What everyone wants is a 'Window in Heaven'

Window of Heaven--a vision in nature and in life

Carol Forsloff---The loss of a loved one can create initial confusion and grief, along with a mix of other emotions; yet most of us believe there is continuity in life, even as we wish we could have just a peek through a Window in Heaven, to see each other as we once were, expressed in the musical eloquence of Kenny Herbert and Roy Mathews.

Herbert and Mathews reminds us of what many people believe is true, that there is something beyond the grave where peace and love are infinite.  His vision of the Window in Heaven is the glimpse of eternity, where there is no time but now, even if that is forever,  And his desire to have that window to see the life of the loved one unfold again behind the veil of death is what most of us wish we too could have when we lose someone especially dear to us.

How the death of Jane Kiley touches us all

Jane Kiley on horseback in 1993 on the Big Island of Hawaii

Jane Kiley died on December 28, 2014.  Chances are you may not have known her directly.  She was not famous.  But after this article, you would want that chance in life this woman to hold dear.  For many people presume the memories of our lives and passing is felt primarily by friends and family. But we are all like Jane and will be known by many people in generations yet to come. Jane's life is always with us, just like yours, for you are part of the journey everyone takes that she took just days ago.

While writers remind us no man is an island, the fact is that every life indeed touches others in very important ways.  Our lives are multiplied across a spectrum of individuals, more than those six degrees of separation we think are the limits of our connections.

Malnutrition and diarrhea is a combo that hurts the poor

Bob Ewing---How far does the affects of hunger stretch; what are the conditions or diseases associated with a poor diet, malnutrition or starvation? First, let us take a closer look at a condition we have some familiarity with, diarrhea.

Diarrhea, not a word, we usually hear in daily conversation; however, many of us have experienced it. Perhaps, our frequent, urgent dashes to the nearest bathroom were the result of too much beer and hot wings or pizza the night before, possibly, the flu is flushing our system. For most of us in North America, diarrhea is a condition that will pass within a day or two; elsewhere diarrhea takes on a more sinister nature.

[caption id="attachment_15513" align="alignnone" width="200"] A woman is filling a bowl with a dirty, undrinkable water at Boromata's well. The Vakaga region, close to Sudan, suffers from a high incidence of environmental diseases. Rate of diarrhea, which was found to be high amongst children under 5, affects up to 50% of children per week.
Date 18 June 2007, 07:21[/caption]

According to Medilexicon's medical dictionary, diarrhea is "An abnormally frequent discharge of semisolid or fluid fecal matter from the bowel." Dehydration often accompanies diarrhea, especially if drinkable water is not near by or we, for whatever reason, do not consume enough to replace what we have loss.

Severe diarrhea may be life-threatening; young children and people who are malnourished or have impaired immunity are at the greatest risk.
The World Health Organization states: “Diarrhoea is one of the leading causes of death among children under five globally. More than one in ten child deaths – about 800 000 each year – is due to diarrhoea. Today, only 44% of children with diarrhoea in low-income countries receive the recommended treatment, and limited trend data suggest that there has been little progress since 2000.”

A study published , May 2011, in the Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal found: “An average of 369 diarrhea-associated deaths/year (3320 total deaths) occurred among US children 1 to 59 months of age during 1992-1998 and 2005-2006. The diarrhea-associated death rate increased 40% between the first 3 and last 2 years of the study period, from an average of 1.6 deaths per 100,000 to 2.3 deaths per 100,000.”

Malnutrition and diarrhea are linked because; for example, when a child is malnourished he or she is more susceptible to diarrhea, causing more frequent and more severe diarrheal episodes.

To complicate the situation further, when a child suffers a bout of diarrhea, the illness saps nutrients that young bodies desperately need. This becomes a vicious cycle that, unless, broken, often leads to death.

Sanitation and the state of the local water supply play a major role in this cycle, the next article will examine why and begin a look at what can be done and is being done to provide clean drinking water, where it is needed, around the world.