The
following articles appear in the current monthly FOP newsletter.
By Mark Donahue
As we enter the New Year, we are reminded
of the passage of time that has taken place from when the Lodge tendered its
contract proposals to the City and the progress that has been made in
negotiating over our proposals and theirs as well. On May 7th, when the Lodge gave our proposals to the
City, they were informed that the Lodge’s intent was to negotiate responsibly
with the City in an attempt to reach an agreement that reflects the desires of
the membership and takes into account the concerns of the City and to do so in
an expeditious manner. From the time we
gave them our proposals until today, December 23rd, members of your
negotiating team and the City have had a total of 28 meetings [the City so far
has cancelled 3 meetings] in which marginal progress has been made. The Lodge, on this date, has sent a letter
to the City expressing our disappointment over the pace of the negotiations and
the progress being made at them. Most
disturbing is the fact that we have yet to receive all of the proposals the
City intends to offer. We are adamant
about negotiating a contract in good faith with the City if at all
possible. If that is to be
accomplished, then the pace and the content of the meetings need to improve and
that is what the City has been told.
The full negotiating team is meeting on January 15th, where
discussions will entail the status of the negotiations and the direction they
will need to take in the coming weeks.
A topic of discussion will also be the content of the headline article
in the Sun-Times on December 14th.
As a result of what we felt was a violation of the agreement not to negotiate
in the media, a demand for a written apology was made to the City’s
negotiator. When less than what was
demanded came back, a response to the article was sent to the editors of the
Times who have yet to run it as we were told they would. The Lodge’s response can be read at the end
of this article.
The Legislature in Springfield kicks off
the second year of the 93rd General Assembly on 14 January. It is on that date that significant progress
will be made in passing the omnibus pension bill, which contains the increases
that were agreed to in November. As a
simple majority is needed at this time to pass the legislation, our plan is to
work as we did before in reaffirming the support for the bill from those who
supported it in the past and attempt to sway certain Republicans from their
former positions. As the Lodge has been
reminded, there is not 100% support from the membership on this issue and
although it is the goal to appease 100% of the membership all of the time, the reality
is that doing so is “almost” an impossibility.
As long as we can accomplish changes in the Pension Code that provide a
greater benefit to the membership, and those changes can be afforded by the
fund, we will attempt to do it. If
there is a difference of opinion on affordability between the Board of the Fund
and our goals, then we as a Lodge must consider additional ways of funding
those benefits or task the Board to improve the means by which they invest
those funds.
The City has confirmed to the Lodge that
they do not intend to abide by the legislation contained in SB946, which is now
Public Act 93-0592. The Act states that
when a complaint is lodged against a law enforcement officer in the State of Illinois,
that it must be accompanied by a sworn affidavit. The basis of their decision rests with an old arbitrator’s
decision dealing with the Fire Fighters Union.
The Lodge, nor its attorneys, agree with the position the City has taken
and are in the process of taking the appropriate measures to ensure the City
complies with the Law.
As we enter this New Year it should be
very clear that the Lodge, in representing its membership, once again has its
work cut out for itself. We have raised
issues that are often times perceived to be confrontational. That is not a concern to us. What is and will be our concern is the
enforcement and enhancement of the membership’s legitimate rights and
entitlements and if a few toes are stepped on along the way, there may be an
apology, but there will be no cessation of our efforts.
The following candidates have submitted a
written request for the Lodge’s endorsement in their upcoming primary races
this March. Any Lodge member who wishes
to comment on these candidates is asked to call (312-733-7776) or write to
Lodge 7’s Political Action Committee (1412 West Washington Boulevard, Chicago
IL 60607; and/or fax to 312-733-1367) before January 20th.
