Holiday cheer, horseback rescue, and why you should send all your money to Ukraine

Author

Barb Allen
December 13, 2023

Here’s another installment of the Great American Syndicate newsletter - your All-American mixtape. Straight hits only. 

Here’s what we have for you today:

  • Help A Grieving Friend or Family Member Through the Holidays

  • Biden May Consider Some Border Control Measures

  • NYPD Gallop in on Horseback to Rescue a Special Needs Child


How to Help A Grieving Friend or Family Member Through the Holidays

How do you help someone who is grieving, through the Holidays? The Holidays- especially the first one after the loss- can feel like agony. It can be especially hard to help someone through- especially if you, too, are grieving the same person in a different way. 

What few people know about grief before it hits them, is that it is a very physical pain. It is more painful physically than a lot of things people think of as being the most painful things; Kidney stones and labor, for instance, are often noted as being excruciatingly painful. I can vouch for that accuracy, as I’ve experienced both. And for a while, I thought those were the most painful things I’d ever experience. 

But I was wrong. 

Grief feels like every single nerve ending is being set on fire. It feels like your bones are being jackhammered. Your skull is pounding. Your heart alternates between feeling paralyzed and frantic. Sweat randomly pours down your body even as your internal temperature plummets. Sleep, food, and even breathing all become things your body does not want any part of, so you must almost battle for all of that. 

Unlike all the physical injuries and illnesses I’ve experienced otherwise, there is no sedative, or surgical procedure, or cast, or pill that can alleviate the pain for even a moment. There is no reprieve, no shelter, and no end in sight. It’s important for you to understand this and take it into consideration when attempting to help someone through their grief.

. Here are some ways you can best show up for someone, to help them through their first Holiday season after the death of their spouse or another family member they love intensely. 

Know that nothing you do will alleviate the pain - so don’t even try. Instead, just allow them to feel it without telling them to “be strong.” 

Understand that forcing them to attend family gatherings or other events may not be the best thing for them. Maybe they need to drop their young children off to enjoy family time, while they themselves slip out for a break. Maybe, the onslaught of visuals- seeing all the other happy couples kissing under the mistletoe, or lighting a menorah together, will be so excruciating for them, that simply being in the room requires them to dig so deeply into their reserves of strength, that they collapse in pain = alone- when they return home.

Ask me how I know…

If that person does show up, cut them some slack! Did they forget to bring an appetizer? If so- did they commit the offense of buying it instead of making it from scratch? Did they come in jeans instead of dress clothes? Are they late? Do they say they are leaving early? Do they not smile or laugh the way you think they should? 

Cut. Them. Some. Slack. 

Offer to come over and help them wrap presents for their kids. Pop over and slide in a gift or two just for them, so they feel remembered. Let them talk about their memories, and spend time sitting with them in whatever mood they are in.

Meet them where they are- not where you think they should be.

It is the season of giving. So give the grieving person, the gift of understanding and support.

- Barb

Democrats Seething about Biden's Consideration of Some Border Control.

House Democrats are fuming at Biden’s sudden consideration of implementing new border policies that have shades of Title 42 in them. Under Speaker Johnson’s leadership, Republicans are no longer allowing the Democrats to bulldoze them, starting with the border. A

Zelensky demands that we give “all our money” to Ukraine pensions and the war, and all the other blank checks he has become accustomed to receiving from us, and as the Israel conflict continues with hostages’ lives still at stake, Republicans are not backing down from their insistence that defending our own borders, and our own people, is at least as important as defending other countries.

The standoff appears to be working. 

As Democrats rant and rave, accusing  Republicans of being awful, uncaring people who are willing to sacrifice innocent “asylum seekers” the other half of Americans who are horrified at the open border policy that has allowed millions of illegal aliens to enter our country, overwhelm our towns, and deplete our own resources - especially as millions of these people are young men, dozens of known terrorists have entered, fentanyl is killing Americans, human trafficking is off the charts, and new FBI alerts indicate sleeper cells could strike - are cautiously optimistic that things could change.

Recent reports suggest the administration is considering a new border authority similar to Title 42, allowing for rapid expulsion of migrants without a public health justification. There's also openness to a nationwide expansion of expedited removal, currently limited to border areas.

With over 10,000 encounters at the southern border on a single Tuesday, the borders and our country are overrun and overwhelmed.

The White House has not released an official statement on this matter as of Wednesday afternoon.

OTHER NEWS & HEADLINES

Because of inflation, this is how much Home Alone’s Kevin McCallister’s groceries would cost him today. Watch Video «

Tucker Carlson launched his own video service this week…it’s called the 'Tucker Carlson Network' or 'TCN.' Learn More «

Hunter Biden refuses to comply with congressional subpoena to be deposed behind closed doors and demands a public hearing so he can lie and play the victim on TV. Learn more «

😃 GOOD NEWS CORNER 😃

New York Police Gallop in on Horseback to Rescue a Special Needs Child

NYPD mounted unit for saves man’s son from oncoming Brooklyn traffic

NYPD mounted unit for saves man’s son from oncoming Brooklyn traffic

In an emotional reunion, two Brooklyn parents expressed their heartfelt thanks to a group of NYPD officers who rode in on horseback to rescue the couple’s son Albert, who has special needs.

Vladimir Lempert, visibly moved, described the officers as a "gift from God" as he and his family met both the human and equine members of the NYPD mounted unit. The December 1 incident came without warning when Lempert’s son Albert jumped out of the parked car, prompting his father to give chase through traffic. Lempert ran frantically after his son, dodging traffic as he begged for help. But his son slipped away.  “He was gaining distance and I did not feel enough air in my lungs to just keep running,” Lempert said. “In my head, it was like I failed to catch my son and I don’t know what’s going to happen to him.”

That’s when the mounted police galloped in. “We noticed somebody chasing after a child. Once we realized the situation, we did bring our horses up to a canter which is slower than a gallop but it’s pretty quick,” said Schmeltzer, “and we were able to basically cut in front of the child and stop him safely.”

The Lemperts know how close they came to a tragedy, and could not stop thanking the police officers when they returned a week later. 

“I’m so happy they were there at the right time, you know,” Lempert said. “Not a minute late, just right that second.”

Full story here «

🇺🇸 GREAT AMERICAN MEMES 🇺🇸

Was it as good for you as it was for us? Make sure you tell all your friends so they don’t miss out next week! 🇺🇸

Barb Allen & Dave Brown
www.greatamericansyndicate.com

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