Daniel Gerard Barden

Daniel Gerard Barden, 7, of Sandy Hook, born September 27, 2005, in Pawling, N.Y., cherished son of Jacqueline and Mark, beloved brother of James and Natalie, left the physical world too soon, on December 14.

Daniel was the light of his family’s life. Adored and admired by all, Daniel touched the lives of all who knew him with his warmth, inspiring spirit of kindness, and generosity, outgoing and affectionate nature, and his imaginative play.

He loved spending time with his family, both immediate and extended, riding waves at the beach, playing the drums in a band with his brother James and sister Natalie, foosball, reading, and making s’mores around the bonfire with his cousins at his “Papa’s” house in Smallwood, N.Y. Daniel was on the Newtown soccer team and the Newtown Torpedoes swim team.

In addition to his immediate family, Daniel is survived by his grandmother Anne Barden of Yonkers, N.Y. and grandfather Martin Giblin of Smallwood, N.Y. Daniel leaves behind many aunts, uncles, and cousins who will miss him immensely: Rosaleen Giblin Murchison and husband, Peter, of Ridgefield, and their children Cristen, John, Michael, and Matthew and his wife, Lizzie; Martin Giblin of Bronxville, N.Y.; Michael Giblin of Frederick, Md. and his daughters Laura, Madeline, Jackie Pickett and husband, Duane, and their children Mariah and Neil, and Corrinne Downs and husband, Kenny, and their children Audrey and Leah; Madeline Giblin O’Neill and husband, Michael, and their daughter, Lauren, of Ridgefield; James Giblin of the Bronx, N.Y.; Donald Giblin and wife, Cathy, and their children Gerard, Jamie, and Catherine of Yorktown Heights, N.Y.; Kathleen Giblin of Rhinebeck, N.Y.; Christine Giblin Risoli and husband, Matthew, and their children Michael and Jane of Newtown; James Barden of New York, N.Y.; Timothy Barden and wife, Mary, and their daughter Anna of Portland, Maine; and Carl Barden of Deland, Fla. Daniel was preceded in death by his grandmother Madeline Giblin; grandfather James Barden, Sr; and uncle Gerard Paul Giblin.

A celebration of Daniel’s life will begin with a wake, Tuesday, December 18, from 5 to 8 pm, at St Rose of Lima Catholic Church, 46 Church Street, Newtown. A funeral will follow Wednesday, December 19, at 10am, at St Rose.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Daniel’s name to the Sandy Hook School Support Fund, c/o Newtown Savings Bank, 39 Main Street, Newtown CT 06470, or checks may be dropped off at any Newtown Savings Bank branch location. To donate on-line, go to http://newtown.uwwesternct.org .

On-line condolences for the family may be expressed at http://www.legacy.com/guestbooks/guestbook.aspx?n=daniel-barden&pid=16172598/.

The Newtown Bee Posted December 16, 2012

Although I did not find this link to still be active, I was able to obtain through the connection, a guestbook for Daniel indicating it will remain online permanently. This is as his obituary appeared in The Newtown Bee

Allison N. Wyatt

Allison Wyatt, daughter of Cheyanne and Ben Wyatt, Sandy Hook, was a kind-hearted little girl who had a lot of love to give, and she formed special bonds with most people who spent any amount of time with her.

She loved her family and teachers especially, but would often surprise people with random acts of kindness, once even offering her snacks to a complete stranger on a plane.

Allison loved drawing and wanted to be an artist, often turning parts of the house into an “art studio” with rows of pictures taped to the walls. She loved to laugh and was developing her own wonderful sense of humor that ranged from just being a silly six-year old to coming up with observations that more than once had us crying with laughter.

Allison made the world a better place for six, far too short years, and family and friends now have to figure out how to move on without her.

She was a sweet, creative, funny, intelligent little girl who had an amazing life ahead of her. “Our world is a lot darker now that she’s gone. We love and miss her so much.”