Judicial
Primary (Vacancy)
James
M. McGing (10 Sub Fleming)
Aurelia
Pucinski (10 Sub Fleming)
Clare
McWilliams (10 Sub Fleming)
Margaret
Ann Carey (Foreman)
Michelle
Jordan (Salyers)
Jeanne
Marie Reynolds (Salyers)
John
N. Farrell (Siracusa)
Laurence
J. Dunford (Orlando Vacancy)
For
Clerk of the Circuit
Jerome
M. Orbach
Dorothy
Brown
For
State Representative (Incumbent)
2nd
(Acevedo) Marliza Rivera
December
17, 2002
Letters
to the Editor
Chicago
Sun-Times
401
North Wabash
Chicago,
Illinois 60611
The
headline on the front page of the December 14th Chicago Sun-Times,
“700 Chicago Cops on sick leave every day”, is very misleading and the comments
of City spokespeople violates an agreement made between the Fraternal Order of
Police and the City at the negotiating table this past May 7th. The release of such information tendered
during contract negotiations, without a full explanation, will be construed by
the members of the FOP as an underhanded tactic by the City to sway public
opinion on this issue. The real insult
in the release of this information during negotiations lies in the factual
basis of the numbers that were given.
It is a fact that less than 700 members are on the medical role on an
average day. It is also a fact that the
medical role includes officers that are “injured on duty” on a daily basis protecting
our communities as well as officers whose sickness or injury extends through
their scheduled weekends. In
consideration of the “fact” that batteries on Police Officers are up 48% over
the first 10 months of 2002 [CPD Officer Battery Summary, October 2003], the
real numbers for those officers who call in sick on a daily basis, are much
more in line with comparable statistics in other big cities than your readers
were led to believe.
Equally
insulting is the statement made by a police spokesman who stated in reference
to medical usage that, “there are people who abuse the daylights out of
it”. If that were the case, wouldn’t a
responsible department enforce its current policy to prevent such abuse? The Fraternal Order of Police has in fact
made recommendations which, if implemented, would allow for officers desiring
to return to work, while at the same time getting proper medical attention for
injuries and/or illness, to do so.
These recommendations were made by the FOP prior to the start of the
negotiations process. We are in
agreement, as Superintendent Cline was quoted, “we have to be vigilant to
prevent abuse”. That quote, although
addressed to the subject of medical abuse, could as easily be directed at a
City which failed to live up to its agreement and has, in this instance, caused
the abuse of the integrity of the members of this organization.
Sincerely, Mark
P. Donahue, President
Chicago F.O.P. Lodge #7
Vice
Presidents’ Article
By
Bill Dougherty, Frank DiMaria and Greg Bella
The holiday season has gone by and we
start another year. The following
events have been scheduled for the coming year:
F.O.P.
Fishing Tournament, 9 June 04
F.O.P.
Picnic, 21 July 04
F.O.P.
Golf Outing, 30 August 04
F.O.P.
Semi Annual Uniform Resale’s, Spring & Fall 2004, Date to be announced
F.O.P.
Gun Safety Day, Spring 2004, Date to be announced
On 8 December 03, the murderer of PO
Brian Strouse was sentenced to life in prison by Judge Summner.
On
22 December 03, the murderer of PO Brenda Sexton was sentenced to 60 years in
prison by Judge Linn.
A special thank you to the many Police
Officers who attended the sentencing hearings in both cases and supported the
Families during those trying times. Our
work is not yet finished because we have two more pending trials for the
murderers of Chicago Police Officers.
The trial for the murderer of PO John
Knight is scheduled to start in the beginning of January 2004 and the trial for
the murderer of PO Eric Lee is scheduled to start in mid January 2004. The Lodge will send out posters with the
dates of each of the trials as the information becomes available.
The Lodge has sent a letter to the
Attorney Generals Office in regards to the Second Chance Ultima Vest
issue. Their office has responded to
the letter and is conducting an investigation in regards to this matter. As the Lodge receives any further
information regarding the Ultima vest issue the Lodge will put this information
out to the officers who purchased these vests.
When you are at work and you are injured
on-duty no matter how minor you think that your injury that you received is,
you should contact your supervisor and report the injury on-duty. Have your
supervisor complete an IOD report. Those minor injuries may begin to hurt more
and can be more serious than you think. Make sure that your IOD report is
filled out accurately and that it shows the police function (writing tickets,
arresting offender, responding to a call, etc.) that you were doing when you
were injured.
