Defining A Soul Mate

This is the one term I am sure I will spend the rest of my life trying to explore, digest and decipher. I do not know if I will ever stumble upon the correct definition, and I do not know if I will ever feel every inch of the ground that the word spreads itself upon. What I do know, is that I do not know. And with that said, I would like to share the bit of what I think I know.

People will be what they are the best way they know how to be. Like life, they will evolve; they will change. But throughout the years, the lessons, the mistakes, the laughs and accompanying tears, they will be the unique individuals a small part of them painted into their innermost cells of self. Their souls will be their maps, despite what words and wisdom they gained from sources outside their own bodies.

They will not go to the Metropolitan Opera because of their undying passion for classical music. They will not go to impress the cloud of pretentious faces in their ball gowns, their bow-ties and skin glistening with sweat and diamonds. They will go because there will be something in that theater that calls to them. Something in that Opening Night advertisement that speaks to them. Something in Cecilia Bartoli’s voice that grabs them by the throats and allows for no satisfying breath until they step foot into that theater. It will not be a simple pleasure or want or even need. It will be a natural inclination to answer a call.

But who will be placing that call?

That is the question which I do not know the answer to. Maybe it is fate that points its light in the right direction, or a spirit that displays for us the paths on which we need to embark. Or maybe, a ghost. Maybe it is nature. Maybe it is something in the water we drink. I do not know. What I do know, what I am absolutely sure of, is that it exists. And with its existence, we are endowed with the obligation to follow the paths that it, whatever it is, displayed for us.

And sometimes a sign will point to a slight left, onto a road that dances with sunlight and good intentions. But you won’t take that road. Nor will you take the road on the right, or the road straight ahead. Sometimes there will be a small path just an inch away from all the visible paths and the seemingly obvious directions. Maybe it will be a direction all on its own, without hiding under the signatures of North, South, East or West. It will be overlooked and it will seem hidden, but some sort of savage in you will seek a duel with your fate and you will head down that road into the darkness that blankets the unknown, simply because you just know you’re not supposed to be on it.

But you are.

It is in those instances where you’ll think you are flirting with the dangers of your own destiny. But in reality, that destiny, fate, ghost, water – whatever it is – put that path there. It may have been hidden. It may have been overlooked. But it was there. And that is all it could have done; to just have been. The way you just are. No questions. No justifications.

So in recognizing that there is something guiding us, what significance do soul mates hold? Who the hell are they and where can I find mine at my quickest convenience? I haven’t gained any knowledge since beginning this essay, so my answer is still “I do not know.” But I think that our soul mates are very real, and that they are just being the way they are, the same way we are trying to just be. I do not know the process in which a soul mate is welcomed into our lives. I do not know how love works. I do not know how it operates and why it displays for us the tragedies and majesties that it does, all in such a compressed time frame. I cannot say that a man who makes you laugh so hard and so full of heart is the same man who can bear the title of your soul’s mate. I cannot say that that same man, who is able to exhale your breath without losing his own, can be deemed the man that destiny welcomed into the world for you. I do not know how it works.

But what I do think, what I truly believe, is that if for a moment you experience something you cannot put into words; if that man upon his first meeting you is able to strike a nerve or a chord that you didn’t know you harbored in your skin, listen to it. Hold onto it. If when laying in his arms you feel a warmth you would have never dreamt in even your coldest nightmares, cherish it. Because he may very well be your soul mate. He will not come with the packaging or the embellishments or a “Soul Mate” sticker on his forehead. He will not know what he is to you. You might not know what he is to you, or the full extent of what he means to you. But you will know that he is something important; something truly, very special. He will just be, and you will just be, and together you’ll just be who you are, bettered by what you both have been. It is simple and its simplicity will make it complex. It will be beautiful and sometimes it will be tragic. It’ll be dangerous and disgusting and stimulating and vibrating with all the extravagance and pureness of a simple touch: Love.

