A Long Goodbye

Because of Mary Hart, I have come to realize that I LIKE long goodbyes. Mary is the co-host of ET - a job she has had for 30 years! She joined Entertainment Tonight in 1981, after she herself was interviewed by the show. The producers liked her so much, they decided to offer her the co-host spot and Mary has never looked back. She announced in August, 2010 that she would retire during her 30th year. Retirement date is drawing near and Mary's final show will be on May 20. That means we have had nine months to say good-bye to her and get used to the idea of ET without Mary Hart. I really like this long, slow good-bye. One has plenty of time to get used to the change. It's been nice to see a long chain of entertainers pay special tribute to her. So unlike CNN. I hate how CNN changes its anchors without preparing its viewers for the change. Aaron Brown had his program for years and then one evening he was gone and Anderson Cooper had his own show in Brown's old spot. Don't get me wrong, I really like AC 360 but I would have liked the opportunity to ease into saying farewell to Brown. Now, I'm sort of afraid to get too attached to Anderson. What if they yank and replace him without a warning? No, I like ET's style much better: saying goodbye slow and easy! Having the opportunity to say goodbye months before the actual departure . . . it's a good ting!

Mother's Day Thoughts

I hope that your Mother’s Day was special, whether you are a mother or a child – or both. I think it is important that we celebrate the love we feel and the bond we have. Every daughter has that special connection with their mother, but for some people, it goes beyond the mother-daughter bond. Sometimes, mothers and daughters are each other's best friends. Who could be a more perfect friend than your mother? I love going out to events or shopping, and seeing mothers and daughters out having fun together. I think it is wonderful when I hear someone say they call their Mom two or three times a day, because they have so much to say to each other. Those fortunate women who develop a friendship with their mothers have the best of all worlds - they have a mother with her unconditional love and support and a friend who is fun to be with and shares the same interests, all in one person. Some relationships remain strictly mother-daughter and that is fine. However, the truly lucky daughters are the one who have the good fortune of being best friends with their mom. Enjoying Mother's Day and celebrating our relationships with our mothers . . .it's a good thing!

Harvey Ball

Who can look at a "Happy Face" and not smile? After all these years, after seeing it time and time again, we still love its little yellow face! Over the years, many variations have appeared - from the original yellow face to various colors to pencil-scrawled faces. Have you ever wondered where the Smiley Face came from? Contrary to popular belief, the happy face was not invented by Forrest Gump! It turns out that the original happy face was created in 1963 by Harvey R. Ball, who was a freelance artist in Worcester, Massachusetts. He never copyrighted the iconic symbol and this has resulted in its being in the public domain and it has been used and modified over the years.

Harvey Ball became concerned about the over-commercialization of his Happy Face. He developed the idea of devoting one day a year to smiles and declared the first Friday of October to be World Smile Day. He used his Happy Face as the World Smile Day symbol. That day would be dedicated to smiling at people and performing acts of kindness. The first World Smile Day was held in 1999. The theme that year, and every year since, has been “Do an Act of Kindness. Help One Person Smile”.

After Harvey passed away in 2001, the Harvey Ball World Smile Foundation was formed and it continues as the official sponsor of World Smile Day. This day has been celebrated every year in many locations around the world, but nowhere is it more celebrated than in Harvey’s home town. On that day, The Foundations hand-delivers “You’ve Been Smiled” certificates to residents of Worcester who have been nominated by others. The Foundation has now developed a site from which you can send an electronic “You’ve Been Smiled” certificate to anyone in the world. You can also download a free copy of “The Smiley Face Song”! How perfect is it that the smiley face should be used in the pursuit of kindness?

Who cannot love a foundation with a name like “World Smile”? You cannot help but smile just saying it. Thank you Harvey Ball for giving us the Happy Face! How dull our lives would be without it. Putting on a happy face . . . it's a good thing!

Wet and Cold . . . But Not Guilty!