When was the last time you checked to see
who your beneficiary is? For some officers the answer is not since you filled
the cards out in the academy. You need to check your beneficiary at the lodge
and updated if you need to. Officers also need to check with the Pension Board
located at 211 N. LaSalle, Room 1626 during their business hours of 8:30am to
4:30pm and check with the Department of Personnel to see who your beneficiary
is for your term insurance with the Chicago Police Department. Keep in mind
whoever is on your beneficiary cards will receive the benefit.
When an officer gets married or has a
newborn he/she has 30 days in which to fill out an enrollment form. Along with
the enrollment form, you must provide a certified marriage certificate or a
certified birth certificate as proof of dependency. The officer has 60 days to
provide a certified marriage certificate and 180 days to provide a certified
birth certificate to the Benefits Management Office. If you don’t elect to
enroll for coverage within 30 days, you will not be able to enroll until the
next open enrollment period. I suggest you bring these forms to the Benefits
Management Office in person. You can ask for a time stamped copy at the front
desk. The Benefits Management Office is located at 333 S. State Room 400.
When you request a C.R.P., and the Department
notifies you of the date and time that your panel will be held, please call the
Lodge immediately. Once you notify the
Lodge it takes five days to get your file, which then must be reviewed before we
go to the panel. If you don’t call with
the date and time, the Lodge has no way of knowing when your panel will be
held. The Department does not notify
the Lodge with the date and times for each officer’s panel. Once the Lodge receives the file, you can
come to the Lodge and review the file prior to your hearing. If there is any evidence that has been left
out of the file you can get that evidence submitted with a “to-from” but that
must be done five days before the panel hearing.
When you are asked to write a “to-from” report
to answer any allegation, make sure you start the report with the disclaimer
found on page 142 of your F.O.P. book. This
statement is not being given voluntarily but under duress. I am only giving this statement at this time
because I know that I could lose my job if I refuse. This “to-from” report should not be considered a verbatim
statement but only a summary of requested information.
Not Sustained C.R.
Numbers
When you receive a “not sustained” finding after a C.R.
investigation, and you feel that it is not a justified finding, you can write a
“to-from” report to the ADS of IAD outlining the reasons that you think the
case should be unfounded. The ADS of
IAD will then review the finding. If
the finding is not changed by the ADS, your “to-from” will become a part of the
file.
By Sidney M. Davis
Be
Thankful
A percentage of officers will wake up
this morning, and start the day off wrong.
What do I mean? Not being
appreciative of all they have. For
instance: (1) Waking up, (2) Having a job, (3) Both parents still living, (4) A
good boss, (5) No health problems, (6) Good co-workers, (7) A house, (8) A car,
(that works), (9) Not having to live from paycheck to paycheck, (10) Eyes to
see, (11) Feet to walk with, (12) Shoes to put on them, (13) Arms to hug your
kids…I could go on and on. BE
APPRECIATIVE OFFICERS, there are those who have less, wanting what you
have. You are Blessed, please know
that.
Police
Shootings
When you are involved in a shooting there are several things to keep in mind. 1st, call FOP as soon as you can or request a fellow officer to do so. 2nd, make sure before you make any statements that you are ordered to do so. In the event you must complete a T.R.R., in box 40, of the T.R.R. report, additional information: add the wording of “Please read R/O’s attached TO/FROM report.” Complete a TO/FROM Report, and include the wording of: THIS STATEMENT IS NOT BEING GIVEN VOLUNTARILY, BUT UNDER DURESS, I AM ONLY GIVING THIS STATEMENT AT THIS TIME BECAUSE PER G.O. 02-08, I KNOW I COULD LOSE MY JOB IF I REFUSE. No narrative is necessary unless there are unusual circumstances involved that you want to have documented. If a C.R. is obtained, submit a "TO-FROM" with the disclaimer only, DO NOT WRITE A NARRATIVE. You can log onto the FOP website to view information regarding the T.R.R. at www.chicagofop.org once there, to download a blank TO / FROM report for the Tactical Response Report press the TRR button below.
