Literature Review

America the Beautiful ~ lyrics by Katherine Lee Bates, with its historyAs sung by Ray Charles

In America, nobody says you have to keep the circumstances somebody else gives you. ~ Amy Tan, “The Joy Luck Club”

The happiness of America is intimately connected with the happiness of all mankind; she is destined to become the safe and venerable asylum of virtue, of honesty, of tolerance, and quality and of peaceful liberty. ~ Marquis de Lafayette

True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost. ~ Arthur Ashe

With freedom comes responsibility. ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves. ~ Abraham Lincoln

America, you great unfinished symphony, you sent for me. You let me make a difference. A place where even orphan immigrants can leave their fingerprints and rise up. ~ Lin Manuel Miranda, as Alexander Hamilton, in Broadway's 2014 Hamilton

F.O.U.R. Steps to celebrate July 4th in a dementia-friendly manner Alzheimer's Foundation of America; 6/30/25 Fireworks and gatherings are staples of the July 4th holiday, but these can create unique challenges for families affected by Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia-related illnesses. With Independence Day approaching, the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA) is advising families to follow the F.O.U.R. steps to create a dementia-friendly 4th of July. ... AFA encourages caregivers to follow the F.O.U.R. steps to create a dementia-friendly 4th of July:

Celebrating our veterans this Independence DayCity SunTimes, Phoenix, AZ; by Lin Sue Flood; 7/2/25 Apple pie and hot dogs often take center stage on the Fourth of July, but the real stars are the men and women who served and sacrificed for our country.  That’s why Hospice of the Valley care teams are delighted to honor veteran patients in meaningful ways — whether that is a tribute visit by another veteran, a birthday party or even sharing a unique recognition for their years of service. That recognition came in the form of an emotional reception and book signing for Korean War veteran Bob Withers. He was excited to share his story with Imprints of Honor for the Library of Congress’ Veteran History Project. The proud 96-year-old Marine asked his Hospice of the Valley chaplain, Kody Kness, and daughter, Lauren, to attend the recent event with him at Scottsdale Stadium to commemorate the 3,000th veteran interview for this national endeavor. “It was a great opportunity to honor so many veterans,” Bob shared. “I won’t ever forget this wonderful day.”

Celebrating Father’s Day when Dad is on hospice Roze Room Hospice, Culver City, CA; retrieved from www.rozeroom.org on 6/12/25Father’s Day is often synonymous with backyard cookouts, gifts, cards and large family gatherings. Honoring your father or a father figure means celebrating the role this important person has played in your life. It can be a sentimental day where we slow down and consider the gift this person has been in our lives. But if your father is in hospice care, Father’s Day can take on even more significance. You may believe the day will be filled with sadness and unease. But truly capturing this day will be a gift to your dad and all those who love him. Here are five ways to celebrate Father’s Day when your dad is on hospice.

We honor Father's Day Weekend with this Special Edition, giving you time to reflect on and share articles through the weekend. 

Couple marry in ICU an hour before bride’s father takes his last breath Our Community Now, North Providence, RI; by OCN staff; 8/22/24, published in our newsletter 9/1/24A Rhode Island hospital held an emergency wedding that had to be performed before the bride’s father died from muscular dystrophy. Sabrina Silveira-DaCosta says her father, 58-year-old Frank Silveira, was Portuguese-born and raised, a serious chef and a five-star dad. ... With Silveira’s health rapidly declining, his family realized he wasn’t going to make it his daughter’s wedding on Sep. 7, so plans changed. “Everyone was able to bring the wedding to him in the hospital, and he got to walk me down the aisle,” Silveira-DaCosta said. From his intensive care unit bed, Silveira escorted his daughter down the hospital hallway Monday into the hands of her fiancé, Sam DaCosta. ... Silveira-DaCosta’s father died about an hour after he walked her down the aisle. “It’s very complex. It’s a lot of emotion. Our community hospitals don’t get enough credit because any big hospital couldn’t have done this for us,” she said.

Hospice Brazos Valley launches ‘Christmas in July’ wreath campaign Victoria Advocate, Victoria, TX; by Nick Irene; 6/9/25 Hospice Brazos Valley is bringing holiday cheer a little early this year with its first-ever “Christmas in July” fundraising campaign, aimed at raising money to support its nonprofit mission of providing free end-of-life care. ...  “We gave away over $250,000 in free care last year,” [Coleen Broussard, Hospice Brazos Valley’s director of donor relations and special events] said. “Whether it’s the last hours, days or months, we make sure families are cared for without ever worrying about a bill. That’s only possible because of fundraising efforts like this.” The “Christmas in July” campaign offers three types of Christmas wreaths for preorder. Prices vary depending on the item and the purchase date, with early orders in July costing less than those made in October. All wreaths can be picked up at either the Brenham or La Grange office closer to the holiday season.