Beirut, Abortion Clinic Sidewalk Save & More: Thirty Things that Caught My Eye Today — August 4, 2020

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3. ‘We share your pain’: Israel offers aid to Lebanon after Beirut port blast – Israel News – Haaretz.com

4.  Maronite Catholic priest concerned by potential shortages after Beirut blast

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6. On Yazidi genocide anniversary, failure to support survivors decried – The Jerusalem Post

7. Christians in India Face Stunning Ultimatum: Renounce Your Faith in Christ or have Family Beaten and Evicted from Home

8. Arson Experts and Police Investigate Fire Set at Catholic Church In Massachusetts Possibly Caused by Molotov Cocktail

9. Catholic Charities distribute nearly $400 million in emergency assistance during COVID-19 crisis

10. Kay Hymowitz: Disentangling the Effects of Family Structure on Boys and Girls

11. How Effective are Programs Supporting Unmarried, Nonresidential Fathers?

12. Pro-Family Leaders: Strengthen and Extend Emergency Paid Leave

13. Dangerous Restraints Were Routine at This Youth Home. Then a Black Teen Died.

14. Her Rapist Threatened to Make Her “Disappear.” Instead of Asylum, ICE Put Her in a Hotel and Sent Her Back.

15. Florida Adoptions Taking Place Despite COVID-19

16. Dad tells sidewalk counselor outside Illinois Planned Parenthood: ‘You guys changed our mind’

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“My brother and I were both placed into foster homes at a young age. He was lucky—he went to a family called the Ripleys. I went through four different homes in three years, and each one was worse than the next. I’d get to see my brother every few months. Ms. Ripley would take us for lunch at McDonalds, and that’s when she first noticed the scars all over my body. She immediately made arrangements for me to join their family. Back then the word ‘family’ didn’t mean much to me. But the Ripleys made me feel welcome in their home. Whenever I did something wrong, Ms. Ripley would sit me down and explain why it wasn’t OK. But then she’d say: ‘You’re not going anywhere. Because you belong to us now.’ Shortly after I joined the family, Mr. Ripley was diagnosed with cancer. And later that year he passed away. Ms. Ripley’s entire world fell apart. They’d been high school sweethearts. And now she was alone with two foster kids. Nobody would have blamed her for taking us back. But instead she took us to court and made it permanent. The three of us moved into a single wide trailer in Mississippi, and that’s where she raised us. She worked whatever odd jobs she could find. We never had much, but we went to movies. We had family game nights. She kept us busy with little league and Boy Scouts. She must have been super stressed, but that’s not at all what I remember. I just remember the affirmation that she gave me. It was always: ‘You’re smart.’ And ‘You’re handsome.’ And ‘You survived all that stuff because you’re strong.’ She cried when I joined the Marines, but she knew it was my best chance for a college education. And eventually I graduated from law school. Last year I had a daughter of my own. And that really put me into an emotional tailspin. Because I realized how every little choice I make is going to affect her future. And then I started thinking about how different my life could have been. Because my early development had been the opposite of what a child’s should be. I should be broken, but I’m not. Because thirty years ago my Mom decided to keep me. And somehow, despite all her sadness and heartbreak, she poured enough love into me so that I could heal.”

Via Humans of New York on Facebook

18. Joe Biden’s plan for universal preschool forgets key to children’s success: Parents.

19. Chicago Lawmaker Wants to Cancel History Classes ‘Until a Suitable Alternative Can Be Found’

20. Nursing home companies accused of misusing federal money received hundreds of millions of dollars in pandemic relief

21. One-Third of New York’s Small Businesses May Be Gone Forever – The New York Times

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23. The Million Masks of God: Henry Ossawa Tanner and the Art of Sympathy by Nathan Beacom

24. A little library in the forest connects neighbors during Covid-19

25. My friend Kelly Rosati, an adoption and mental-health advocate (we talked for NRI here), works for the Flying Horse Foundation in Colorado, that works with vulnerable children, using horse and other therapy. They’ve been bringing mini-donkeys from the ranch (I didn’t even know such a thing existed before COVID-19) to local senior homes, for a little joy.

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For more about the Sisters of Life: here

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This is precious and beautiful. And the backdrop is a treat, too.

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