Deep down, I truly believe these people that gift us with these unforgettable feelings and moments are unforgettable all on their own. Do I think there is one soul mate for everyone? Do I think there will only be one person out there that will take you outside of your skin just to feel your own heart? Maybe. I do not know. If we just are, and they just are, and life just is, there really cannot be an answer for how we are, how we operate, and (the most painful question) why we are. Maybe my destiny is not his, maybe your fate is not mine. Maybe your ghost is my water and his future is my past. Maybe there is no answer and there will never be one and this essay is nothing but a bruise on all brilliant minds. Water to quench a fool’s thirst. Solace to the hopeless romantics drowning in a stranger’s comforting words on a lonely, Friday night. I still, really, do not know. I do not know anything.

Ending note:

I think soul mates are real and few. The way we are and the way we love will one day, somehow, connect with the way someone else is and how they love. And if those two fates interlace and love and bed and share meals and kids and remote controls; then that is beautiful. And if it does not turn out that way, it is still beautiful. I think the existence and the thought of that one person is a marvelous justification all on its own. How we go about thinking about them, imagining them, finding them, keeping them, or letting them go, is not a matter of defining a “soul mate.” We call that a love story. Life gives birth to our blessings, our fortunes, and the people who can provide them for us. We simply return the generosity by giving life our stories.

Easy and Family Pleasing Dinner Recipe

Spice-Rubbed Beer-Can Chicken with Potatoes and Sweet Peppers

Time: 1 hour and 15 minutes

1 3 1/2- to 4-pound chicken

Kosher salt and ground black pepper

1 cup mayonnaise

1 1/2 tablespoons madras curry powder or your favorite spice mix

Hot sauce, to taste

1 can beer

1 pound fingerling potatoes, halved lengthwise

2 large red, orange or yellow bell peppers, quartered and deseeded

Olive oil

Lime wedges, for serving

Chopped basil, for serving.

1. Prepare grill for indirect heat: if using gas, heat one side to medium high for 10 minutes, leaving other side off. If using charcoal, mound and light coals on one side.

2. Season chicken generously inside and out with salt and pepper. Mix mayonnaise with spices and hot sauce to taste. Slather all but 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise mixture over chicken, including cavity.

3. Open beer and drink or pour out half. Lower chicken over can so that can is inside chicken cavity. Chicken should be upright. Place chicken on unlit side and cover grill. Cook for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, toss potatoes with remaining mayonnaise and a pinch of salt. Toss peppers with olive oil, salt and pepper.

4. When chicken has cooked for 30 minutes, set potatoes on grill, also on unlit side. If using charcoal, add more coals. Let both cook for 30 minutes more. When done, potatoes should be soft and golden; chicken skin should be brown (around 75 minutes, depending on your grill). If necessary, move both to lighted side to brown further.

5. When chicken is done, very carefully remove can (hold chicken with tongs and use an oven mitt to pull out can). Let chicken rest for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, grill peppers for about 2 to 3 minutes each side.

6. Carve chicken and garnish with lime wedges and basil before serving with potatoes and peppers.

Yield: 4 servings.

New Treatment for ‘Sleeping Beauty’ Syndrome?

Do you ever just feel like falling asleep? Most days I fight that mid-day urge to nap! UGHH!

Most of us have experienced it: that dull, dragging semi-conscious state of deadened awareness and desperate urge to nap that comes from sleep deprivation. For people with primary hypersomnia, however, this is the way they go through life, constantly feeling only half-awake but never able to get enough good sleep to arise truly refreshed. Also known as “Sleeping Beauty Syndrome,” the condition leaves those with the worst cases languishing in bed in what seems like the opposite of a fairy tale, without a prince’s kiss to cure them.

But a new study, published in Science Translational Medicine, suggests both a possible cause and a potential treatment for the condition, which may ultimately lead to treatments for other sleep disorders. The origin of primary hypersomnia, which has some genetic components is still unknown, as is the number of people who are affected by it.

One particularly striking form of the disease, Kleine-Levin syndrome, produces such tiredness and sleep-drunkenness that people are unable to attend school or work. In males, it can include hypersexual behavior, compulsive masturbation, a desire for promiscuous sex or making inappropriate sexual advances, all while in a sleepy, semi-conscious state.