The Newtown Bee Posted December 18, 2012

This is Allison's obituary as it appeared in The Newtown Bee

Caroline Phoebe Previdi

Caroline Phoebe Previdi, 6, daughter of Jeffrey and Sandy Johnson Previdi and sister of Walker, from Sandy Hook, died Friday, December 14, in the shooting at the Sandy Hook Elementary School. Caroline was born in Danbury, September 9, 2006.

She was a first grade student at the school and a lifetime resident of Sandy Hook. Caroline was a member of St Rose of Lima Church in Newtown. Caroline loved to draw and dance. Her smile brought happiness to everyone she touched.

In addition to her parents and Walker, her maternal grandparents: Roger and Patsy Johnson of Asheville, N.C.; her paternal grandparents Gene and Joy Previdi, Jr of Newtown; her aunts and uncles, Helen Previdi, Fairfield, Gene and Lindsay Previdi, III, Newtown, Chet and Stephanie Graham, Chattanooga, Tenn.; and cousins CJ, Pearson, Ches, and Cole survive Caroline.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Wednesday, December 19, at noon, at St Rose of Lima Church, 46 Church Hill Road, Newtown. Interment will be private. There are no calling hours.

Arrangements are under the direction of the Green Funeral Home, 57 Main Street, Danbury.

Contributions in Caroline's memory may be made to The Toy Chest, c/o St Rose of Lima Church, 46 Church Hill Road, Newtown CT 06470.

The Newtown Bee Posted December 18, 2012

This is Caroline's obiturary as it appeared in The Newtown Bee

James Radley Mattioli

“Our Beloved Prince,” James Radley Mattioli, 6 ¾, fondly called “J,” died December 14, in his classroom at Sandy Hook Elementary School. He was born March 22, 2006, in Bridgeport.

An energetic, loving friend to all, James loved baseball, basketball, swimming, arm wrestling, and playing games on the iPad (especially the lawn mowing game). He loved to wear shorts and t-shirts in any weather, and grab the gel to spike his hair. He would often sing at the top of his lungs and once asked, "How old do I have to be to sing on a stage?"

James loved to dive off the diving board at the Treadwell Pool, swim like a fish in both of his grandparents’ pools and ride his bike, proudly without training wheels. He often said, “I need to go outside Mom, I need fresh air.” He spent endless hours playing hockey with his best bud and cousin, George.

He loved and admired his big sister and wanted to do everything that she could do. They were the best of friends, going to school together, playing games together, and making endless drawings and crafts together. James was working very hard to advance his reading in first grade and his sister Anna was his endless partner in supporting this effort and challenging him to read more and more difficult words.

James was born four weeks early at Bridgeport Hospital. It was an ongoing quip that James came into the world early because he was hungry. He loved hamburgers with ketchup, his Dad’s egg omelets with bacon, and his Mom’s French toast. He often asked to stop at Subway for dinner for a ham sandwich, and wanted to know how old he needed to be to order a footlong sandwich.

James was an early-riser, always the first to wake the family up, ready to start the day and get dressed. He loved to cuddle on the couch at the end of the day with his Mom, grabbing his pillow and brown fleece blanket. He adored spending time with his Dad doing yard work, walking at Fairfield Hills, and watching him grill burgers on the deck. If Dad was outside, James wanted to be right there with him. Their love of one another was one of a kind, and James was his Dad’s mini look-a-like.

James was especially thoughtful and considerate, always the first to welcome guests at the backdoor with a hug and his contagious smile. Recently he chose to forgo a gift for himself, and decided to use that money to purchase a mug for his Grandfather for Christmas instead.

James loved all teachers and staff at Trinity Day School and Sandy Hook Elementary School and found special joy in math and recess. He was a “numbers” guy, coming up with insights beyond his years to explain the relationship between numbers and unique ways of figuring out the answer when adding or subtracting. He loved the concept of googleplex, which he learned from his good friend, Christopher.