Pool Cars
Remember to check out completely any pool car that is assigned to you. Don’t assume anything about the vehicle that is being given to you. This is for your safety as well as the safety of your partner and other officers who may have to use that vehicle. You are not required to accept any vehicle that is unsafe or does not comply with the vehicle code standards. If it is unsafe DOWN IT, START AGAIN. Any safety issues that might arise from a pool car, please contact Tim Fallon at 312-733-7776.
The date for the 2004 FOP Fishing
tournament has been set for Wednesday 9 Jun 2004. All members who anticipate fishing should mark your calendars. This is a change in date from previous years.
If you are a police officer/military reservist and were deployed in the past or anticipate being deployed in the near future and have experienced pension related problems with the Pension Board please contact the Lodge. If you have experienced any problems related to time off for training please contact the Lodge.
Lodge members who serve as military reservists were mailed a letter from
Recording Secretary Sid Davis. If
you’re a reservist and did not receive this letter, please contact Sid Davis
immediately, at 312-733-7776.
2004 FOP MEMBERSHIP CARD
You should have received your 2004 FOP
Membership Card and your 2004 FOP Handbook by now. Please pay special attention to the bottom portion of the form
that contains your 2004 Membership Card.
The bottom left corner has your current beneficiary’s name. The person’s name that appears on the form
will be the person receiving your life insurance payment. Please contact the Lodge if you need a
change of beneficiary (312) 733-7776 and ask for Doreen.
Your name and member # have been preprinted on the membership card. This number allows you access to the Grand Lodge website to order any type of FOP merchandise.
The
Following events listed will occur from Jan 9, 2004 thru Feb 5, 2004 For further information on any events
posted below contact the Lodge (312) 733-7776, and ask for Sid Davis.
10
Jan 04 Duty Available Check
13
Jan 04 Italian American Police
Association Meeting
13
Jan 04 Latin American Police
Association Meeting
14
Jan 04 Recognized Openings in
Districts and Units
16
Jan 04 Overtime Pay (23 Nov 03 – 20
Dec 03)
16
Jan 04 Recognized Vacancies /
Transfer Bids (Citywide)
19
Jan 04 Chicago Police Ski Club Meeting
19
Jan 04 Holiday (Martin Luther King
Jr. Birthday)
20
Jan 04 FOP General Meeting (7pm)
21
Jan 04 Monthly Detective Association
Meeting
30
Jan 04 Transfer Order for the 2nd
Period
01
Feb 04 Uniform Checks
01
Feb 04 Labor Law Arbitration Seminar
02
Feb 04 Chicago Police Ski Club Meeting
02
Feb 04 Labor Law Arbitration Seminar
03
Feb 04 Labor Law Arbitration Seminar
03
Feb 04 FOP Board Meeting (11 a.m.)
03
Feb 04 Polish American Police Association
Meeting
03
Feb 04 Chicago Police Marine
Association Meeting
03
Feb 04 German American Police
Association Meeting
04
Feb 04 Chicago Police Women’s
Association Meeting
05
Feb 04 2nd Period Begins
On 15 Dec 03, Arbitrator Briggs issued an
arbitration award on Dead Body Removal.
These are the main points of the arbitration. Effective 1 Jan 04, Police Officers who transport a deceased
person in any manner to or from any location shall be provided with out of
grade pay at the D3 rate for their tour of duty. The Lodge made a demand for retroactive pay effective to 26 Mar
02. The arbitrator rejected this
demand. Dead Body removal is handled
almost exclusively by officers assigned to work the wagon. However, there have been numerous situations
where the removal takes more than 2 officers.
If you are working a wagon and receive a removal assignment that
requires more than 2 officers, call for a supervisor. Have a supervisor authorize an assist unit and document the
assisting officers in the Hospitalization Case Report. This way there will be no confusion as to
which officers get the out of grade pay.
