , from BamBam the handsome hound here at the shelter .
Have you made your New Year ’ s resolutions yet ? I made mine- I am going to be the best dog I can be when people come to see me . If you haven ’ t made your resolution yet , let me help you
BamBam with some suggestions .
How about volunteering at the shelter ? The best part would be that you would get to see me . Volunteering is a big part of the shelter here- we love our volunteers . Think of how you will feel when you know that you have helped to make our lives so much better until we find our forever homes . Volunteering can be very rewarding for you as well . Some of those here at the shelter don ’ t do so well because they are shy or do not do well with all the noises . Or because they are old and just want a quiet place to lay their head . A soothing voice or loving hand can mean a lot .
Don ’ t have the time to volunteer ? You can help in other ways such as with donations of my favorite , of course , TOYS & TREATS ! We can also use laundry detergent , bleach , paper towels , cat food , dog food , etc . You can also donate money to the shelter or the Angel Fund .
Another resolution that people make is to get more exercise , and one of the best forms of exercise is walking . Why not come here and take a friendly dog for a walk ? ( I love walks .) Some of us will even go jogging with you . We have a lot of trails that we can go on .
A good resolution is to take the best possible care of your pets . Make sure they are getting the proper nutrition . Take them to the vet regularly . Brush them and keep them clean . And make sure they are kept inside , out of the cold .
I hope I have been able to help , and I hope you will come in for a visit . We have someone here for everyone- from small and fuzzy , to larger dogs like Tiny Tim who is a mastiff . I ’ m medium-sized ( or perfect ). We can find you a forever friend .
If you need any more information , please email us at pawshumanecenter @ pawsdearborn . org or call at 812-577-0829 . Take care of your furbabies . Love , BamBam
Clearinghouse Reaches Out in Big Way
Thanksgiving can often be the hardest time of year for those in need , This year , however , things got a little easier thanks to the efforts of the Dearborn County Clearinghouse and area businesses . Over 210 meals , each easily feeding a family of six , were distributed to individuals and families who nominated for the services by area organizations .
Dinner consisted of a large turkey , stuffing , mashed potatoes , a variety of canned vegetables and desserts . Turkeys were donated by the Arch Street Gang of Lawrenceburg .
Over seven hundred individual meals were made and distributed by Grand Buffet and another team of over one hundred volunteers . All desserts were homemade and donated by area residents .
M
DEAR
ARIE
By Marie Segale
marie @ goBEACONnews . com
Dear Marie ,
I have had a falling out with one of my daughters . Six months ago I stopped working because of a health issue which has now turned into long-term disability . Knowing I was currently not working , my daughter called to ask me if I would watch her two little children every Friday so she could pick up an additional day of work as a nurse . When she asked me , I said maybe I could watch one of them . I was concerned that I would not be able to take care of both of them because they are difficult to handle . My daughter replied that would not help and that she would call
their other grandma . I knew asking the other grandmother would not be easy and definitely would not be her first choice . In just a few days , I realized my daughter was not speaking to me on purpose after my calls and text messages went unanswered .
I have not talked to my daughter for three months now . I have called , texted , and emailed her to ask her forgiveness , but I ’ ve had no reply . In one of my emails to her , I explained what I was thinking . In one of my messages I explained what I was going through with my health and , because she is a nurse , I thought she would understand my reluctance to babysit .
Marie , I am heartbroken over this ! What should I do ?
Linda from Yorkville
Rachel Randall and Andrea Ewan were noted as volunteers who went above and beyond during this year ’ s event . If the recipients were unable to come in to pick up their meals , every effort was made to deliver the food to them . One delivery was made to a woman who lives in an apartment on a back alley of Lawrenceburg . When the volunteer tried to give her the food ; she declined saying that she had not ordered it and had no means to pay for it Her children could be heard crying from hunger in the background . When the woman finally realized that the food was a gift , she broke down in tears , so thankful to have food for her family .
“ Our goal was for no one to be hungry on Thanksgiving , said Grand Buffet owner , Kevin Wang . “ If we changed the lives of one family , it was all worth it .”
Volunteers came from all areas of the county to help . Some were recipients of the Thanksgiving meals in the past and wanted to take this opportunity to pay it forward . “ I want this program to grow to where it is self-sustainable and goes far into the future , stated Mr . Wang . “ The involvement of more restaurants and businesses will ensure this happens .”
St . Lawrence was also involved in making and distributing meals to those in need , All told , one would be hardpressed to find a person who went hungry on Thanksgiving thanks for the tremendous efforts of volunteers .
Dear Linda , How heartbreaking for you . As parents , we are very offended when one of our children is suddenly distant or uncommunicative with us . I think deep down our kids think we should know everything and always do what ’ s best for them . If we make what they perceive as a mistake , they can take it very seriously . For the parent , realizing that we have somehow misjudged our child is very hard . That we have hurt them so deeply to have alienated them is unfathomable . Then we have to come to grips with our worst fear- will we talk to our child ever again ? We are stuck with a new reality , and we need to get a plan to work through the situation . So what to do ?
Step 1 : Continue to make the phone calls . If you don ’ t get an answer , at least she will know that you are attempting to reach out .
Step 2 : Continue to text or email ; use whatever form of communication you know your daughter utilizes . Your message can be a short and quick , “ I love you , I miss you , I ’ m thinking about you .” Again she ’ ll know you are attempting to reach out .
Step 3 : Let her know you are very sorry she is not speaking to you , but when she is ready to talk , you are ready to listen . Let her know you are looking forward to working out the problem .
Step 4 : If you believe in God and you are a praying person , by all means , pray for your daughter . She is going through a difficult stage right now . She needs space and freedom to grow up . It is very possible that , with time , your daughter will come back .
Have a pressing issue ? Contact Marie @ goBEA- CONnews . com
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