In the latest study, researchers led by David Rye of Emory University in Atlanta studied 10 men and 22 women seeking treatment for primary hypersomnia. In the patients’ spinal fluid, the scientists discovered a previously uncharacterized chemical that stimulates the GABA-A receptor. This receptor is best known as the site where sleep-inducing drugs like Valium and Xanax have their effects, since activating GABA-A receptors can result in drowsiness.

The finding suggested a possible treatment. A drug, known as flumanezil can treat Valium and Xanax overdoses or to reverse the effects of related compounds used in anesthesia. Could it block or reverse the effects of the unknown agent that was activating GABA-A receptors in primary hypersomnia?

The authors conducted a brief placebo controlled trial with seven patients—including one with Kleine-Levin symptoms — to find out. Indeed, injections of flumanezil improved the participants’ ability to pay attention and remain alert. One participant has now taken the drug daily for four years.

“Although her nightly sleep duration remained at 9 to 10 hours, she nearly always awakened refreshed without an alarm and daytime sleepiness was markedly reduced,” the researchers write.

Further research is needed to see whether flumanezeil or a similar drug can be an effective treatment for primary hypersomnia. And more studies are needed to understand the chemical in these patients that is influencing the GABA-A receptors in the first place. Figuring out what it is and how it changes with normal sleep and wake cycles might also lead to the discovery of better drugs to treat not just “sleeping beauties” but abnormal sleepiness and insomnia as well.

Photo of the Day

Camel Thorn Trees, Namibia

Tinted orange by the morning sun, a soaring dune is the backdrop for the hulks of camel thorn trees in Namib-Naukluft Park.

A Church-Shaped Hole in Our Lives

One common dilemma today is this: Knowing what we now know — from geology, cosmology, and evolutionary biology — many people find it just impossible to believe in any kind of supernatural entity. At the same time, however, many atheists regret no longer having the comforts and psychological benefits that stem from religion.

This is just as true of high-brow philosophers as it is of the rest of us. Thinkers as varied as the American Ronald Dworkin and the German Jürgen Habermas have written recently of the need for “religion without God.” What they mean is that the churches used to provide, and still do provide for believers, the basis of a moral community, where people can share not just their supernatural beliefs but also very Earthly virtues which provide satisfaction and a sense of meaning in lives. This is something almost all of us want — religious or not.

The alternatives are limited but by no means non-existent. One initiative is going strong in Great Britain and Australia, and was launched recently in the United States. It is called Sunday Assembly, and under this scheme, groups of atheists in any one locality meet in a hall (and sometimes in “off-duty” churches) for a couple of hours on a Sunday. There is music, songs are sung (pop songs, “standards,” not hymns), and there are speeches (definitely not sermons), readings from literature, and debate. Usually some modern ethical or modern dilemma is aired, and the various members of the group speak out. The aim of the “services” is to be both enjoyable and serious at the same time and to introduce like-minded atheists to others in their area.

So far as atheism is concerned, there is the Atheist Book Club, Atheism Unleashed, Anti-Theist, and — most relaxed — Atheism TGIF. These groups by no means exhaust what is available. There are national and local organizations of varying sizes, from the American Secular Union to the Atheist Community of Austin, Texas, to the Humanist Community Project at Harvard, Massachusetts. People lose their faith in a variety of ways and it has never been easier to find those in your own area who have similar concerns.

In my own case, I went back to Friedrich Nietzsche, who famously declared, in 1882, “God is dead!” — adding that we had killed him — and I worked forward from there, focusing on well-known thinkers (painters, playwrights, poets, psychologists, philosophers) who have in their work addressed this very problem: how to live without God, and still to find meaning in our lives.

I can’t claim to have found any one overriding answer or substitute. Indeed, that is one defining characteristic of the modern condition, that there is no one overbearing idea that will do for all of us. Instead, what you find when you survey the large number of people who have sought to address this matter — Henrik Ibsen, August Strindberg, George Santayana, William James, Wallace Stevens, Eugene O’Neill, Franz Kafka, James Joyce, among others — is that they have all concluded that if there is no afterlife, which they accept cannot be, we must attempt to make our lives on Earth as intense as possible: This is the only meaning we can have.

