Rebecca Kay Bright, Author

Lessons from Hurricane Harvey: The Power of Unity and Kindness In the wake of Hurricane Harvey, my workplace became a sanctuary for evacuees seeking refuge from the storm's devastation. From the moment they arrived on August 24th, I witnessed something truly remarkable: people coming together in the face of adversity, displaying acts of kindness and compassion that transcended race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. Throughout their stay, I saw individuals of all backgrounds lending a hand to one another without hesitation. Hispanics assisted Caucasians, green card holders were supported by their neighbors, the able-bodied helped the disabled, and the young looked after the elderly. It was a beautiful testament to the resilience and generosity of the human spirit. Here in Texas, we pride ourselves on our hospitality and sense of community. The term "Tajas," which translates to "friend", reflects our commitment to treating everyone with warmth and respect. Whi

Article on discrimination I wrote for a Wisconsin newspaper back in 2010 Local   Landlord   Discriminates   against   Elderly   and   Disabled   HUD Tenants   and   their   families  It   has   been   brought   to  this  freelance   writers   attention   by disabled   veteran   Gary  Graham   that   his  elderly,   disabled,   and   ill  health sixty   years   old  mother   is  being   discriminated   against   in  a  section   eight housing   property   in    Sparta,   Wisconsin.      I  have   known   Mr.  Graham  for five   years   now  and   he  is  not  the   kind  of  man   to  make   a  ‘mountain   out of  a  molehill’  per   say.    Sunday,   November   4th  Mr.  Graham   went   to  visit his   mother   as  usual   at  her   home   at  Heritage   Haven   with  his  service  dog.     As  usual,   Mr.  Graham   had   his  white   Samoyed   female,   Destiny, on  her   leash   even   before   they   stepped   out  of  his  vehicle.     Destiny,   his service   dog,

                                    The Compassionate Outsider “ Fill your mind with compassion” – Buddha     Sometimes being compassionate is the hardest thing that one can do. I was raised in a family that is like most American families…rather negative. I was not raised to be compassionate to others or even animals. I used to long for an older brother. I have no siblings at all, but now in my thirties when I look back at it I am glad I don’t have any siblings. Not that I got what I wanted or all the attention, the opposite really, but that I don’t know how likely a boy would have been able to turn out as opposite of my parents as I did. I was born in a small town in Texas and lived there until I was about seven when we moved to the Austin area. When I was in elementary in Austin my parents had me in religious private schools until fifth grade when I finally went back to public schools. The little private schools I went to were nice enough; I did like how small the class