James will be incredibly missed by all who loved him: his parents Mark and Cindy Mattioli; his beloved sister Anna; grandparents Jack and Kathy Radley of Sherrill, N.Y. and John and Angelina Mattioli of Stamford; aunts and uncles Mark and Lynn (Mattioli) Forrest of Stamford, Raymond and Susan (Mattioli) Higgins of Mahopac, N.Y., Laurie (Doyle) Mattioli of Arlington, Mass., Trevor and Stephanie (Radley) Bonat of Concord, N.H., Nicholas and Melissa (Radley) Guarracino of Oxford, Marybeth Radley of Washington DC, and Marcus Radley of Hartford; cousins Lexi, Dana, Chelsea, Angelina, Juliana, Sophia, Lucy, George, Jane, Charlotte, and Stryker. His beloved uncle, John R. Mattioli, Jr predeceased James.

The Mattioli family will receive friends at the Spadaccino and Leo P. Gallagher & Son Community Funeral Home, 315 Monroe Turnpike, Monroe, Monday, December 17, between 2 to 4 pm and 6 to 8 pm. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St Rose of Lima Church, 46 Church Hill Road, Newtown, at 10am, Tuesday, December 18, with burial to follow at St John's Roman Catholic Cemetery in Darien.

In lieu of flowers, a donation may be made in James’ memory to the James R. Mattioli Memorial Fund, c/o Newtown Savings Bank, 39 Main Street, Newtown CT 06470.

To leave an on-line condolence please visit www.spadaccinofuneralhome.com .

The Newtown Bee Posted December 17, 2012

James' obituary as it appeared in The Newtown Bee.

Olivia Rose Engel

Olivia Rose Engel, 6, left Sandy Hook Elementary School and joined the angels in Heaven, December 14. Born July 18, 2006, at Danbury Hospital to Shannon (Merlino) and Brian Engel, Olivia brought immediate joy to all those around her with her ever-present smile and adorably infectious giggle.

Quickly growing from a happy, bouncing baby who clung tightly to her stuffed lamb into an enthusiastic, loving little girl who always wanted to do and see more, Olivia’s zest for life began early. With help from her adoring parents, she quickly developed an affinity for all things fun. On any given afternoon, one could just as easily find Olivia twirling in a pink tutu in dance class, developing her swing on the tennis court, kicking the winning soccer goal, drawing, painting, and gluing things in art class, or honing her inner songstress in her community musical theater class.

The budding swimmer also loved to join her dad or grandpa on their boats, so she could explore the world from the water.

As Olivia continued to grow, she developed a love and affinity for math and reading, arts and crafts, and her parish. Participating in her church’s CCD program and leading the family’s Grace each evening were sources of great pride for Olivia, as was being a big sister. Ever patient, Olivia took joy in helping her three-year-old brother Brayden explore the world she’d grown to love. This smart, bubbly NY Yankee fan and Daisy Girl Scout would instantly light up a room with her humor, charm, and wit. She was a sweet and appreciative six-year-old with a lot to live for. Her physical loss will deeply be felt every day by those who loved her most, but her sparkly spirit will live on forever.

Her parents and brother; maternal uncle JR Merlino; grandmother Suanne Merlino; great-grandmother Esther Galligan; paternal grandparents Christine and Richard Engel; and countless aunts, cousins, and close friends survive Olivia. She has joined her maternal grandfather, Jeffery Merlino, in Heaven.

Olivia's wake takes place Thursday, December 20, from 4 to 7 pm, at Honan Funeral Home, 58 Main Street, Newtown, with her funeral Mass occurring Friday, December 21, at 1 pm, at St Rose of Lima Catholic Church, 46 Church Hill Road, Newtown.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in Olivia’s honor can be directed to the Newtown Park and Bark at newtownparkandbark.org .

The Newtown Bee December 21, 2012

The victims have all been laid to rest, but each obituary will appear individually here, as they appeared in The Newtown Bee.

