current events

Someone’s Special Someone

Posted on September 10, 2011 Written by Tonya

I have written about 9/11 twice: Ten Years Later and We Will Never Forget.

It’s hard for me to believe that it has been 10 years since one of the saddest days in America’s history; a day that still boggles my mind.

The powerful and heart wrenching images that played over and over and over that fateful day and every September 11 since are etched in my memory and I know I am not alone.

Today, all I can think of are the 2,974 innocent lives that were lost on September 11, 2001. And all of the lives those lives touched. Each and every one of those people was someone’s special someone…. fathers, mothers, sisters brothers, sons, daughters, aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, co-workers, neighbors, mentors, friends and heroes.

They had faces, names, dreams, and lives worth living.

They are missed.

I believe that 9/11 should be a day of remembrance, not regret or political agendas. Life is short and can be irrevocably altered in the blink of an eye. If nothing else, hold your loved ones a little closer and longer today than usual and remember those no longer with us.

There Will Be Tears

Posted on May 24, 2011 Written by Tonya

I have been watching since 1991.

I have laughed, cried, jumped for joy, believed, been inspired, yelled at the television, fast forwarded, re-watched, rewound, discussed with friends, read the books, bought the products, lusted after, learned, wondered, rolled my eyes and felt better about myself all thanks to a guest I welcomed with open arms into my home every day.

Relatable, smart, funny, and an excellent interviewer, Oprah is more than just a talk show host, face of a magazine, cable network and radio mogul, philanthropist, or one of Forbes’ most powerful and not to mention wealthiest people, she is an institution.

She makes me believe that if we ever do meet in real life, we could be friends. Her public struggles make her human and her giving heart makes her a saint.

Tomorrow, after 25 years, the final Oprah Winfrey Show will air.

You better believe there will be tears.

I will miss her daily visits.

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Maximum Love

Posted on May 5, 2011 Written by Tonya

Yesterday I had the distinct pleasure of listening to the Dalai Lama speak about compassion and positive thinking.

The Buddhist leader, wearing his traditional red and orange robes and a UC Irvine Anteaters visor cracked himself up more than once as he shared his message of peace and understanding. He explained that the problem we face with unhappiness is of our own creation, fed by too much stress, worry and frustration. He said we need a calm mind to see reality clearly.

According to the Dalai Lama, the goal of education should be to “develop sensible, compassionate leaders who are realistic and warmhearted.” He also stressed the importance of respect for all religions – and nonbelievers as well – which elicited cheers from the crowd of almost 5000 people.

When asked by a UC Irvine student how to obtain world peace, he fondly recalled his own mother being very kindhearted and said that “family has the real responsibility for making the world a better place and that we should make our homes a warm atmosphere, pay attention and provide maximum love, affection and compassion to our children”. I love this, believe it wholeheartedly and I’m going to put it on my refrigerator.

What a delightful afternoon.

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Ten Years Later

Posted on May 2, 2011 Written by Tonya

I had a different post prepared for today, but in light of recent activity, I’m posting this instead….

On September 11, 2001, I was driving to work listening to the Mark & Brian show on the radio when I first heard about the planes hitting the Twin Towers.

I was riveted.

I was scared.

My first thought was that this had to be a cruel joke. Next, I thought of my parents and sister, who were living in Yangon, Myanmar at the time. Did they know? Were they safe? Would they be evacuated?

I didn’t know if I should turn around and go home or continue on my way to work.

I went into work because surely this was a mistake. A terrible mistake. A hoax.

It wasn’t.

No one got any work done that day. We were all huddled together and glued to computer screens and the televisions set up in the break rooms.

The footage that kept playing over and over was like something out of a movie. People plummeting to their deaths and smoke and ash and debris.

Nearly 3000 innocent lives were taken that day.

It was a very somber time in our nation’s history.

That was nearly ten years ago.