Have you ever felt guilty about something you thought you had done? Don’t you hate that awful feeling in the pit of your stomach? What if you found out that you had not done anything wrong after all – wouldn’t that be a relief? That is perhaps how a man in New York is feeling these days. The man (whose name was not released) was driving his car in New York state, when he was pulled over by the police. To the amazement of the law officers, the man jumped out of the passenger side of the vehicle and ran toward the Hudson River. He reached a bridge and jumped into the river! The river current carried him some 250 feet at which point he was able to grab onto a branch, where he stayed until the police arrived and pulled him out of the water. He explained to the police that he thought there was a warrant out for his arrest. To their amusement, after calling it in the police informed him that there was no warrant out for him at all! (The man was, no doubt, not as amused as the police). Wet and cold but no longer feeling guilty, the man was brought to a nearby hospital for examination and released. Finding out your guilty conscience is actually guilt-free . . . it’s a good thing!

Singin' In The Rain

It rained today. I know some people become depressed when it rains. I don't. I love how clean everything is and how green the grass and trees are after a rain. But more than anything, I love the first rain of the spring - the first one after all the snow is melted. There is a layer of dull dust and dirt on everything after the snow is gone. The newly exposed grass is yellow. The whole world looks gloomy and grimy. Then the rain comes and everything changes. The dust is washed away, the streets are clean, the sidewalks are shiny and the grass is beginning to turn green. The air is fresh. Just like Gene Kelly, pictured here, who is "Singin' In The Rain", I welcome the downpour as it washes away the final remains of winter. Tomorrow, after the rain is over, a new clean, green world will emerge. When the sun comes up, it will shine on clean city streets, renewed trees, growing grass and happy people. Enjoying the cleansing rains of spring . . . it's a good thing!

Election 2011

Last night was an interesting night – to say the least. This election will go down as the one most difficult to predict. Four weeks ago, the thought was that the NDP would lose some of their seats, and that either the Liberals or the Conservatives would form a minority government. What a different a few weeks can make! As amazing as last night was as the results began to come in, the next few weeks and the next four years will be very interesting. Canada has never had such a fervent right-wing majority government or such an ardent left-wing official opposition. These ideologies will no doubt clash in Parliament. Can two parties so far apart in philosophical beliefs find common ground on any issue? Would we even want them to? Perhaps Canadians want the politicians who are representing them to stand firmly on their dogma and tow party lines. Possibly, voters were determined to send politicians to Ottawa who were firmly committed to the beliefs of the party they represent and that may be why the Liberals were so decimated. It just might be that there was no room for centrist politicians in yesterday’s election nor will there be in our new political landscape. This is new territory for us all. The next four years will be interesting, indeed. Keeping an eye on our politicians in Ottawa . . . it's a good thing.

Make Sure You Vote Today

If you think you are not going to bother voting today, turn your tv on and have a good hard look at what is happening around the world. In the Middle East, South America and Africa, people are protesting, demonstrating and being killed in their quest for the freedoms we take for granted. They are literally having to put their lives on the line for the right to vote and the right to live in a democracy. People are tortured and imprisoned by dictators who will do whatever they can to ensure that democracy will not exist in their country. If you have the chance, speak to immigrants who have recently become Canadians. If they will talk about it, ask them to tell you what the horrific experiences they suffered under dictatorships. Ask them how they feel about their newly-found right to vote. They will all tell you, some with tears in their eyes, how fortunate we are to live in a democracy where we can choose our leaders and what a wonderful thing it is to be able to vote for your government every four years. They will also tell you they cannot believe how we take our freedom for granted. Don't for a moment think that they will not be voting - they know far too well what it means to not have the opportunity to vote. So, take a few moments today and exercise your right - and freedom - to vote. Show the world that Canadians are proud to live in a democracy and we all take an active part in deciding who our leaders will be. Rocking the vote . . . it's a good thing!