Avielle Rose Richman

Avielle Rose Richman, 6, daughter of Jennifer Hensel and Jeremy Richman of Newtown, died December 14 at Sandy Hook Elementary School. She was born October 17, 2006, in San Diego, Calif., and she moved to Connecticut with her parents in 2011.

Avie was a first grader at Sandy Hook. She was born with a spitfire personality, which continued as she grew into a lover and teller of stories. She offered her heart to everyone. With an infectious smile and peals of laughter, people were drawn to her beautiful spirit, which will live on in all of our hearts.

Her passions and joys were her friends, music, horseback riding, archery, kung fu, swimming, ice skating, and participating in super hero adventures.

Avielle is survived by a large community of friends and family who love her.

Memorial services are private. The family is making arrangements for a memorial fund for those who wish to contribute.

The Newtown Bee Posted December 17, 2012

As her obituary appeared in The Newtown Bee.

We continue to pray for comfort as the families struggle through this time of grief, and we grieve for them.

Dylan Christopher Jack Hockley

Dylan Christopher Jack Hockley, 6, beloved and cherished son of Ian Thomas and Nicole Marie (Moretti) Hockley of Sandy Hook, died tragically, December 14, with his friends, classmates, and teachers at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Dylan was born in Winchester, England, March 8, 2006.

In addition to his parents, his brother Jake Alexander Hockley of Sandy Hook; maternal grandparents Henry and Theresa (Gobidas) Moretti of Cranston, R.I.; paternal grandparents Thomas and Ivy (Dawn) Hockley of Eastrea, England; and uncles Kevin Hockley of Peterborough, England and Gary Hockley of Chicago, Ill. survive Dylan.

A public memorial service is planned for Friday, December 21, at 1 pm, in the Walnut Hill Community Church, 156 Walnut Hill Road, Bethel.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Dylan Hockley Memorial Fund, 34 Charter Ridge Road, Sandy Hook CT, 06482.

The Honan Funeral home, 58 Main Street, Newtown, is in care of arrangements.

The Newtown Bee Posted December 16, 2012

This photograph is all that has been added to his obituary as it appeared in the Newtown Bee

Madeleine F. Hsu

Madeleine F. Hsu
The family of Madeleine F. Hsu, 6, has requested privacy.

Madeleine was born July 10, 2006. She died December 14, in Sandy Hook Elementary School.
The Newtown Bee Posted December 20, 2012

I'm sorry we don't know more about this beautiful little girl, but this is what her family has expressed, at this time. This is her obituary is as it appeared in the Newtown Bee.

Charlotte Helen Bacon

Charlotte Helen Bacon, 6, was the beloved daughter of Joel and JoAnn Bacon, and sister of Guy Bacon. She died tragically December 14, with her friends and classmates at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

Charlotte was an extraordinarily gifted 6-year-old who filled her family each day with joy and love. The family will forever remember her beautiful smile, her energy for life, and the unique way she expressed her individuality, usually with the color pink. Charlotte never met an animal she didn’t love, and since the age of 2 wanted to be a veterinarian. She also enjoyed practicing Tae Kwon Do weekly with her dad and brother, where she relished kicking and throwing punches.

Charlotte has left a place in her entire extended family’s hearts that will never be replaced. The family is profoundly grateful for the thoughts and prayers of the many friends around the world who have expressed their sympathies. They trust in the depths of God’s grace and with confidence know that Charlotte rests in God’s arms.

Friends may visit with Charlotte’s family Tuesday, December 18, from 4 to 7 pm, at Christ the King Lutheran Church, 85 Mt Pleasant Road, Newtown. Her funeral service will take place Wednesday, December 19, at 1 pm, also at the church, followed by her burial in Newtown Village Cemetery.

The family asks that the media please respect their privacy at this time.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in her memory may be sent to Christ the King Lutheran Church, 85 Mt Pleasant Road, Newtown CT 06470.