The arbitrator also directed the
Department to provide officers who transport deceased persons with equipment
appropriate for the protection of their health. While this is not a definitive direction, Management and Labor
Affairs provided the Lodge with samples of equipment used in this field. Numerous officers have inspected the
equipment, and found it far superior to the current equipment available.
The Department is also directed to
implement a one-year pilot program using two vendors in one or more radio zones
to accomplish the transportation of deceased persons. The Arbitrator recognizes it may not require a full year of
evaluation for this program. Therefore
the Department may adopt an alternative program at any time, consistent with
the parties’ mutually acknowledged obligation to relieve officers of transporting
dead bodies.
The average rate of deceased removals in
Chicago is 18 bodies per day. We
believe at this rate the Department will be able to make an informed evaluation
of the vendors in less than one year.
Next newsletter I will update you on the status of the Unfair Labor
Practice Complaint regarding the Chicago Park District and Soldier Field.
By John Capparelli
Officers, the in-house counsel of the
Lodge specializes in labor law. It has
come to the attention of the office staff that many of our members are calling
the office in an attempt to gain free legal advice on issues that do not
pertain to F.O.P. business. The
attorneys were hired for their knowledge of labor law as it pertains to this
Lodge. Calls to the Lodge’s attorneys
will only be directed to them if Lodge business is involved. Thank you for your understanding.
The 2004 budget has been approved. The Lodge’s sound financial condition will
insure that its members will receive the best representation available.
Every month the Lodge receives dozens of returned mailings,
(newsletters, notifications, membership cards, cast statuses) via U.S.
Mail. These returns are marked with numerous
stampings, such as addressee unknown, return to sender, no such address. Could you be one of these Lodge members
missing vital information? Please
update your address information using the form provided on the back page of
this publication. Then send it to the
Lodge either by U.S. Mail, Police Mail or in person.
F.O.P.
Veteran’s Corner/Disability Report
By
PO Carlos “Sal” Saladino, Chairman
The best of health for this New Year from
the Disability Committee. We truly hope
your holidays were safe, healthy, and happy.
The Disability Committee is available for calls at the FOP office Monday
through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Check out the Disability Page link on the FOP web site, www.chicagofop.org,
for beneficial information.
The
Committee is still receiving phone calls on this issue. I have spoken with Personnel and we are
waiting for a confirmed date for disbursement.
Please be patient.
An
option is available, if chosen by the police officer prior to retirement to
reduce the officer’s own annuity and, thereby provide a reversionary annuity,
to begin upon the officer’s death, for the officer’s spouse. A reversionary annuity is in addition to the
regular spouse’s annuity. Various
conditions must be met:
1.
The election must be made by filing a written designation with the Pension
Board prior to retirement.
2.
The election must have been in effect for 730 days (2 years) prior to the police
officer’s death to enable the spouse to receive the annuity.
3.
The police officer must have retired.
Death before retirement voids the election.
4.
The death of the spouse prior to the police officer’s retirement voids the
option.
5.
If the reversionary annuitant dies after the police officer’s retirement, but
before the police officer, the reduced annuity being paid to the officer shall
be increased to the amount of annuity before reduction for the reversionary
annuity and no reversionary annuity shall be payable.
6.
The police officer may not reduce his own monthly annuity by more than $200 nor
elect to provide a reversionary annuity less than $50 a month.
This option is a chance that your spouse
will outlive you and that his/her annuity will be enhanced. If your spouse dies first, any money you
have put into this option you lose, and the monies taken out of your pension
will be brought back up to the level of monthly reduction taken out. For more information, call the Pension Fund
at 312-744-3891 or 1-800-656-6606.
Our thoughts and prayers go to CPD
members serving our country as military reservists and National Guard members.
The dedication of the World War II
Memorial in Washington DC will be Saturday, May 29, 2004 at 2:00 p.m. This event will cover four days, May 27-30,
over Memorial Day weekend. This
memorial will honor 16 million men and women who served in the armed forces of
the United States during World War II, of which 400,000 died. For more information on the dedication
events, hotel reservations, and tickets call 1-800-639-4WW2 or go the website
online at www.wwiimemorial.com.