People as varied as Virginia Woolf, Marcel Proust, Sigmund Freud, George Bernard Shaw, and W. B. Yeats, in addition to those mentioned earlier, all shared the idea that life cannot be lived at maximum intensity all the time, that intensity is possible only in “moments of pure being” (Woolf), moments bienheureux (Proust), or “flashes of spiritual value” (Ibsen), but that we should observe closely the world around us, so as to maximize the occurrence of these precious moments.

An allied theme is summed up by a delicious phrase used by the Spanish poet, Frederick García Lorca, who referred to “the angel in our cheek,” meaning that the poet’s power of words, his or her ability to draw attention to the details of the particular, helps slow the world down as it otherwise rushes past. This too is how we help intensify our lives. The great abstractions of existence — capitalism, say, or evolution, or the expanding universe — are no more consequential in our lives than, as Gide insisted, “the voluptuousness of objects.”

The great American poet, Wallace Stevens, agreed, but was wittier. “A poet,” he said, “looks out on the world rather like a man looks at a woman.” Not politically correct any more, but a lovely metaphor for how to get the most out of this life.

CHRISTMAS AND INTERNATIONAL CHILD ABDUCTION: HAGUE SECRETARY GENERAL PRAISES THE I CARE FOUNDATION'S GROUNDBREAKING TRAVEL CONSENT FORM TO STOP GLOBAL ABDUCTION

Global citizenship is something that is embraced by so many people in today's society.  Individuals from different countries that travel abroad and many times these individuals meet someone and enter into a relationship that results in a child... our most precious gift.  Relationships today can have a lot of challenges and unfortunately many end in separation or divorce.  When a multi-cultural relationships ends this way it is not uncommon for the non-national individual to want to take the child and permanently relocate back to their country of origin.  However, it is not unrealistic to think that the other parent is not going to allow this to happen, so all too often the parent that is wanting to leave creates an elaborate plan that enables them to illegally remove the child from the country despite any court orders or the other parent's wishes.  This is the nightmare that is the world of international parental child abduction.

The Christmas holiday season brings about a dramatic increase in the international parental child abduction cases around the world.  Would-be abducting parents will use the holidays as a time to implement their schemes that they have been planning for weeks or even months.  Sadly, most targeted parents are not aware that these schemes are underway until it's too late.  It is imperative that we do everything that we can to ensure children are protected from abduction because the reality is, that children of abduction, regardless if they are taken by a stranger or a parent, are emotionally, spiritually, and often severely physically abused.  Once a child is kidnapped there is no guarantee that they will be coming home. Too many children never come home: they can't. They're gone forever.

In order to protect against international child abduction schemes that revolve around the wrongful detention of a child, the I CARE Foundation has created the International Travel Child Consent Form.  With an estimated 85% of all international parental abductions dealing with a child being wrongful detained in a foreign country, it is geared at potentially preventing the majority of these types of parental kidnappings.

In the short time that this ground-breaking abduction prevention tool has been in use, not only has it made an enormous impact in the world of international child abduction, but it has also been acknowledged by major child abduction prevention stakeholders around the world, including Hague Conference on Private International Law Secretary General Mr. Christophe Bernasconi, who stated:

"I have had the possibility to look at the travel form and must say that I am impressed: this is the most comprehensive document of its kind that I have seen so far and there is little doubt in my mind that this is a most valuable and important effort to prevent child abduction. I applaud your efforts and wish to congratulate you and your team . . . It is really impressive to see how quickly your international travel child consent form has started to yield practical results and how well you monitor its operation - this really is remarkable."

Peter Thomas Senese, the I CARE Foundation's Executive Director, reports on the success of the Travel Consent Form thus far:

To the best of our knowledge, since the creation of the I CARE Foundation's International Travel Child Consent Form, all children traveling abroad from Hague Convention signatory countries who were expected to return to their country of original jurisdiction have come home. There have actually been several cases where one parent initially refused to sign the International Travel Child Consent Form, and in each of those cases, the overseeing judge would not permit travel.  At that point additional measures were put into place in order to prevent a future parental abduction.

