Magical Moment 479, "The Expert"

I watched a young girl of about 5 years old board the subway with her father. It was a warm day and the father seemed exhausted as he scanned the car for an empty seat for him and his daughter. The young girl pushed her way through the crowd to find a vacant metal pole that she could use to steady herself on her feet as the train bounced around. She didn't seem to mind that there were no available seats. At the next stop, a swarm of people left the train and before a new swarm could board and fill the empty seats, the little girl moved quickly to take a seat and save one for her dad.

Commuters always sit in silence on the subway. There could be a singing musician passing through the car, a homeless man making a scene, or a mouse scurrying across the floor, and most New Yorkers wouldn't flinch or even look up. But something about this little girl enchanted those near her and they smiled at her. She smiled back and told her heroic tale of getting a seat for her and her dad.

"See, you have to be standing right near one when someone gets up to leave and make sure you sit down right away." Encouraged by the nods and smiles of strangers, and eager to share her knowledge, she continued.

"I know it's our stop when the train stops 3 times. And when you get off, you have to be careful stepping over the platform."

One woman said, "Well you're quite the expert." She glanced kindly at the girl's father who explained,

"We're new. This is all a new adventure."

The girl was deeply offended by this, "Nuh uh! I've rode the subway a lot before!"

"Oh you have?!" her dad challenged. "When?"

"This morning!"

"The only source of knowledge is experience."

-Albert Einstein

Magical Moment 625, "Thailand - the Elephants"

Needless to say, my favorite part of our Thailand vacation, was our week long volunteering at Elephant Nature Park ! The logging industry was banned in Thailand in 1989, leaving thousands of elephants unemployed. These elephants are now used for tourism. You may have heard of elephant shows featuring the animals playing soccer or painting pictures with their trunks. They are no doubt amazing to watch, but the sad truth is that these elephants have gone through a series of torture and abuse to "break their spirit" by their trainers. This short clip is very hard to watch, but it will give you an idea of what the elephants in captivity in the country of Thailand go through. The only elephants in Thailand who do not endure this, are the very few baby elephants who are first generation born in "safe captivity" at places like Elephant Nature Park. Every other elephant at this park has been brutally abused. Some have been blinded by their owners, le

Magical Moment 620, "Lilac Garden"

Eddie and I visited the Lilac Gardens at Ringwood Manor in New Jersey, a pristine and beautiful state park with 8 species of lilacs and several varieties within. We went on a rainy afternoon, which turned out perfect because the rain stopped for us when we got there, and began again as soon as we left. It also decorated the plants with gorgeous rain drops, adding to their beauty. And now for a quick game of "Where's Elizabeth?" And "Where's Eddie?" ~~Have a great weekend! ~~

Magical Moment 280, "The Eleventh Hour"

The Veterans Day Parade, NYC On July 29, 2001 , five exceptional men were honored by the President of the United States for their remarkable military service. They were involved in a top secret mission that required unfathomable intelligence and as a result, literally won a battle which was instrumental in winning the war. Not the war that was happening in 2001, not even the Gulf War. It was World War II, and they were the Navajo Code Talkers who were largely responsible for winning the bloody battle of Okinawa. The only problem with the ceremony was that just 5 remained of the original 29. Our country was too late in thanking the other 24, and nearly too late in thanking those 5 men. On March 10, 2010, three hundred women won the Congressional Gold medal for their outstanding war service. Unfortunately, 800 received the award posthumously. These were the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) of World War II, who devoted themselves to flying military aircraft like the B-26 and B-

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