Yesterday, Osama bin Laden, the founder of al-Qaeda and the man responsible for the September 11 attacks was killed by United States Navy SEALs.

Normally, I avoid political talk like the plague.

I’m not a big fan of heated discussions, but I do have strong opinions about a women’s right to choice, teaching religion in our public schools, the right to bare arms, heath care reform and taxes.

I am proud to be an American and I am proud of our armed forces. I appreciate every freedom I have as an American citizen and I vote.

The killing of bin Laden has been weighting heavily on my mind today.

On one hand, I truly hope that anyone that suffered a loss ten years ago due to the September 11 attacks feels a bit more peace today, but on the other hand, I can’t help but pose the question: now what?

Has justice really been served?

I don’t believe the “eye for an eye” principle works.

Our nation has been at war for 10 years! Does finding and slaying bin Laden mean our troops get to come home?

Is it morally wrong to celebrate the assassination of bin Laden in such a festive and patriotic way? Should we celebrate the death of anyone?

I don’t know the answers to these questions, but they are worth asking and they are on my mind today.

The Vatican released this statement this morning and while I also like to avoid discussions about religion, it really helped me realize the confliction I am feeling about the death of bin Laden.

“Osama Bin Laden – as everyone knows – has had the gravest responsibility for spreading hatred and division among people, causing the deaths of countless people, and exploiting religion for this purpose.

Faced with the death of a man, a Christian never rejoices, but reflects on the serious responsibility of everyone before God and man, and hopes and pledges that every event is not an opportunity for a further growth of hatred, but of peace.”

I wish our nation and our world peace.

What do you think of Osama bin Laden’s death?

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Happily Ever After

Posted on April 29, 2011 Written by Tonya

I was nine years old.

Giddy with excitement over the gorgeous dress, the 25 foot train, the jewels, the beautiful cathedral, the cascading bouquet of flowers, the 3,500 guests, the pageantry, the glass carriage, the fairy tale.

A prince and a princess.

On July 29, 1981 along with an estimated 750 million other people, I sat glued to the television in an airport (probably on a layover some where returning to Karachi, Pakistan from being on summer holidays in the states) watching the royal wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana.

I’m 38 years old now and just as giddy about happily ever afters and fairy tales.

If you need me today, I will be watching Kate Middleton marry Prince William.

I’m excited, but I won’t be setting my alarm for 3 AM, thanks to TiVo!

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Life Can Change In An Instant

Posted on March 11, 2011 Written by Tonya

For more than two minutes Friday, the most powerful earthquake ever recorded in Japan shook apart homes and buildings, cracked open highways and made skyscrapers sway.

Then came a devastating tsunami that slammed into northeastern Japan and killed hundreds of people.

The 8.9 magnitude offshore earthquake struck at 2:46 PM local time and is the biggest to hit Japan since record-keeping began in the late 1800s.

It ranks as the fifth-largest earthquake in the world since 1900.

The images on television and the Internet are devastating and heartbreaking and show the very worst side of Mother Nature.

Today, my thoughts go out to everyone affected by this terrible disaster.

If you are feeling generous and would like to help the earthquake and tsunami victims, please visit this list of charities or do what I did and text REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 contribution.

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We Will Never Forget

Posted on September 11, 2010 Written by Tonya

I just went through my September 2009 blog archive and for some reason, I didn’t wrote a post on September 11.

I wonder why.

“Where were you when you heard Kennedy was shot?” is one of the most significant questions for my parents generation and for mine, it will be: “where were you on 9/11?”.

Today is the anniversary of one of the saddest days in America’s history. A day that we will never forget.

Nine years ago terrorists flew two planes into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center towers in New York City. Both buildings collapsed within two hours, destroying nearby buildings and damaging others. The hijackers crashed a third airliner into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. A fourth plane crashed into a field in rural Pennsylvania after some of its passengers and flight crew attempted to retake control of the plane, which the hijackers had redirected toward Washington, D.C.