It is critical for all parents who are allowing a child to travel abroad to understand is that there are numerous traps and schemes that a would-be abductor will use in order to legally keep a child abroad. Most of these schemes revolve around Articles 12 and 13 of the Hague Convention of the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. Defending against these potential strategies is critical. It is the thrust of the I CARE Foundation's International Travel Child Consent Form.  And with tens of thousands of children around the world targeted for international parental abduction each year, our travel consent form may be the most effective tool that could help prevent abduction or help return a child to their country of original jurisdiction under the spirit of Article 2 of the Hague Convention.

For those parents that are allowing or are required to allow a child to travel to a foreign country need to strongly consider having the other parent sign the International Travel Child Consent Form.  Should that parent not be willing to, this is a very serious warning sign that they may be planning an abduction.

While we are on the topic of warning signs, knowing the WARNING SIGNS of international parental child abduction, as well as knowing what to do if an international parental child abduction is in progress is vital in being able to protect children from international abduction. The truth is, all parents should be aware of the these things, but If you should happen to be a parent in a high-conflict relationship, especially if your partner has ties abroad, you would be considered in a category of extreme risk.

For at risk parents... those parents that are involved in child custody disputes, separation or divorce... you must be proactive in protecting your children.  Often, parents that are involved in international child custody disputes and who may be targeted for abduction think that their child is best protected from abduction when there is a court agreement in place for the child to return if the other parent is granted travel.  The truth is that unless there is an International Travel Child Consent Form that has immediate ramifications attached to it, the parent and child targeted for abduction are at serious risk. 

Hague Conference Secretary General Christophe Bernasconi Urges Parents To Use The International Travel Child Consent Form To Protect Children From Abduction:

While the winter holiday season is often one which presents many opportunities for festive family celebrations, it is also a period in which sadly more parental child abductions occur. As a result, it is more important than ever to take steps to prevent the wrongful removal of children so that abductions which are covered by the Hague Convention of 25 October 1980 on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction do not occur in the first place.

Prevention can be achieved in several ways. For example, when one parent intends to travel with his or her child without the other parent, the other parents consent to the travel should first be obtained. One of the ways a parent can demonstrate that they have the approval of the other non-travelling parent is by having him or her sign a clear, comprehensive travel consent form which includes a statement that the non-travelling parent agrees to the travel but also that the child is to return to his/her place of habitual residence on or before a specific date. A model travel consent form for this purpose has recently been developed by the I CARE Foundation and is, I understand, already widely used by parents in various jurisdictions. Use of the I CARE Foundation's comprehensive Hague-centric travel form that addresses key aspects of the Hague Child Abduction Convention pertaining to a child's international travel are central to protecting against a child's wrongful retention abroad.  The I CARE Foundation's International Travel Child Consent form and similar comprehensive models deserve further encouragement so as to prevent child abduction and perhaps even limit instances of child trafficking in general.

The Hague Conference on Private International Law, the Secretariat for the Hague Child Abduction Convention, wishes the I CARE Foundation and its constituents a happy holiday season and hopes that precautions such as the one described above are able to prevent unnecessary anxiety and trauma for parents and children who are affected by holiday travel plans.

With Best Wishes,
Christophe Bernasconi, Secretary General
The Hague Conference on Private International Law

A recent press release regarding the International Travel Child Consent Form not only shares the support from Secretary General Bernasconi but also other top lawyers and judges from around the world.  You can view this release HERE.

A Parental Abductor's Scheme:

As part of a would-be abducting parent's scheme, their lives become filled with deceit.  As part of their elaborate plan for abduction, the would-be abducting parent may create a facade of being happily married and committed to their relationship, all while planning on how to get the child abroad.

A common scenario might be for the would-be abductor to state that it would be nice if they could travel to their country of origin for what might appear to be a family vacation to visit a sibling or parents over the holidays.  When the family arrives in the foreign country, the would-be abducting parent may file false claims of abuse and neglect against the other parent.  Once this is done, they notify the other parent that they and the child will not be returning back to the country of original jurisdiction.  At this point, the targeted parent is generally forced to return back home without their child where they then need to seek legal assistance.

