Strategically approaching our issues - the Sun Tzu way

Sun Tzu (Chinese: 孫子; Pinyin: Sūn Zǐ; ca 6th century BC) was the author of The Art of War - a book written so long ago - and yet just as important today as it was thousands of years ago in just about every aspect of our lives.

Stanley Bing (Wall Street Journal) summarized the book perfectly today - "Ripeness is all. That is, he or she who takes a strategic approach to business life -- who is fit in mind, body and spirit, who is always ready for just about anything -- is the player most likely to win the ongoing war that is life. The true Sun Tzu-nik is so prepared for battle that battle has been rendered unnecessary."

Being a devout Sun Tzu-nik myself, I believe that if we act proactively and swiftly to handle every issue in this state from dropouts to the uninsured - we can get something done. There is no room for procrastination or indolence – good preparation is the key to accomplishment. We need to make our list of priorities and then act on them – one by one.

Education – health – economic development – three important issues that we as a state must address now.

Teddy Bears that Bring Honor and Respect to People in Need

I received the loveliest gift – a precious little pink teddy bear with beautiful little black stitched eyes and a darling pink stitched nose. She had a note attached that said, "I came to hug you and hold you, because I always go where Love takes me...to You!"

And of course, you know the rest, I immediately hugged her tight and felt all the warmth and good fuzzies I remembered when hugging my own little teddy as a little girl.

This darling teddy – that now resides on my desk – was made by Kay Lavonne Crider, the kind and caring Founder/Director of BearHugs Foundation in Huffman, Texas. She says, “After retiring from the medical profession, in which I would give away little bears to our patients, BearHugs Foundation was born. We give away sweet, soft bears to any segment of society where nurturing can uplift and inspire life. As a mother of 4 and grandmother of 9, my life has been varied and speckled with many wonderful experiences, some sad and some exhilarating."

"The duration of BearHugs Foundation is perpetual, and is formed as a multi-dimensional social service, charitable, and educational non-profit organization that provides nurturing comfort to children and adults. Our mission is, "To Nurture and Inspire Life." The Spirit of BearHugs is gifting a small bear to patients in hospitals, assisted-full care facilities, hospices, protection services, families, other like-minded charitable organizations, our Military, and any situation where nurturing can bring comfort through-out our community."

To begin her project, she selected an assisted-full care facility in Kingwood, Texas called, Eden Terrace. “This is an extraordinary place with exceptional caring and helpful staff. Through our discussions we learned the importance of embroidery eyes on our bears, for safety reasons, (so we found a special manufacturer that had sweet little bears with embroidery eyes). Also, we organized a training/orientation program for children-teens, adults and families to learn to give out bears”, Crider said.

We already need more bears as we have grown very rapidly since December!! Everyone need a bear hug, don’t they?

Recipients of our bears who desire to "share their bear story" will have the opportunity to do so in our newsletter, which later will be published in books. Children will have the opportunity to write books for other children. Movies and DVD's will tell "bear stories" of how lives were uplifted. While our bears nurture the Spirit our bodies can use nurturing as well so we plan a store of nurturing products.

Our bears come to bring Honor and Respect to the individual, not because of "need" but more because the heart deserves. BearHugs hopes to build a volunteer staff that has the same loving and nurturing personality that Crider does.

To contact her, call Kay Lavonne Crider at 281-360-5860