There were no survivors from any of the flights.

In all, 2,974 victims were killed by the September 11, 2001 attacks: 2,750 connected to the World Trade Center, 40 in Pennsylvania and 184 at the Pentagon. Those numbers do not include the 19 hijackers.

The images plastered all over the TV for weeks following the attacks were like something straight out of a movie. They were graphic and sad; each image more haunting than the last… the planes hitting the towers, people jumping out of windows, smoke, flames and debris, frustrated and tired rescue workers and faces of the victims,

As I encountered these images again today, all I could think was how will I ever be able to explain this or any other tragedy to Lucas?

How do you explain the unexplainable? Especially when you don’t understand it yourself. 9/11 is a heartbreaking event and even more so to have to explain to your perfect little human that the world isn’t all as loving as the world inside our home.

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Disaster In Haiti

Posted on January 15, 2010 Written by Tonya

On Tuesday, January 12 a devastating 7.0-magnitude earthquake hit Port-au-Price, Haiti. It is estimated that about three million people were affected by the quake and about 45,000–50,000 people were killed.

Christa Brelsford, a student from Arizona State University, lost a leg after being trapped under a collapsed building. She was one of the lucky ones.

Matt Lauer spoke to Brelsford this morning on The Today Show and I encourage you to watch the interview and read about her ordeal here. Let this brave woman be an example for all of us!

I donated to the Red Cross through one of the most amazing fundraising campaigns I have ever heard of or participated in, done solely through text messages. It was already stunning Red Cross officials on Thursday when it hit $3 million. By this morning, the tally had more than doubled! The campaign, made viral on networking sites like Twitter and Facebook, has raised $8 million according to a Twitter message from the White House that was reposted on the Red CrossWeb site.

If you are feeling generous and would like to help Haiti earthquake victims, please visit thislist of charitiesor do what I did and text 909-99 to make a $10 contribution.

The best is yet to be and my heart and thoughts go out to all the earthquake victims.

Brothers

Posted on December 19, 2009 Written by Tonya

Today’s post has nothing to do with raising Lucas, but it has everything to do with family. My sister and I saw the movie Brothers the other night and it was amazing.

A remake of the 2004 Swedish film, Bröder, the trio of Jake Gyllenhaal, Tobey Maguire and Natalie Portman was a draw for me and from an acting standpoint, they did not disappoint. The script gives Macguire the most to work with as the family man/Marine, Capt. Sam Cahill, whose latest trip to Afghanistan sees him imprisoned by the Taliban and ultimately returned to America with some serious psychological issues. While he is MIA, his wife, Grace, (Portman) and ex-con brother, Tommy, (Gyllenhaal) are told he is dead, and the two grow closer, eventually verging on emotional and physical attachment.

Watching these three individuals go through their personal journeys is heartbreaking and beautiful, especially that of Cahill. I wasn’t expecting to be so emotionally attached or moved by this film. It was very thought provoking for me and made me realize that war affects more than just the solider, it takes its toll on the entire family and all of those left behind. In many ways, I think it’s harder for those left waiting at home for the safe return of their loved one.

I highly recommend this movie hope Tobey Maguire wins the Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture (Drama) for his stunning performance.

I am thankful that I don’t know anyone involved in the war in any way, but I know that I am in the minority. I am ashamed to admit that I’m not even sure why we are fighting. I know that it is mainly in response to the September 11, 2001 attacks on the US, but I believe that the conflict is much deeper and older than that.

It blows my mind that we are in year nine of the war in Afghanistan and currently have 70,000 U.S. military personnel stationed there. Now, that’s something to think about! Or what about the sobering fact that as of today, December 19, 2009 we have lost 5,288 soldiers. 4,356 in Operation Iraqi Freedom and 932 in Operation Enduring Freedom. That’s 5,288 souls too many.

The best is yet to be. May peace on earth be near.

Someone’s Special Someone

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