Multiple studies have shown that an unprecedented number of abductions have occurred where one parent took action to deprive the other parent of contact with their child. The majority of abducting parents typically use the child as a tool to cause the targeted parent great pain and suffering. Their intent is simple: to make the other parent suffer as much as possible by depriving that targeted parent with the love and connection to their own child. Nearly every published study on this subject has concluded that an abducting parent has significant, and typically, long-term psychological problems and may in fact be a danger to their child.

This is the reality for hundreds of  thousands of families.  However, we can stop parental abduction.  Awareness is the key.

Protecting Children: U.S. Abduction Rates Decline & Abduction Prevention Programs

The I CARE Foundation commenced formal operations in 2011 with the mission to protect children from abduction.  Since that time there has been a dramatic decline in the rate of reported abductions originating from the United States.  The fact of the matter is we are not alone in our efforts, however there is no question that our outreach efforts have made a incredible impact on the lives of the families that we have voluntarily assisted.

In 2011 it was forecasted that there would be a 25% increase in the abduction rate, but in reality, the reported rate of U.S. outbound abductions declined by over 15%. The following year, 2012, had the actual reported abduction rate drop by over 16%.  What is most remarkable here is that these declines come after nearly 30 years of growth in the international parental child abduction rate. It is anticipated that we will see another significant decline in the abduction rates for 2013.

Although worldwide abduction rates have not been reported since 2008, this has little to do with the Permanent Bureau of the Hague Conference, but instead a failure by signatory countries to report their inbound and outbound abduction rate. However, it is believed that the global rate of abduction continues to steadily climb out disturbing rates. With the worldwide launch and utilization of the I CARE Foundation's International Travel Child Consent Form, there is the expectation that the actual global rate of abduction will start to decline.

There are two programs that are available to U.S. parent citizens that may aid in the prevention of their U.S. child citizen from being internationally abducted.  

The Children's Passport Issuance Alert Program (CPIAP) is one of the Department of State's most important tools for preventing international parental child abduction. Parents are able to register their U.S. citizen children under the age of 18 in the Passport Lookout System.  If at some point a passport application is submitted for a child that is registered in the CPIAP, the Department of State contacts and alerts the parent(s).  This system provides the parent(s) with advance warning of possible plans for international travel with the child.

The Charleston Passport Center is responsible for administering the Children's Passport Issuance Alert Program:

U.S. Department of State
Passport Services, Charleston Passport Center
Attn: Children's Passport Issuance Alert Program
1269 Holland Street, Building D
Charleston, SC 29405

E-mail: ChildrensPassports@state.govPhone: 1-888-407-4747
Fax: 843-746-1827

The Prevent Departure Program (PDP) is another critical tool used in the fight to protect children from international abduction.  In the past, American parents at risk of having a child illegally removed from the United States had to deal with the reality that it was extremely difficult to stop an international child abduction if the other parent possessed a right of American citizenship (sole or dual citizenship). Part of the problem is that the United States has limited exit controls and government published information regarding programs that could be utilized to stop international parental child abduction such as the Prevent Departure Program require a suspected international parental child abductor to not have a right of American Citizenship, among a host of other requirements.

Today, parents who are at risk of having a child internationally abducted by a parent who possesses citizenship to the United States of America or who has dual citizenship may be able to protect their children from abduction.

If you should happen to be an at-risk parent that believes your child's other parent is planning or is in the process of an international parental abduction, please contact the United States Department of State's Office of Children's Issues Abduction Prevention Bureau to discuss potential measures that may be available to you to ensure the individual parent suspected of an international child abduction threat does not illegally depart the United States and remove your child in violation of a court order or in breach of your right of custody.

Similarly, be sure to contact the Office of Children's Issues Prevention Bureau to discuss if there are potential prevention techniques unique to your case that may allow the Department of State to work with other federal agencies so to secure your child is not a victim of international parental child abduction.