‘A
nation reveals itself not only by the men it produces, but also by the men it
honors. The men it remembers.’ --President John F. Kennedy, October 26,
1963.
Airborne,
Sal
The best preparation for the ACT is a solid academic high
school curriculum. However, in our
competitive academic environment, students must also have test “SMARTS.” Statistics have shown that the students who
have had preparation in testing strategies, practice testing, test format and
test instructions, substantially outperform others. The COLLEGE VISIONS STRICTLY STRAGEGIES workshop that will be
offered at the FOP Hall focuses on these important test strategies and
techniques.
By mandate of the State of Illinois Department of Education,
all public and private high school juniors will be required to sit for the ACT
Exam this April. By attending this
workshop and taking a practice ACT Exam, your child will have a week or two to
become more prepared in certain areas where they may not have tested as well as
they would have liked, prior to the ACT being offered at their particular
school. In an effort to prepare the
children of “LODGE #7, FOP” members for this very important exam, the
FOP has invited COLLEGE VISIONS to conduct their workshop for the daughters and
sons of FOP members. This workshop will
be offered on 28 March 2004 from 1:00 PM until 4:00 PM and will be held at the
FOP Hall (1412 W. Washington Blvd.)
This program usually costs $45.00 or more. The cost for the children of the FOP will only be $20.00 per
child.
The presenters of this program are knowledgeable and
experienced educators. They have
prepared thousands of students in the Chicagoland area to be “test smart.” The Lodge encourages you to involve your
child’s participation in this program.
If your child only picks up one or two items that assist him/her in
taking the ACT Exam, it is to his/her advantage.
There is limited space available at the FOP Hall, so please
complete the application found on page 10 of this newsletter and send it, along
with a check or money order for $20 to Kathy Moore at the Lodge, Unit 541. Ensure that your child has a seat at this
important educational event that might very well effect his or her future.
CHAPLAIN’S CORNER
There’s an old black leather belt hanging
in my room. It must be about 1/2"
thick, and about 7 feet long. It has
loops and holders to hold a variety of tools.
It has no Velcro, nylon, or plastic in it. None of those materials had been invented when this belt was
made. All the stitches are doubled and
all the hardware on it is secured and installed to a high level of
workmanship. The buckles are about
4" high, and quite substantial.
It’s actually two belts, one attached to the other: one belt is to go
around the waist of the lineman, who would loop the other belt around the pole
and, with his climbing spurs, heavy gloves and Klein tools, begin his climb up
toward the sky and the wires. The belt
is about 75 years old, and still oiled and supple and in excellent shape. It was around my father’s waist when a pole
gave way and he rode it to the ground, suffering a broken leg and ankle in the
crash. He got his first and only ride
to County in a CFD ambulance a few years before I was born. He was a strong union man, Local #9,
IBEW, and I absorbed a lot of pro-labor values at the dinner table. When I was old enough (15) to have a real
summer job digging holes for light poles by hand with a “spade and a spoon”
(long handle shovels) around Ogden and Harlem, he taught me even more about the
need for unions, and their strength. He
also told me which contractors were scabs in a recent job action; you never
waved at them nor acknowledged them.
The union button on a guys cap or belt meant he was okay. For the workingman of the time, the union
was a source of strength and bargaining power, of dignity. “You wouldn’t even
have a water can on your line truck if it wasn’t for Local 9,” he told me. I understood.
An old farmer had three sons, and the
three did not agree on anything. They
fought and argued all the time, about the biggest and smallest points. As the farmer got older, he wanted his sons
to put aside their differences and be unified in their lives and work. He told one of the three to bring in a thick
bundle of sticks.
“Can
you break these in half?” he asked his oldest son.
“No
problem, Pop!” said Number One Son, and he tried until the veins throbbed in
his red forehead, but he didn’t break the bundle of sticks.
“Let
me show you how it’s done!” said Number Two, and Number Three followed with,
“Y’all watch this!”