The Honan Funeral Home, 58 Main Street, Newtown, is in care of arrangements.

The Newtown Bee Posted December 16, 2012

I'm sure this photo doesn't do her pretty curls justice, but the background and activity just seemed the proper picture in which to remember this little girl. The obituary itself is as it was posted in the Newtown Bee.

Jessica Adrienne Rekos

Jessica Adrienne Rekos, 6, beloved and cherished daughter of Richard S. and Krista A. Lehmann Rekos of Sandy Hook, died tragically, December 14, with her friends and classmates at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Born in Danbury May 10, 2006, she was a lifelong resident of Sandy Hook.

Jessica loved horseback riding, learning about orcas, writing, and playing with her little brothers.

In addition to her parents, her brothers Travis J. and Shane S. Rekos of Sandy Hook; maternal grandparents John E. and Suzanne A. Lehmann of Groveland, Fla.; paternal grandfather Richard J. Rekos and his wife, Mary, of Danbury; paternal grandmother Mary Anne Mellny Rekos of Monroe; aunts Karyn Lehmann of Groveland, Fla. and Karla (Lehmann) Lafferty and her husband, Jack, of Clermont, Fla.; uncles Brian Rekos and his girlfriend, Cathy Byrne, of Newtown, Craig Lehmann and his wife, Maureen, of Weeki Wachee, Fla. and Kurt Lehmann and his wife, Marion, of Belle Mead, N.J.; and cousins Kaitlin, Samantha, Connor, Erin, and Kelly survive Jessica.

Funeral services will be held Tuesday, December 18, at noon, at St Rose of Lima Church, Newtown.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Newtown Rotary Sandy Hook School Fund, PO Box 263, Newtown CT 06482.

The Honan Funeral Home, 58 Main Street, Newtown, is in care of arrangements.

The Newtown Bee Posted December 16, 2012

Her funeral has already taken place, but I feel it continues to be important to post the obituaries as they appeared in their home town paper.

Catherine Violet Hubbard

Catherine Violet Hubbard, 6, born June 8, 2006, died December 14, during the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

Her older brother, Frederick William; her parents Matthew and Jennifer; her grandparents Susan and Leo Sullivan and her great-grandmother Geraldine Russell Holden, all of West Chester, Penn.; Nancy and Earl Hubbard of Chatham, Mass.; and four uncles, four aunts, and nine cousins survive Catherine.

She will be remembered for her passion of animals and constant smile. Her family prays that she, all the students of Sandy Hook Elementary, and all those affected by this brutal event find peace in their hearts.

A wake is scheduled for Wednesday, December 19, from 4 to 7 pm, at St. Rose of Lima Church, 46 Church Hill Road, Newtown. A funeral Mass is scheduled for Thursday, December 20, at 10 am, at St Rose. Interment will follow the Mass, in St Rose Cemetery, Cherry Street, Sandy Hook.

In lieu of flowers the family is requesting donations be made to the Newtown Animal Center, PO Box 475, Newtown CT 06470.

The Honan Funeral Home, 58 Main Street, Newtown, is in care of arrangements.

The Newtown Bee Posted December 16, 2012

As published in the Newtown Bee, with her picture.

Jack Armistead Pinto

Jack Armistead Pinto, 6, of Sandy Hook, born May 6, 2006, died December 14, in Sandy Hook Elementary School, in the company of his many friends, classmates, and teachers. Jack was the son of Dean and Tricia (Volkmann) Pinto. He was born in Danbury, May 6. At the time of his death, Jack was a first grade student at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

Besides his parents, his brother Benjamin A. Pinto; maternal grandparents Alfred Volkmann and Laurine (Rothe) Volkmann of Shoreham, N.Y.; paternal grandparents Anthony Pinto and June (DeChello) Pinto of North Haven; his aunts Karen Volkmann of New York and Mia Pinto of East Haven; his godparents Alan Zaccaro and Mia Pinto; and his good friend John (JJ) Haddick survive Jack.

