Mothers day musing on miracle in Bangladesh

While the tragedy in Bangladesh was heart wrenching, it was also extremely heartening to read of the story of survival.

Miracle survivor, found in rubble after 17 days, recovering after factory collapse which killed 1000

Reshma Begum, a young mother of a five-year-old child  survived the tragedy, making all of us believers in miracles.

Dignity and death. Is there is difference between burying a dead man and a dead terrorist?

The media in America was all abuzz with strong views on the plight of Tamerlan Tsarnaev’s body. (Ref LA Times)

At the outset, one must start by saying that the act of terror committed by Tsarnaev was unconscionable.  And one might also go as far as suggesting that his untimely death was a consequence of his actions; as you sow, so you reap if you will.

One can also argue that his death provides a sense of closure, at least to him and his family. If closure were even the right word to use, especially since the families of the three killed in Boston and more than 140 victims hurt in Boston Marathon bombing will continue to question the senseless of this all.  But that is not the issue here.

At the heart is the question if an accused terror suspect killed during a manhunt can and should be buried in this land. Remember, Tsarnaev has not been tried or sentenced by a court of law but nevertheless strong evidence points to his culpability in the crime.

Facts:

• Murder suspects and criminals of all stripes, even those die in jail or die at the hands of jailors are routinely buried, many in a low-key manner. Massachusetts Funeral Directors Assn. spokesman David Walkinshaw was quoted saying "If you look back, historically, to cases of mass murderers and things of the like, usually after the death of the person involved, the media coverage of the person goes away … and the body is usually taken care of by the state or the next of kin, but it’s usually done very quietly” said Walkinshaw, noting that cremation is a common route in such cases.
• Islamic angle:   Cremation is typically disfavored in Islamic burial customs. Tamerlan Tsarnaev happened to be a Muslim. There again, one might argue that criminals or suspected criminals who happened to be Muslim have also been buried on American soil.
• Foreign angle: American legal system and  the public favors bringing criminals and terrorists to justice, in American courts where possible. For example, suspects of the infamous 9/11 terror attack are being tried New York. What happens if/when Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in New York happen to die? Will there again be a debate around returning their “bodies” to their native lands?

I guess there are no simple questions or answers here. However, passion in the heat of the moment should not overrule basic human sensibilities. Burying the dead is a basic human act.
Surely we can show we are more dignified towards the dead than those who plot against us. This is an opportunity for Americans to stand up and show we are better than terrorists!

Other links

• Officials pass the buck on burying Tamerlan Tsarnaev - LA Times
• Marathon Suspect’s Body Is Ready for Burial. The Question Remains: Where?  NY Times blog
• Where do we put Tamerlan Tsarnaev? - Washington Post blog

Why do we write?

I came across this quote that highlights the question "Why do we write?"

"There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you."

Maya Angelou, American poet (1928-present)

In Memoir Of Child's Death, A Mother Seeks Meaning

Moving story.

When Emily Rapp first discovers that her 9-month-old son, Ronan, has Tay-Sachs, an incurable and fatal disease that gradually robs a child of his nervous system, she wets herself; the floor and walls of the doctor's office seem to melt and liquefy; and she thinks, "weirdly," about her son's namesake, a boy she once knew whose name she would write in longhand "like a lovesick teenager." She recalls Emily Dickinson's poem in which a mind has been cleaved beyond repair, and calls out for her mother.
Check out rest of the article on NPR

Link to book on amazon "The Still Point of the Turning World"

Shocking: Child on a flight (allegedly) slapped by a fellow passenger

There are a number of articles in the media about an infant allegedly slapped by a fellow passenger on a flight.

The toddler's mother, Jessica Bennett, told ABC News she was sitting in the aisle seat of  row 28, alongside Joe Hundley, 60, a stranger. Hundley, who is the president of an aircraft parts company in Idaho, then allegedly smacked Jonah, a child!

The incident is shocking for several reasons:

• Children can get stressed out more than adults and need love and care: having an adult stranger “slap” a child can be a traumatic experience
• Passengers, already stressed out by their travel may be aggravated by that of fellow. Many don’t have the heart or sense to step outside their comfort zone and help fellow passengers

Shocking as this recent incident is, it does not seem to be an isolated incident. My wife and I were reflecting on this incident during lunch. It has been over four years since we lost our baby while on an international flight. (ref eBook: a child lost in flight) Although fellow passengers on that flight were not as unruly as Mr. Hundley allegedly was, most weren’t sympathetic either.

Bottomline: Flying and travel is stressful even during best of times and more so when one is traveling with an infant or child

Links:

• Mom 'Scared to Death' After Stranger Allegedly Slapped Her Infant on Flight (GMA)
• Unruly flier, accused of slapping tot, now out of work (USA Today)
• Man charged with slapping crying boy, uttering racial slur on Delta flight (cnn)

Author interview of "A child lost in flight"

Author interview of "A child lost in flight" published online on Jessica Kong's blog "Sea-anan Empire"

What has been the most difficult part about being a writer?  The most difficult part of being a write is to get the word out. There are thousands of books published every day, many of them self published. Standing out from the crowd is getting harder, especially for novice authors.

When a mother sees her child die....

A really sad tale that no parent should have to live through....

In the private hell of a mother's grief, the sounds come back to Judy Neiman. The SUV door slamming. The slight bump as she backed up in the bank parking lot. The emergency room doctor's sobs as he said her 9-year-old daughter Sydnee, who previously had survived four open heart surgeries, would not make it this time.
Her own cries of: How could I have missed seeing her?

The 53-year-old woman has sentenced herself to go on living in the awful stillness of her West Richland, Wash., home, where she makes a plea for what she wants since she can't have Sydnee back: More steps taken by the government and automakers to help prevent parents from accidentally killing their children, as she did a year ago this month.

- Yahoo.com