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S eptember 2025
The Water’s Not Safe, But It Is for Sale
THE RISING COST OF A HUMAN RIGHT
There’s a small town outside Basel, Switzerland, called Buschwiller, where families recently discovered their drinking water has been polluted with PFAS — a class of permanent chemicals. They have been drinking it unknowingly for years. The culprit was firefighting foam used at a nearby airport, which has been polluting the groundwater. Like Flint, Michigan, and countless other communities across the U.S., the realization only came with cancer clusters, when people got sick. Bottled water sales are booming again, raising the question: If water is life, why do we keep selling it to the highest bidder? World Water Monitoring Day is Sept. 18. It’s a time to reflect on one of our most essential resources and how far we have strayed from treating it like a human right. Someone’s getting hosed, and it’s not with clean water. Many areas in the world with airports have likely been dealing with the same contamination as Buschwiller for a long time. Chemicals like these have been used everywhere before we had any idea how bad they really were. There’s the error in our bias. We discover something with beneficial (and profitable) uses, and go for it without much assessment beyond how much it will cost to use. Maybe we should know the health ramifications before throwing it all around the planet. I had a minister who often railed on the commodification of water. I remember having him over at my home and feeling very embarrassed about my 5-gallon tank of drinking water. With all the news on Flint, Michigan, at the time, I succumbed to purchasing it even though I understood the drinking water in the city was safe. My minister’s point was that if we commodify water, we give it a profit incentive, and as a result of maximizing profit, the water becomes less viable. It’s not just the environmental waste, packaging, and resources spent to transport the water, but also an invitation to degrade the free water we already have.
Think about how much money someone makes off that bottled water and how many natural resources were drained from pristine places to satisfy that demand. Water is an essential ingredient to life. If our water sources continue to be contaminated, it will force more people to purchase water from companies like Pepsi. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child has member states obligated to provide clean drinking water for children. What if they can only do that through commodification? As far down the road as we are, the only thing that will make an impact is social and political change. We have to first understand the limits on finite resources like water, which will eventually run out. People will perish quickly without it. We have to ensure we don’t overbuild cities beyond what the natural water supply can provide so we don’t position ourselves to need pipelines that cover thousands of miles just to get a drink. When we do, it reduces water access somewhere else. We just keep kicking the can down the road, and that can is bone dry. This may be an opportunity to assess our values. Water is a building block of life, so how important is that life to the decision-makers and policymakers? Are we just consumers or producers of products? If we truly value life, protecting clean water must be a priority beyond profit and convenience. If we don’t, we’ll soon find the water left is neither clean nor ours unless we can buy it from the corporation bottling it.
–Michael Manely
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H omework , H and -O ffs , and H armony The back-to-school season is full of excitement, fresh backpacks, new schedules, and the promise of a great year ahead. However, for co-parents navigating complex relationship dynamics, it can also stir tension and uncertainty. As kids switch from summer freedom to school structure, parents face their own transitions. With thoughtful planning and clear Seek smooth coordination. The start of the school year is a necessary time to update your parenting plan and clearly define who will be responsible for what. Use a shared calendar to plan school pickups, teacher conferences, field trips, and extracurricular activities. This HELPING KIDS THRIVE IN 2 HOMES THIS SCHOOL YEAR
will help manage all the important dates so you don’t miss anything, and the logistics are as stress-free as possible for everyone. You can also include essential deadlines like homework due dates or registration details. Both parents should have ample opportunities to participate in the fun stuff and equally share in responsibilities.
communication, this season of change can be a chance to create a sense of calm and security that helps everyone thrive.
Set communication ground rules. With all the emotions and new logistics that come with the school year, good communication is essential. Regardless of your relationship with your co-parent, you’ll need to have regular discussions about schedules, important information from the school, and any other plans. Set up ground rules early on that lay out how and when you will communicate. You can use apps, a shared calendar, or email to organize conversations. This
Create a safe space. School can be an emotional experience for your child, especially during a major transition like a recent divorce or separation. Both parents should provide an open and supportive space for their child to express themselves. Ask about their day and ensure they know they can talk to you. If they need extra help, work with a therapist or school counselor so they have more resources for emotional support.
can be especially helpful if the relationship is strained or you and your ex have difficulty talking. Agree to keep everything focused on your child and what’s best for them.
If back-to-school transitions feel daunting this year, you’re not alone. Contact The Manely Firm if you need help creating a parenting plan that is clear and prioritizes your children.
What You Need to Know to Protect Your Role Keeping Grandparents Connected
Legal Paths to Visitation Grandparents are often a vital support system for their children and grandchildren, and they could petition for visitation rights in a few circumstances. The courts will evaluate the relationship between the grandparents and grandchildren and consider whether visitation would be in the child’s best interest. They want to know how deep that connection is, how often the grandparents visit or communicate, the age of the children, and what negative impacts may occur if there’s no contact. If parents divorce and the child lives in two households, grandparents can request access to the child. The courts can award visitation rights if the grandchildren are at risk of harm without them in their lives. In situations where one parent passes away, becomes incapacitated, or is incarcerated, grandparents may also win their petition.
Next Steps Before taking any legal action, grandparents should try to work with the parents directly or through mediation to reach an agreement. If that won’t work, gather documentation or evidence showing why the relationship benefits the child. This could include photos together, receipts for shared activities, witness statements, or any medical or school records proving you participated in their care. A family lawyer can help you file your petition and guide you through the process. If it goes to court, the judge will hear the grandparents and parents and make recommendations for the terms of visitation. At The Manely Firm, we understand how important the bond of grandparents can be to a child. If you are a grandparent facing the heartbreak of limited or denied access to your grandchild, contact us for a consultation.
