First as a teen yourself.
Then as a parent of a teen.
Is there no manual?
Nothing to prepare you?
Once surrendered, surely there is something to help get through it.
Regardless of whether it is your first time – as a teen, or experiencing it from the other side, for a second time – as a parent.

On this day, I will commit
To finishing the race, no matter how far.

On this day, I will commit
To being honest with you.

On this day, I will commit
To not just one question, but rather two.

Commitment is not a subjective pledge.
Entrusting, binding, dedicating.
It restricts your freedom.
It is a state of being.
It is a reflection
Of your inner most desires.

Why didn’t the manufacturers of standard interior doors co-ordinate with the manufacturers of refrigerators so that we consumers would not have to remove doors and handles from both to bring new appliances into and our of our homes?

Seriously, why would a new fridge have a standard (read – thick that sticks out) 3-prong plug, while a 15-year old fridge has a flush-mount (read – lays flat against the wall) plug?

Why, oh why, does each new appliance need an adaptor to fit the piping/plumbing of the old one?  Haven’t they seen how many adaptors come with iPod players? It’s inspirational.

My new fridge is sitting empty, unplugged in my kitchen while my frozen food sits in a cooler.  Why?  Because if you have to tip the refigerator to get it into your house (uh, see the door issue above), then it must stand upright, unplugged for 6 to 8 hours to allow the Freon to settle, or so I am told.  Soggy pizza, anyone?  Oh, and if you get thirsty, I don’t have filtered water, so BYO.

- Robert Bloch

“Persistence. It’s that certain little spirit that compels you to stick it out just when you’re at your most tired. It’s that quality that forces you to persevere, find the route around the stone wall. It’s the immovable stubbornness that will not allow you to cave in when everyone says give up.”

- Estee Lauder

Most of the deaths in children under the age of five occur in developing countries. More specifically, 90% of worldwide deaths in children younger than 5 years occur in just 42 countries23 and the under-five mortality rate is increasingly concentrated in Africa and Asia. Combined, these two continents represent 93% of all under age five deaths with 51% in Africa and 42% in Asia.24 South-central Asia has the highest number of neonatal deaths (up to one month old), while sub-Saharan Africa has the overall highest rates up to age five.25 India, Nigeria, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Pakistan, and China are the specific countries that rank the highest in under age five mortality rates.26

Around the world, only seven countries are considered to be on track to meet MDG4. These countries are: Bangladesh, Brazil, Egypt, Indonesia, Mexico, Nepal and the Philippines.27

In these countries, the “Mama Bears” themselves may be weak, unable to protect their own. As seen in the animal kingdom, it is often up to the other females of the species to step in – those with the strength, health and resources – to protect and save the others’ young. It is in our biology to do so. And it is in the best interest of our species to do so now.

Fraction of all children born in developing countries that dies in the first month of life.10

2/3

The MDG4 hopes to reduce by two-thirds the mortality rate among children under five.11

Two-thirds of the under five deaths occur in just ten countries.11 Among those children who die as infants (up to two months old), almost two-thirds die in the first month of life. Of those who die in the first month of life, about two-thirds die in the first week of life. Of those who die in the first week, two-thirds die in the first twenty-four hours of life. 12

5

Age by which nearly 8.8 million children around the world will die in 2010.13

13

Number of times a child in a developing country is more likely to die by the age of five than a child in an industrialized country.14

21

Number of children under the age of five that die each and every minute.15

30

Number of times an Ethiopian child is times more likely to die by his or her fifth birthday than a child in Western Europe.16

60

Number of seconds that pass during which twenty-one more children under the age of five die around the world.17

99

Percentage of all newborn deaths that occur in the developing world.18

29,000

Number of children under the age of five that died yesterday.

Number of children that will die today.

Number of children will die tomorrow.19

8,800,000

Number of children born alive across the world who died before their fifth birthday in 2008.20

13,000,000

Number of children born alive across the world who died before their fifth birthday in 1990.21

1. Having been carried out or accomplished; finished: a done deed.

4. Informal Totally worn out; exhausted.

Idioms: done for Informal.  Doomed to death or destruction. done in

Informal Totally worn out; exhausted. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.