Take a look at this month's newsletter from Holland & Usry!
SOME GOOD THINGS ABOUT THE VIRUS We’ve had challenging times from this pestilent virus, and more struggles are sure to come. But it hasn’t been all bad, and I want to share two things I’ve learned from it. baseball. It’s a mystery, love story, and a lesson on doing the right thing. It’s Amurica, man. And if you need starpower, it features Robert Redford and Kim Basinger in their prime.)
Family and children are a gift to be enjoyed — make time for them.
Control what you can — which is you.
This virus can be an infuriating disruption for me, professionally and personally. I don’t want anyone to feel like they can’t get legal help; our office is wide open, fully staffed, and here to help in a comfortable environment where we observe any protocols you need to feel safe. Luckily, I’ve been able to move a lot of cases to settlement. That’s because I didn’t stop working on them. Personally, it hurts to see my children get yanked from school and lose sports. I miss my friends. It pains me that major league baseball is in a “shadow season,” and worse, there likely won’t be any college football. I can’t control the virus, but I can control my response to it because it’s my choice. No one said it better than Viktor Frankl in his monumental work “Man’s Search for Meaning”: “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms — to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” Now’s the time to focus on who you really want to be and exactly what you want to accomplish in your life. If you do that, and remain true to it, you’re gonna weather this storm all the better.
I have four children, ages 6–12 — and the youngest two are twins! They generate a tremendous amount of noise and activity. Having them home 24/7 posed a new challenge for my wife. While Mamie’s got the patience of a saint, managing their schooling and all their demands — plus her own work as an educator — created the need for some extra help from me. I’ve always claimed I didn’t have time to come home for lunch, but recently I’ve found it made a helpful impact for Mamie, the children, and me. It breaks up their day and gives them a different face to see. We’ve also had some fun simply enjoying each other’s company. At lunch, no one’s tired from a long day, and there’s no time-sensitive agenda like the post-supper routine that transforms most parents into drill sergeants. I’ve also had some “stolen moments” that I cherish. Right after the school shut down, my 11-year-old son, Jack, struggled with some hyperactivity. (I bet he wasn’t the only one.) One glorious spring morning, we addressed that by throwing the baseball in the front yard. I felt like Roy Hobbs in the last scene of “The Natural.” (By the way, you can rewatch that free on Amazon Prime — if you’ve never seen it, now’s the time. It’s not just about
Dr. Frankl also observed, “Those who have a ‘why’ to live, can bear with almost any ‘how.’”
If you don’t know who Dr. Frankl is, here’s all you need to know before you run out to grab the book: He reached these conclusions while enduring the most sustained physical, mental, and emotional torture imposed in the history of mankind — as a Jewish prisoner in a Nazi concentration camp.
He used that perspective to survive Auschwitz. It can surely get us through this.
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HELP YOUR KIDS HANDLE STRESSFUL SITUATIONS
With These Sensory-Rich Activities
You can see it happening, almost in slow motion: Your child goes from playing and laughing to frowning in less than a second. They start to cry, and suddenly, a meltdown is underway. Is this just the way raising young kids is? Does a lack of sleep, change in routine, or intense hunger always have to lead to a meltdown? While it’s human to feel emotions and express them, you can use certain strategies to help your child navigate major emotions and calm down. The key is helping them tap into their central nervous system with activities that engage their senses. Just like adults, younger kids sometimes need support to regulate their emotions, especially in situations that are stressful for them. That’s where activities that engage the five senses can be really beneficial. Sensory activities that utilize the five senses can help your little one
connect their body to their immediate surroundings and the larger world around them.
Here are some sensory-rich activities that can help kids feel calmer in stressful times:
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Make a pile of pillows and jump into it.
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Put on some fun music and dance.
• Bounce your little one on your lap or an exercise ball.
• Take them for a spin around the house in a box or laundry basket; kids can even race each other.
• Create a slide by propping a mattress or exercise mat against the couch.
These are activities you can use right where you are to help your child find their calm again, even in a meltdown. According to early childhood development expert Alyssa Blask Campbell, sensory input stays in the system for about two hours, meaning even just five minutes of these types of activities can give you and your child hours of calm throughout the day.
Testimonial HEAR WHAT OUR CLIENTS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT US! “Rob and his staff have helped me on a number of occasions and I couldn’t have been more pleased with these guys. They have always been extremely helpful and friendly along the way. Would highly recommend and couldn’t imagine using anyone else!” -Lee C. “Great lawyer! Rob and his whole staff are very welcoming.” -Renee H. T. Everyone’s health and welfare remains our critical concern. We are OPEN, and our staff is in the office to help you. Contact us in the best and safest way for you. We can discuss your case over the phone. If you prefer meeting in person, rest assured we can do it with safe physical distancing under CDC guidelines. As always, we’re here for you, and we look forward to helping you.