Grandparents play a special role in their families, often stepping in to help, whether it’s school pickups, babysitting, or providing extra support and love. When family relationships break down due to divorce, separation, or other challenges, those meaningful connections can suddenly be at risk. In Georgia and nationwide, grandparents don’t automatically have visitation rights. If you have grandchildren, the thought of being unable to be there for them can be terrifying, but you have legal options.
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G rilled T eriyaki F lank S teak I ngredients
They say relationships are like china dishes. Once you have broken one, you can put it back together, but the crack will always remain. But what if you could repair a relationship in a way that makes the broken places stronger and more beautiful than ever before? In the Japanese technique of kintsugi, dishes or pottery are repaired with lacquer dusted with gold or silver, emphasizing the cracks, fortifying them, and turning them into a beautiful new part of the object. A relationship in peril or one that has cracked may, in fact, never be quite the same, but if you repair it intentionally with “gold” or emotional intelligence, you can strengthen the bond. To mend a broken relationship with kintsugi and emotional intelligence, you will need forgiveness, for yourself and the other person. That’s where learning and growth can occur. You have to be open, and both of you must actively engage in making the repairs. Each of you must bring 100% to this investment. When you have a broken plate, there are rough edges on both sides. So, both of you must be vulnerable and honest about what was hurtful and led to the disagreement. But before you can start putting the pieces back together, you must see the relationship’s value. You must want to keep the plate or partnership and make it even better. You may hear more hurtful things in this process, but it could open up space for an honest conversation. When things come apart, you can see what’s beyond the varnished exterior. Sometimes, exposing the raw material in the middle is the only way to understand how the damage happened. In the repair process, you get to know each other better and gain deeper insight into each other. When you let go of the hurt and forgive, you can better articulate your feelings. After clearly explaining your feelings, you can propose solutions to move forward and allow the other person to do the same. This doesn’t mean abandoning your boundaries or accepting toxicity. It’s about working mindfully with someone toward a shared desired outcome, not just to mend the relationship, but to make it shine even brighter. KINTSUGI YOUR LOVE Matters of the Heart
Inspired by TheShortOrderCook.com
Marinade • 2/3 cup red wine • 1/2 cup soy sauce or tamari • 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp minced garlic • 1/4 tsp black pepper • 1/4 tsp ginger powder • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1/4 cup sesame oil • 1 tbsp sesame seeds
Meat • 1 1/2 lbs flank steak
D irections 1.
In a large bowl, whisk together marinade ingredients.
2. Place the flank steak in a large, rimmed dish. Pour the marinade over the meat. 3. Refrigerate and allow to marinate for 15 minutes. Flip and let marinate for another 15 minutes. 4. Preheat grill to 400 F. 5. Add the meat to the grill and cook for 3–5 minutes on each side. Leave the grill lid open to avoid overcooking. 6. For a medium-rare steak, remove from grill at 130 F internally, and for medium, remove at 140 F. 7. Let the meat rest on a cutting board for 5–10 minutes. Then, slice against the grain into thin pieces and enjoy!
“Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.” –F. S cott F itzgerald
–Shelia Manely
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211 Roswell St. NE Marietta, GA 30060 (866) 687-8561 www.allfamilylaw.com
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Bottled Water Boom
Co-Parenting Tips for a Smooth Transition
Legal Options to Stay Involved
Repairing Relationships With Emotional Intelligence
Grilled Teriyaki Flank Steak
5 Stunning Fall Hikes to Take This Season
T he U ltimate F all H iking B ucket L ist LEAF LOVERS WELCOME There’s something special about getting
Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee and North Carolina
outdoors and hiking this time of year. The air is crisp, the bugs are (mostly) gone, and the trees show off their fiery red, yellow, and orange leaves. Whether you’re a seasoned trekker or just looking to enjoy leaf-peeping and fresh air, fall is the ultimate season to hit the trails. And the U.S. is brimming with stunning places to do just that. Aspen, Colorado Come September, the mountainsides come alive with beautiful golden aspen leaves, hence the name! Hikes like the Cathedral Lake Trail or Maroon Bells Scenic Loop offer beautiful views of alpine lakes with gorgeous foliage and snow-dusted peaks. Just be sure to bring layers — mountain weather can be moody! Acadia National Park, Maine If you want coastal charm mixed with fall colors, Acadia National Park delivers. Right along Maine’s gorgeous coastline, this park is full of color and stunning ocean views — a rare combination!
The Smoky Mountains are a fall favorite known for their endless ridgelines and misty valleys. Mid- to-late October is peak foliage season, especially along trails like Alum Cave or Clingmans Dome. Columbia River Gorge, Oregon If you’re looking for some of the most gorgeous waterfalls you’ve ever seen, the Columbia River Gorge is the spot! Trails like Multnomah Falls or Eagle Creek offer pretty fall colors, mossy cliffs, and cascading waterfalls. Shenandoah National Park, Virginia Just a short drive from Washington, D.C., Shenandoah National Park is a hidden gem for fall hiking. The Dark Hollow Falls Trail offers a challenging climb with stunning views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. For something gentler, the Stony Man Trail is perfect for families and still offers breathtaking scenery. With over 500 miles of trails, Shenandoah is a fall favorite on the East Coast.
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