Jack was an avid participant in a wide variety of activities including flag football, baseball, basketball, wrestling, and snow skiing. Jack was an incredibly loving and vivacious young boy, appreciated by all who knew him for his lively and giving spirit and steely determination.

In life and in death, Jack will forever be remembered for the immeasurable joy he brought to all who had the pleasure of knowing him, a joy whose wide reach belied his six short years.

The Honan Funeral Home, 58 Main Street, Newtown, is in care of arrangements.

The Newtown Bee Posted December 16, 2012


Jack Pinto's obituary as it appeared in the Newtown Bee

Noah Samuel Pozner

Noah Samuel Pozner
died December 14, a victim of the tragic events at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Noah was born in Danbury, son of Lenny and Veronique Pozner.

“How do you capture the essence of a 6-year-old in just a few words? Noah was an impish, larger than life little boy. Everything he did conveyed action and energy through love. He was the light of our family, a little soul devoid of spite and meanness.”

He will be forever missed by his mother and father; siblings Danielle, Michael, Sophia, and twin sister Arielle; his grandparents Marie, Dirk, Ivan, Deanna, and Lena; uncles and aunts, Arthur, Stephan, Alexi, Patricia, and Victoria.

“May you fly to that peaceful valley and wait for us there.”

Funeral services will take place Monday, December 17, at 1 pm, from The Abraham L. Green and Son Funeral Home, 88 Beach Road, Fairfield, with interment following at B'nai Israel Cemetery on Moose Hill Road in Monroe.

Memorial contributions may be directed to the planting of trees in Israel.

The Newtown Bee Posted December 17, 2012

This is as his obituary appeared in the local paper, the Newtown Bee.

In Tribute and Memorial

For the next, nearly four weeks, this blog will be written to pay tribute to the individual lives of each of the victims of the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School, in Newtown, Connecticut. As the headlines continue to report about the embodiment of evil that perpetrated this horror, I simply cannot abide these precious lives to be just a list of names and ages in the news. These children had their whole lives ahead of them, and these educators made decisions that clearly put them in harms way, protecting the children in their care. That should be the headlines!
I cannot express how tired I became of seeing the shooter of Congresswoman Giffords, while the photos of his victims faded into national and historical obscurity after their funerals. The loss of a loved one, even when expected is painful. Unexpected deaths come with more emotions to process, and deaths which are both sudden and traumatic can actually affect the survivors in ways similar to post traumatic stress disorder; however, the loss of a child is something a heart just doesn't know how to begin to process.
I am not really going to have any specific order to these, other than to have the children first, because I believe that is also a tribute to the educators who gave their lives, to put these children first. Please feel free to share any information you may have about the lives of these people and the prayers for their friends and families.
The blog will post daily, except Sabbath.

Calling It Like It Is!

