My Tiara & Me

I've mentioned my plans for world domination. These plans are still at the forefront of my mind, and I've come to the conclusion I need a tiara. A big one. I plan to wear it every day. In fact, I might even have multiple tiaras for various tasks. A grocery shopping tiara, a writing tiara, a holiday tiara and even a coffee date tiara. It's a known fact people take you seriously when you're wearing a tiara.

Here's why I'll be wearing one:

* A tiara is sparkly. Sparkly things have a mildly hypnotic affect. The better to enthrall you with.

* A tiara screams royalty. We've established I'm the Queen of Everyone. Now I need to look the part.

* A tiara is like a hat on a bad hair day. You save time and don't have to worry about frizzy, unkempt hair. Well, you should, but I won't.

* It's the new accessory. However, if your tiara is bigger than mine, I will ask my minions to remove it. They'll replace it with an "Always a Minion, Never a Queen" baseball hat free of charge.

* A tiara is a better focal point than forehead grooves or chin hair. Or so I hear.

* A tiara makes a better first impression than a hooded sweatshirt from your high school years. Trust me.

* Hair always looks better dripping with jewels, faux or real.

* Finally, tiaras just make me happy. Who needs a better reason than that?

Jess

The Long Road Ahead

Osama Bin Laden is dead. I feel equal parts relief and fear of retaliation. More than anything, I think about the long road ahead. I want to see our troops come home. I want to see our nation come together regardless of politics, religion, race, social status, etc. I hope we come together to heal.

The psychological wounds and scars are the ones we need to address. This should be priority #1 when we get our troops home. Mrs. Obama has launched a new campaign called "Joining Forces." This concept rocks. And it's critical to support this campaign (again, regardless of your political preference). I think we should extend this to include everyone affected--the entire nation--but especially those struggling on a daily basis. I think you'd be unpleasantly surprised to know how many do.

Pay it forward. Pass on a kindness. Help your neighbor. Hold open a door for a stranger. Let traffic merge. Ask someone how they're doing and be interested in the answer. Listen and care. Take coffee or a meal to a single parent or military family. Mentor a child. Write a letter to a soldier overseas. Better yet, write a dozen. There are hundreds of ways we can each help. What will you do?

“I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do.” ~Helen Keller