New Beginning
- A fabulous year for me. At 20, I married my love, Bill. I paid little attention to the economy, as long as we had money left on Friday for some fun!
In 1978 we built our first home. As we secured our first ever loan, we came to the shocking understanding of interest rates and inflation. Home ownership brought responsibility and now I had to pay attention. What if our interest rate rose? Or Bill or I lost our jobs? The oil crisis meant we spent more and more to drive.
Jimmy Carter was elected our 39th president in 1976 and he was charged with figuring all this out. I am not enough of a political expert to say whether he did well or not, but it was a scary time for everyone.
Jimmy Carter only served one term as president – and the economic problems during those years probably influenced that.
Jimmy Carter and his wife, Roselyn, may have had only one term in the White House, but they certainly did a lot after those years to help change the world. They used their position and influence to make a difference in many ways. They founded, with Emory University, The Carter Center, whose goal is to advance human rights and alleviate human suffering, including helping improve the quality of life for people in more than 80 countries.
The Carter Center has many projects including election monitoring, supporting locally led state-building and democratic institution-building in various countries, mediating conflicts between warring states, and intervening with heads of states on behalf of victims of human rights abuses. It also leads disease eradication efforts through awareness campaigns.
President and Mrs. Carter also work tirelessly with Habitat for Humanity, leading yearly efforts in many cities to build homes and raise awareness of the need for affordable housing.
What many would have considered an ending, they turned into a new beginning, their life-long mission to do good in this world.
This week the Carter Foundation announced that Jimmy Carter has entered hospice. At 98, he is the oldest living and the longest living president of the United States. A long life to do good.
Hospice is a program of services that provides comfort and care to patients who choose supportive treatments to treat their terminal illness when their disease is incurable. Typically, those entering hospice have a life expectancy less than six months.
Hospice care includes bereavement services. These services help the family to prepare for the loss of their loved one and prepare for their grief as they pass.
Heartlinks Grief Center’s parent organization is the not-for-profit organization, Family Hospice of Belleville, IL. Family Hospice of Belleville, IL has one of the best Medicare scores among hospice organizations and receives excellent ratings from the families served. See more at their website here: https://familyhospice.org/ And, Heartlinks Grief Center is here for those that need additional support in their grief journey.
As the world prepares to mourn the loss of Jimmy Carter, Nobel Peace Prize winner and supporter of so many humanitarian causes, it is comforting to know that his family will have support as they travel the path he has selected.
Heartlinks Grief Center provides grief support to all ages, regardless of ability to pay. If you are grieving or know someone who could use assistance on their grief journey, please contact Heartlinks Grief Center at 618-277-1800 or email support@myheartlinks.com.
Proceeds from the sale of my books are donated to help support Heartlinks Grief Center, a program of Family Hospice of Belleville, IL.
Be blessed,
Ellen
“We Grow Stronger Together”
Contact me at: Ellen Krohne or Ellen Krohne Author Facebook
Books are available on Amazon.com at the links below:
Heartbroken – Grief and Hope Inside the Opioid Crisis