Towards the end of WWII, Elie Wiesel was among the 1.3 million prisoners who suffered under the oppression of the Nazi German concentration camp in Auschwitz. When the war ended and the allies freed the survivors, 1.1 of the 1.3 million prisoners had been killed. Wiesel was one of the small percentage of prisoners who walked out alive. Although he vowed to wait 10 years before writing about the horrors of Auschwitz, he knew his story needed to be told so the world would not forget the inhumanity and suffering of his people. The banning of the book 'Night' by Elie Wiesel is a difficult pill for me to swallow. I am well aware of the fact that this memoir is detailed and descriptive. Discussing the Holocaust is not a light topic and, in my opinion, should not be taken lightly. Before we know it, the small number of Holocaust survivors will be obsolete. If we stop talking about inhumanity, if we stop reading about the Holocaust because we don't like the violence or feel the memoirs written by survivors condone violence, I feel that we are doing a great disservice to mankind. I think Wiesel said it best in his acceptance speech for the 1986 Nobel Prize. "We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. Sometimes we must interfere. When human lives are endangered, when human dignity is in jeopardy, national borders and sensitivities become irrelevant. Wherever men or women are persecuted because of their race, religion, or political views, that place must – at that moment – become the center of the universe." #bannedbooks2017

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'A Light in the Attic,' Shel Silverstein's book of poems – a classic if you ask me – was banned due to concerns that it promotes violence and disrespect. I'm guessing they didn't like my favorite Silverstein poem: Hug O' War I will not play at tug o' war I'd rather play at hug o' war, Where everyone hugs Instead of tugs Where everyone giggles And rolls on the rug, Where everyone kisses And everyone grins And everyone cuddles And everyone wins. #bannedbooksweek2017

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Banned Books Week is here. I love the awareness this debate brings and always find the reasoning behind wanting to ban a book quite intriguing. I think most people would be surprised by the books that have been on the list. The ALA (American Library Association) reported that, "One of the most challenged books on record is the Harry Potter series, which topped the aggregated 2000-2009 ranking of the decade." Harry Potter? The lightning bolt scarred, butterbeer drinking, broken glasses wearing wizard, who became every nerd"s hero, was hexed over and over again. I'm not lying people. Google it. Hermione Granger, a mere half wizard/half muggle who loves books and libraries, quickly became my favorite in the series. She didn't believe in breaking rules but she got the banned book boot. In 1999, the book was challenged 472 times. It rose to 646 in 2000. 17 years later, the books are still being challenged, making it the #1 challenged book of all time in the US. I'd like to raise a glass of butterbeer (does not contain alcohol) to all of my HP friends who bravely read and loved J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. #freedomofspeech

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A sleepy boy . . .

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As you can see from this very fuzzy photo of Beckerman, he absolutely, positively loved every second of my forcing him to wear a Coca-Cola 12 can box. #iamameanie #beckermanmojibailey

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😊

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"Our lives are like quilts bits and pieces, joy and sorrow, stitched with love." I recently walked into my tv room, sat down on the couch, reached for my book on the coffee table and then noticed this beautiful table runner. My sweet mom's amazing sewing ability, beautiful hand and needlework, wool work expertise, mad quilting skills, fun touches of seasonal decor, and overall art and craft capabilities are endless. I treasure every handmade gift she's bestowed upon me. In fact, I still have the very first doll she made for me 40 years ago. It's a Raggedy Ann doll complete with a red, hand-stitched heart and the date of my heart operation. Although it is gently tucked away in my box of treasures, I find that my level of gratitude for such an intimate and heartwarming gift grows stronger as I age and become more aware and appreciative of family, love, and tender mercies. I'm not sure my mom will ever truly know how much her thoughtful gifts mean to me, especially because there is no end to her selfless love and service. She will quietly load and unload my dishwasher when I've had a hard time getting out of bed. She'll put the clothes I left in the washing machine into the dryer. She'll bring down a plate of warm cookies and leave them on my counter. She'll clean my bathroom when she knows I've been sick or am in pain or am struggling with both. She and my dad are angels who reside 12 steps above me. I think it's fairly evident to state that life isn't easy- it has never been and it never will be. Every single human being on this earth has adversity. Everyone hurts. Everyone has pain. Unfortunately, this is easily forgotten when anger, frustration and other forms of negativity slap, kick and punch us repeatedly. I, myself, am guilty of disregarding the need for humanity which is why I'm grateful I have parents who remind me to stay the course with their kind, patient, and compassionate service. If I am able to retain even the smallest portion of their goodness, I just might have a shot at surviving this gig. I may even go as far as becoming one of the angels living among us. #notsorryforthelength #writingisexcellenttherapy

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When your cousin calls and says she won a bunch of Real Salt Lake swag but isn't going to use it since they aren't soccer fans, you: A. Berate her for not loving the world's greatest sport. B. Grab the goods and run. C. After a short minute of wondering how anyone could actually hate soccer, give her a bad time and graciously accept the goods.

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