Individuals that are seeking the assistance of the Department of State and the implementation of the Prevent Departure Program should make sure that they have the following information ready to submit to the Office of Children's Issues:

1. Full name, date, place of birth of Potential taking parent.
2. Full name, date, place of birth of Potential left behind parent (and PLBP’s contact info, including a surface address).
3. Passport number and issuing country (if available, and not U.S.) for both parents.
4. Full name of child.
5. Date, place of birth of child.
6. U.S. passport number of child.
7. Passport number and issuing country of any dual national passport of child (if available).
8. Copy of court order with travel restrictions.
9. Full contact details, including a 24/7 phone and email (to email court documents, we do not have after hours fax access), for law enforcement contact.
10. Details of potential travel plans.

To contact the Department of State's Office of Children's Issues Prevention Bureau please contact:

The United States Department of State
Office Of Children's Issues
Abduction Prevention Bureau
CA/OCS/CI
SA-17, 9th Floor
Washington, DC 20522-1709
Phone: 1-888-407-4747   or   202-501-4444
Email: prevention@state.gov

To contact the I CARE Foundation concerning abduction matters please email us at legal@stopchildabduction.org. 

Outside of the I CARE Foundation's International Travel Child Consent Form, the United States government and agencies such as the Department of State continue their remarkable work attempting to protect children from international parental child abduction.

In fact, it is estimated that the Department of State successfully requests placement of 8-10 individuals on the Prevent Departure Program each and every month while also overseeing an estimated 60 applications for the Passport Issuance Alert Program.  The work that the Department of State does with these programs has played a major role in the 15% and 16% decline in international parental child abduction rates during the past two years.

According to a recent report from the Department of Justice, children who are kidnapped by a parent face severe physical abuse... but not only that, they are also put at an extreme risk of being murdered by their own parent.

In fact, Dr. Phillip Resnick, the Director of Forensic Psychiatry at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland stated in an article that was published by the Denver Post a few years ago about parental child killing, “Historically, one out of 33 homicides is a parent killing a child younger than 18.” Dr. Resnick, who conducted a study on filicide in 2005 states “Filicide, the deliberate act of a parent killing his or her own child, is the third-leading cause of death in American children ages 5 to 14.”

Filicide, a parent murdering their own child!  This is certainly not a topic that anyone would like to discuss but we really need to. We need to bring awareness to something that is so unbelievably horrific!  According to the Denver Post reports, “Researchers estimate 250 to 300 children are murdered by their parents each year in the U.S.  Filicide occurs everywhere.  It is definitely not a phenomenon isolated within American borders.  Simply put, parents do kill children!  And we can’t put our head in the sand and think this does not exist.

Parental child abduction is a serious crime.  When a child is abducted they must be immediately considered to be in great danger!

Peter Thomas Senese: Testimonials Regarding His Work Helping Children and Families In Crisis

Clearly, protecting children from parental abduction requires an indefatigable commitment to stand unbowed so children and their families may never know the nightmare that is the world of international abduction.  Peter Thomas Senese has proven time and again that he is deeply committed to his goal of preventing child abduction.

There are numerous sworn testimonial letters from individuals regarding the advocacy and volunteer work that Peter does each and every day.  Many of these letters are related to recovering and bringing home children who were abducted or who were targeted for abduction, however there are also several letters that share his deep desire for helping others who may be facing severe medical issues.

Ultimately, each one of these sworn letters shares not only a little insight, but also a unique perspective of who Peter Thomas Senese is.

Not only is ‘Chasing The Cyclone’ educating others about the crisis at hand, a call-to-arms accurately fitting the bill, but it is a story that’s publication has had a major impact on society. Specifically, Peter Thomas Senese has donated 100% of his book royalties to the I CARE Foundation, a not-for-profit child abduction prevention organization that is doing some truly remarkable things to help protect children and parents targeted for abduction.

Unquestionably, Mr. Senese has taken a great leadership role in the area of child abduction prevention as exemplified by the numerous widely distributed research studies he has authored . . . Mr. Senese’s leadership put forth in creating a national network of attorneys willing to come to the aid of parents and children targeted for abduction is remarkable.