I'd love to blame the politicians, or the Middle East, or something besides standing up and owning what's coming to me. I deal with a number of people in my generation, the Baby Boomers who are struggling, still with heavy hearts in dealing with life. Our kids, our jobs, our old age, our lot in this thing we call life. I've been saying for some time, that we need to just go ahead and be the generation that bites the bullet, accepts responsibility, and changes the direction . . . I believe this is the blog in which I take that step. To be honest, the way the next generation turned out, I almost stepped off my bandwagon and was really considering just going ahead and going with the flow and taking what I'd paid in, but my conscience got the best of me. So before I considered anything else I might regret, I dusted myself off and stood back up on my own bandwagon. Many Boomers simply got skipped in regard to a respected place in history and it's our own fault. Most boomers were raised by the "greatest generation" and many of them are still collecting money and respect while their kids keep catering and bashing themselves over the head with the fifth commandment. Great news, Christian Boomers, if they taught you the fourth one had changed don't worry about the fifth one, because if you fail to keep one, you're guilty of them all, and after all, they are the generation that taught you. I think what we really need to get ahold of is the previous generation does influence the next one. The Boomers didn't just organize to be what we are. We were raised to be what we are, and we raised the next ones . . . Boomers raised a very mocking, disrespectful, self-centered generation and we'll just have to live with that. I'm an exception in the Boomer generation, well some of later ones were raised by the silent generation, and we're for the most part, all a mess. Believe me, they're not silent now, but growing up when parents were quiet, life as you knew it was getting ready to crash your direction. So, as an ignorant Boomer that just wanted a sweet little baby to love without trapping a man to be angry for life, my only parenting plan was to do it differently! Let me tell, there are tons of ways to do it differently and still be wrong! Now, the main thing I can say about my failure is; I wasn't following the Word of G-d. I had just enough understanding to feel guilty and confused. Not good parenting skills, at all. Now that I have come to G-d and continuously seek HIS will, I have had to face the fact and own the responsibility that everything I did outside of HIS Will I may not get to enjoy or count a benefit. In reading Scripture I have discovered that Abraham cooked up his own plan with some help and ended up having to give up the hopes and dreams he had with his first child, to receive the promise of G-d in his life. If G-d can require that of Abraham, who HE called HIS friend, who do I think I am to presume anything? I'm not saying G-d is going to allow permanent division in all our families, but if getting together is nothing but mockery and derision . . . that was the problem at Abraham's too. I believe YHWH's grace can bring reconciliation, but I am also aware of the headlines daily from the Middle East.
And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking . . . And the thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight because of his son And G-d said unto Abraham . . . And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away

Let's Talk About Trust

Trust is a big issue for most of all of us. Parents want to be able to trust their kids. Spouses want to be able to trust each other. Bosses want to trust their employees to do their work and employees want to trust their bosses for a paycheck. Business partners want to trust each other, and folks entering into a contract want each side to live up to their written word. Trust is big, and yet the number of people most of us trust, really trust; can be counted on one hand. I'm not saying we distrust everyone, but most of us simply do not trust very many folks with the opportunity to be distrusted, except our elected officials. We listen to them campaign, we talk about their empty promises, and yet we vote for them. Why, do we do collectively, what we'd never do individually? This fact of just accepted distrust of politicians got me thinking. Let's be honest, we all have people in our lives that we don't trust, and it's not because they've done something big and devious, although some do. No. Trust is more a matter of counting on the little things. We trust people that remember to do what they say they'll do. We trust people that bring the change back from an errand. We trust people that answer their phone. We trust people that don't make excuses, and we don't trust people who consistently do not do those things we count on. Trust isn't about the big events in life, it's a collection of several things that might seem quite trivial. I know, I would more quickly re-trust someone that was on the spot and told a "whopper," rather than someone that repeatedly changed the rules of engagement telling me I misunderstood. I would more readily trust someone that wrote a bad check, owned up to it, and covered it, as someone that repeatedly looked for opportunities to disgrace another. Perhaps my requirements of trust are different than those of another, but I have this great idea. Since most of us can agree that politicians can't be trusted, wouldn't it be great if say, three times of being caught not keeping your word or misleading people, landed that person squarely in Washington DC. A sort of shock treatment for the untrustworthy. Scared truthful! Can you imagine the average teller of white lies or someone with just a generic and random disregard of promise keeping were sent to try to survive amongst the real liars! A sort of "Lord of the Flies" version of truth therapy. As a matter of fact, rather than elections, we could have "true" public servants that are doing their time and paying their debt to society for lying. The great thing to this theory is, there would absolutely be term limits and they'd have to come back and "truly" face their people. Then, rather than prideful pensions, sock puppet theatre, and "cliff hanging" shenanigans, anyone that had been to Washington to serve would hang their head, as they should. When someone asked about Uncle So-and-So or Cousin Such-and-such, there would just be the whispered response that they were out of town . . . on the east coast . . . or, tending to some business. We'd have euphemisms for it, but finally politics would be known for what it truly is.
Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding. a Proverb of Holy Scripture