They
both tried until their veins were throbbing and the ropes in their necks
trembled, but they couldn’t break the bundle, either. Then the father took three sticks from the bundle, handed one to
each son, and asked, “Can you break them now?”
They broke them easily. The
father smiled at the three sons and said, “Let the sticks teach you. When you are allied together, you are
strong. When you are separated from the
bunch, you are easily broken.”
If
an antique dealer offered me ten grand for the seven foot belt, I’d just laugh.
Respectfully,
Fr.
Thomas R. Nangle, CPD Chaplain
312-738-7588
-Your
donations to the Police Chaplains Ministry were even more generous than last
year, which enabled us to distribute $25,000 (Target and Jewel gift
certificates) to 20 CPD families in need.
I get all the thank you notes, but every word of appreciation belongs
completely to you. Thank you!
-Your
Police Chaplains Ministry was able to host the Gold Star Families at The Drake
Hotel once again for a holiday get together.
A quiet, elegant evening of remembrance was made possible once again by
your sense of loyalty and generosity:
Thank you!
As we enter the New Year lets take a
moment to reflect on the past and learn for the future. Sometimes people come into your life and you
know right away that they were meant to be there, to serve some sort of
purpose, teach you a lesson, or to help you figure out who you are or who you
want to become. You never know who
these people may be (possibly your neighbor, coworker, long lost friend, lover,
or even a complete stranger), but when you lock eyes with them, you know at
that very moment they will affect your life in some profound way. Sometimes things happen to you that may seem
horrible, painful, and unfair at first, but in reflection you find that without
overcoming those obstacles you would have never realized your potential,
strength, willpower, or heart.
Everything happens for a reason. Nothing happens by chance or by means of
good luck. Illness, injury, love, lost
moments of true greatness, and sheer stupidity all occur to test the limits of
your soul. Without these small tests,
whatever they may be, life would be like a smoothly paved, straight, flat road
to nowhere. It would be safe and comfortable, but dull and utterly pointless.
The people you meet who affect your life,
and the success and downfalls you experience, help to create who you are and
who you become. Even the bad
experiences can be learned from. In
fact, they are probably the most poignant and important ones. If someone hurts you, betrays you, or breaks
your heart, forgive them, for they have helped you learn about trust and the
importance of being cautious when you
open
your heart. If someone loves you, love
them back unconditionally, not only because they love you, but because in a
way, they are teaching you to love and how to open your heart and eyes to
things. Make every day count. Appreciate every moment and take from those
moments everything that you possibly can for you may never be able to
experience it again. Talk to people
that you have never talked to before, and actually listen. Hold your head up because you have every
right to. Tell yourself you are a great
individual and believe in yourself, for if you don't believe in yourself it
will be hard for others to believe in you.
You can make of your life anything you wish. Create your own life and then go out and live it with absolutely
no regrets. Most importantly!!! If you love someone tell him or her, for you
never know what tomorrow may have in store.
And remember; learn a lesson in life each day that you live.
The
following story helps put it in the right perspective.
A man stopped at a flower shop to order
some flowers to be wired to his mother who lived two hundred miles away. As he got out of his car he noticed a young
girl sitting on the curb sobbing. He
asked her what was wrong and she replied, "I wanted to buy a red rose for my
mother. But I only have seventy-five
cents, and a rose costs two dollars."
The man smiled and said, "Come on in
with me. I'll buy you a
rose." He bought the little girl
her rose and ordered his own mother's flowers.
As they were leaving he offered the girl a ride home. She said, "Yes, please! You can take me to my mother." She directed him to a cemetery, where she placed
the rose on a freshly dug grave.
The man returned to the flower shop,
cancelled the wire order, picked up a bouquet and drove the two hundred miles
to his mother's house. (Way to
go!!!!!!!)
Best
of blessings to you and your loved ones today and always. May 2004 bring with it all good things you
wish for. Amen.
Compliments
of your Police Chaplain
Rabbi
Moshe Wolf 773-463-4780 or