Community

Any parent of a kid with disabilities will tell you, more than anything else in the world, their child just wants to fit in. Not easy when you’re a little different. My son doesn’t mind if I tell you he has severe learning disabilities. He’s worked hard his whole life to overcome them. But I still remember his look of surprise and relief on the morning of his first day of 1st grade at St. Gregory the Great in Virginia Beach. We held hands as we walked from the parking lot to the line for his class. He was taking deep breaths and squeezing my hand.  Then he caught sight of his classmates and his first-day nervousness evaporated . “We’re all wearing the same thing!” he exclaimed. The 26 or so children in his class were all dressed as he was, in khaki shorts, polo shir

By Alexandra Clark Wave Leadership College has something that no other college has as their foundation. That is love and hope. Without one you cannot have the other. Ironically, these were the two biggest lessons this college has taught me. The Marine Corps taught me to be independent but what they did not teach me was how to depend on the one who made me. That eventually led me down a path of a life without love and no hope in the future. See, we aren’t meant to do this alone and not just with God either. We are meant to do life as one united race, the human race, with God guiding us through our relationship with Him.  None of these things are directly taught to us in the classroom. It is taught through each other, our professors, and the Holy Spirit. By answering the call

by Christopher Fagan Wave Leadership College has been an amazing experience! It’s crazy to think that my two years here are already coming to an end. I have made my closest friends and have built relationships with my professors that I know will last for years. At Wave Leadership College, not only did I receive general education like literature and science, I have learned more about the Bible and have been further equipped for what ever life may bring me in the future.             Throughout my two years at WLC, I have learned some great life skills and lessons. But two lessons that have stuck with me is for sure accountability and responsibility. Accountability has been a very important aspect within Bible College. Not only for

by Caleb Knox Caleb Knox is a senior at First Colonial’s Legal Studies Academy, where he is the captain of the debate and forensics teams, and a national and state champion. He’s looking to study politics, philosophy and economics. Caleb is a church intern, and enjoys public speaking and debating with his four siblings. If you were to ask what people believe is the greatest threat facing our nation right now, you could expect a wide variety of answers. Among concerns of Coronavirus, gun violence or immigration, there would likely be mention of our national divides. Incoming research from political scientists is showing us that Americans no longer hold a shared sense of national identity. More than ever Republicans and Democrats view the other as being motivated by hate, while their

There are many things that I have not enjoyed about this COVID-19 season.  As a matter of fact, I've often described the last few months as navigating a boat regularly capsizing.  Once again I’m  flipping the boat back over, bailing out the water, and rowing furiously to continue forward.  This year has worn on us all in many ways, but the innovative thinkers have been able to assess the new climate and pivot appropriately in order not to fail.  What a beautiful representation of the ingenuity of our great people. And while I lament the loss of a simpler time, my heart bursts with pride at the beautiful community which now emerges.  Remember when business was dog-eat-dog?  When people didn’t have time to sit and eat a meal with their families?  Remember when everyone around you was

Can a smile a day help keep the doctor away? In the concern over the spread of Coronavirus, and the potential vulnerability of seniors, let us remember the strength of a smile, as backed by science. We know the basics of a healthy immune system - eat fruits and veggies, drink water, rest, move our body, wash our hands, get some sunshine/Vitamin D, and keep stress low. Our precious senior community, and those helping care for them, need extra common sense approaches to minimize spreading germs. But in the midst of concern, smiles can help contribute to excellent care. Science proves the simple act of smiling lowers stress and boosts our immune system. Neurologist Dr. Isha Gupta explains that a smile releases brain hormones. “Dopamine increases our feelings of happiness. Ser

Go See Freddie We at Hampton Roads Weekly are pleased that so many of our readers have been following our “Live Like Freddie” column these last months.  Many of you have inquired about Rogers Clothes and Freddie.  We realized you may have missed our first introductory column that explained this remarkable businessman, father, and friend.  If we at this special time of year, can integrate just one aspect found in the “Rogers Clothes experience”, our holiday season will be all the happier. They said it all over town for almost 50 years – in Portsmouth, Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Newport News and Hampton.  Shipyard workers, bank presidents, high school students, store clerks, folks in military and first responders’ uniforms, doctors, lawyers, t

What Every Family Caregiver Needs to Know When Battling Tough Emotions By Tom Knox The Hampton Roads senior care team at Seniorcorp shares the information every family caregiver needs in order to overcome the many challenging emotions they face. See our website for our full Virginia service area. If you are feeling overwhelmed in your role as caregiver, take heart; you are in good company. Serving as family caregiver for a senior loved one is probably the most complex roles we can hold: extremely gratifying on the one hand, while at the same time frustrating and ever-evolving, often bringing about feelings of doubt about whether we’re up to the challenge and providing the best possible care. It is why so many family caregivers struggle with some or all of these types o