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The Sobering Number of Trucking Accident Injuries DON’T BECOME JUST ANOTHER SCARY STATISTIC
When a tractor-trailer blows out of nowhere from behind us on a dark, rainy night, we count our blessings that we didn’t get slammed into and wonder how many unfortunate souls suffer that fate. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) released a study based on 2017 data of injuries caused by large truck crashes nationwide. The study defines a large truck as “a truck with a gross vehicle weight rating greater than 10,000 pounds.” That includes all types of big rigs: 18-wheelers, semitrailers, tractor-trailers, highway monsters — whatever you might call them. But it also includes other vehicles you might not think of as part of this category: dump trucks, concrete mixers, commercial trucks, delivery vans, and even some landscaping company trucks towing large equipment trailers.
Here are the shocking facts that the FMCSA study revealed:
• Construction zones are especially dangerous. In 2017, 12% of work zone injury crashes involved at least one large truck.
• In 2017, there were 344,000 injury crashes involving large trucks. • 15% of those crashes involved a single vehicle, including crashes that involved a bicycle, pedestrian, or nonmotorized vehicle. • Only 22% of trucking accident injury crashes occurred at night, from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. That means the vast majority of injury wrecks take place during daylight hours, contrary to popular belief. • Weekdays are the most threatening. The vast majority of injury-causing wrecks — 88% — occurred Monday through Friday.
If you’re hurt by a large truck, don’t let yourself be just another statistic. Don’t get blindsided and mishandled by the trucker’s insurance company, whose representatives are trained to do just that. You need a lawyer to help you level the playing field, and Holland & Usry is here to help. Check out our book on crash cases, which includes a chapter devoted to how tractor-trailer cases are different. You can download it for free at BHollandLawFirm.com, or you can call our office so we can set up a time to talk about your case.
Good News
“Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits — who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion.” –Psalm 103:2–4 “But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.” –2 Chronicles 15:7
PEACH AND ARUGULA PASTA SALAD
Nothing says summer like a pasta salad filled with your favorite fresh fruits and vegetables, and this combination is the perfect way to cap off a warm summer day!
Ingredients
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8 oz penne or fusilli pasta
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2 large fresh peaches, diced or sliced 1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
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1/2 tsp sea salt Pepper, to taste 2 tbsp lemon juice
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1 pint heirloom cherry tomatoes, halved
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
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1 cup corn
6 cups arugula, packed
Directions 1. In a large pot of boiling water,
the pasta and toss with the feta cheese. 3. Add peaches, red onions,
cook pasta for approximately 9 minutes or until al dente. Drain pasta and place in a separate bowl.
tomatoes, corn, and arugula to the pasta mixture. Lightly toss to mix well. Add more olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste.
2. In a small bowl, whisk
together olive oil, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Drizzle the dressing over
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Inspired by AmbitiousKitchen.com
* This newsletter is intended to educate the public about personal injury, workers’ compensation, criminal defense, and family law issues. You can copy and distribute it as long as you copy the entire newsletter. But the newsletter is not intended to be legal advice; you should ask a lawyer about your specific case. Every case is different, and all case outcomes depend on unique facts and laws.
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INSIDE this issue Some Good Things About the Virus The Best Activities for Helping Kids Cope With Stress The Truth Behind Trucking Accidents
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Peach and Arugula Pasta Salad
Are Your Thrift Store Donations Being Thrown Away?
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Are Your Thrift Store Donations Being Thrown Away?
Are you thinking about donating your kids’ old clothes or that slow cooker you haven’t used in months? Though donating your unwanted items is a great thing to do, amid the pandemic, many people have not considered the future of secondhand shopping and charity-based thrift stores like Goodwill. In 2018, Goodwill funded nearly $5.3 billion in charitable services, like educational assistance, job training, and work placements. But now, Goodwill and similar organizations are facing a unique problem: They’re receiving too many donations. To prevent your items from ending up in a landfill, consider the following before you donate.
Famously, thrift stores still keep unsold goods out of landfills. Up to 75% of Goodwill’s merchandise, for example, isn’t sold in their stores. Instead, it’s sent to discount outlets and then into global markets. However, Mexican traders, who account for 30% of business at thrift stores close to the U.S. southern border, and Kenya, the world’s largest buyer of unsold secondhand clothes, have stopped buying during the economic shutdown.
Meanwhile, some good-intentioned Americans are leaving their goods outside thrift stores’ front doors, not realizing that without enough space to house the excess donations, many of these thrift stores will have to pay disposal fees, costing the business potential revenue and sending your items into local landfills. However, Goodwill still wants your donations! You just might have to hold on to your items for a little bit. Check to see if your local thrift stores are open for donations. Many recommend waiting until the influx slows down, but others have expanded their inventory storage and are ready to keep up. Just make sure to follow their guidelines on acceptable items because any broken or worn items only add to their costs. Happy donating!
Under the circumstances, this situation is understandable. Thanks to nationwide stay-at-home orders, many took advantage of their newfound spare time to spring-clean and subsequently donate unwanted items to charity. However, with the confusion about how long the COVID-19 virus can live on clothing, secondhand shoppers have been staying home, worried about the health risks of buying used goods.
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