A week after my son's abduction, I contacted Peter Thomas Senese, as he is well respected in the world of international child abduction prevention.  Peter told me that I needed to be patient, and that it may take a few months, but that he (the I CARE Foundation) would bring my son home by the end of the summer. His words were not simply words. They were met by incredible actions. I am thrilled to say that today my young, defenseless son is safe at home here in the United States after a four month long nightmare of global abduction that offered no realistic hope or possibility of me ever reuniting with him if it were not for Mr. Senese’s remarkable efforts. My son is home today because a miracle was needed . . . and that miracle showed up in Peter Thomas Senese . . .

Chasing The Cyclone: How To Prevent A Child From Being Abducted

Peter Thomas Senese, author of the critically-acclaimed novel 'Chasing The Cyclone,' about a father searching for his internationally abducted son, has had a far-reaching social impact.  It is being called both a call-to-arms against the wide-spread epidemic of international child kidnapping, as well referred to as a blue-print on how to either prevent a child from being abducted, or how to reunite with your child.

In addition, Chasing The Cyclone has enabled something remarkable: it has helped reunite children with their parents, as Peter Thomas Senese has so generously donated 100% of his author royalties to the I CARE Foundation.

To quote Peter Thomas Senese,  "The I CARE Foundation is actively trying to reunite other children who have been internationally abducted with their families. I think my readers have a deep sense of satisfaction knowing that when they purchase one of my novels, they are making a measurable difference in the life of a defenseless child - and that is pretty cool."

So, in an effort to help us prevent international child abduction, please take a few moments and educate yourself about the WARNING SIGNS of international parental child abduction.  It not only protects your children but perhaps other children you might know.... isn't that worth a few minutes of your time?

If you would like to learn more about the criminal act and schemes of parental child abduction, or to download a free copy of the International Travel Child Consent Form visit the I CARE Foundation website.

If an international parental child abduction is imminent or is in progress, click here.

And lastly, to purchase your copy of Chasing The Cyclone, please visit Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

Wishing you the best of the holiday season!

Epigenetics: Eating to Prevent Cancer

In 2013, with breast cancer rates approaching 1 in 8 by the time a woman is 80, I expect that most of us already know at least one woman who has battled this disease. Unfortunately, I know many—family members as well as friends. And this past year it seems as though I hear at least once a month of another woman around my age diagnosed with this disease.

Who’s next? Is there nothing we can do to prevent this?

All hope is not lost. Indeed, there are steps we can all take. In addition to following the guidelines for screening, you and I can take some control today in minimizing our risk of breast cancer just by paying attention to the food we eat.

A phenomenon called epigenetics plays a role here. Epigenetics is the study of changes in gene expression, caused by mechanisms other than changes in our underlying DNA sequences. In English, that means that each of us has DNA in all of our genes that we inherit from our parents. We get what we get. But we can change some of how these genes work by manipulating other outside factors—factors such as food! Seriously, what you eat can affect your genes. That’s epigenetics.

Research, both in the laboratory and in the clinical setting, has shown how foods can affect gene expression. For example, in the lab, Nobuyuki Kikuno et al have shown that phytoestrogens such as genistein (a chemical in soy) may be chemoprotective in prostate cancer (that means they protect against it). Prostate cancer is very similar to breast cancer; both are in the class of cancers called adenocarcinoma. And in the clinical setting, Dean Ornish and his team recently demonstrated that gene expression was altered in a group of men with prostate cancer who were actively participating in an intensive nutritional and lifestyle intervention.

Looking at all this evidence, it’s possible that you can turn on and off genes that affect your risk of cancer just by the types of food that you eat. How cool is that?! It’s so empowering.

Foods that reduce inflammation can help to reduce your risk of chronic diseases, including cancer. So this month, make a pledge to eat more of these antioxidant, gene-changing and cancer-fighting foods:

1. Broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables
2. Oranges and other fruits high in vitamin C
3. Salmon and other food high in omega-3s
4. Berries such as raspberries and blueberries
5. Herbs and seasonings (so you can cut back on salt, too!), including curry, ginger and garlic 

Lower your risk today.