March 23, 2026 | WALLS 102 - Part 15

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Spirit Matters: Let ‘thank you’ be enough for the gift of being alive

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Who you calling bald? St. Baldrick’s event in Utica raises money to fight childhood cancer

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Illinois Valley Community College hosts blood drive April 2

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Princeton DAR honors high school Good Citizens and essay contest winners

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Spirit Matters: Let ‘thank you’ be enough for the gift of being alive

As many of us grew up, we heard from the world around us that whatever we were doing, it wasn’t enough.We could always do more.We could work harder, study harder, play harder, try harder, win harder… The list goes on and on.Work always came first. If you were not doing anything, someone could give you something to do. Don’t complain. Pull yourself up by your bootstraps. Most importantly, get over yourself.The underlying implication was that we had to earn our right to exist. And if what we did wasn’t in line with what family or cultural expectations expected, we were considered lazy, irresponsible and ungrateful.The problem is too many of us have misplaced our sense of self in how well we meet these expectations, rather than in the simple gift of being who we are.Now, before anyone jumps on me, I am not saying applying ourselves is a bad thing. Of course, we should apply ourselves and bloom into the fullness of what God made each of us to be.While some guiding principles are necessary to become who we were meant to be, each of our souls is uniquely and wonderfully made. Each of our souls contains a blueprint that is far more mysterious and intricate than can be governed by human expectations.And that blueprint for existence is affected by more than what we do for a living, or how obsessively we do it. It is influenced by the people we encounter through our studies, work, and leisure. It is influenced by our interests in books, entertainment and hobbies. It is influenced by the little moments of our lives that no one else sees. Together, these factors interact to form us into who we are meant to be.Our existence is a gift from God. And nothing we do, no matter how hard we try, can adequately compensate for this gift.At the risk of contradicting myself, this existence should not be squandered.To be alive is a great blessing.And all of us are guilty of not fully appreciating just how much of a blessing it is.Yes, we have challenges in life to overcome. These challenges are part of what molds us into the character that is in that divinely ordained blueprint. Each of us bears our own unique challenges, and it helps to remember that before we judge the way others handle their challenges, about which we don’t know the entire story.To be born with our spiritual consciousness, to have the use of any or all of our five senses, and to experience life on this planet in all of its beauty, simplicity and complexity, is a blessing beyond what any of us can comprehend.How is it that I should be part of this great big intricate web of being? What did I do to deserve this, we ask ourselves in moments of wonder and awe that stun us into silence.The answer is not a single thing. Nothing we could ever do in this life could “earn” us a place in the great web of things.Yes, God wants to see us fully realize our soul’s potential, however that is meant to be realized.But before and beyond that, the greatest thing we can do to honor the gift of being alive is to recognize it. To live with wisdom, wonder, sensitivity, awe, humility, compassion, gratitude, kindness, gentleness and forgiveness in each moment of our lives. To be each other’s keeper.By doing this, by living our lives with these qualities, we say “thank you” to our Divine Creator for this “one wild and precious life.”And that, I think, is enough.SPIRIT MATTERS is a weekly column by Jerrilyn Zavada Novak that examines experiences common to the human spirit. Contact her at jzblue33@yahoo.com.

Who you calling bald? St. Baldrick’s event in Utica raises money to fight childhood cancer

He wasn’t going to do it. Shave his head? No, thank you.But in the end, Utica police Lt. Jay Quinn sat in an elevated chair Sunday at Senica’s Oak Ridge Golf Club in La Salle and let a stylist apply the clippers until his locks were shorn.“Oh, I just needed a haircut,” Quinn said.And it was for a good cause. Quinn’s change of heart helped EMS companies in the Illinois Valley raise more than $5,200 to fight pediatric cancers. Even more impressive, organizers have amassed more than $250,000 to fund cancer research in more than 19 (and counting) St. Baldrick’s Day fundraisers.Ralph Moshage of rural Utica has done his share to reach the quarter-million mark.Moshage was a longtime scout leader whose kids wanted to help cancer-stricken children. Moshage’s teams have raised $45,000 and he’s personally been shaved 15 times.“This is something you can do to be really proud of yourself,” he said. “Those kids need all the support we can give them.”St. Patrick’s Day dates back to 461 A.D., but St. Baldrick’s Day is a much newer observance. Just as St. Patrick banished the snakes from Ireland, a group of New York business associates decided in 1999 to help drive children’s cancer off the planet. The first event took place in Manhattan in 2000. The inaugural event raised $104,000, which was donated to the Children’s Oncology Group. Within two years, St. Baldrick’s Day raised more than $1 million. The St. Baldrick’s Foundation has, since 2005, raised more than $369 million for pediatric cancer research.Donors in the Illinois Valley decided to participate in 2007. Utica Fire Chief Ben Brown recalled that his department put on a chili supper and, having learned of St. Baldrick’s Day online, decided it would be a fun way to support a worthy cause.“And it’s kind of blown up,” Brown said. “The area emergency services took off with it.”Brown has been shorn each time St. Baldrick’s Day has been held. He had no misgivings about doing so on Sunday, even with the temperatures set to slip below 40 degrees Sunday night. A knit cap might be required to offset the chill.“Hair grows back,” he shrugged.Sarah Patyk of Tonica was among the professional stylists who wielded the clippers. She’s been a St. Baldrick’s Day volunteer for more than two decades. Nobody, to date, has exclaimed, “What have you done to me?”“It’s always a fun time,” Patyk said. “It’s interesting to see all of the people, especially the women, who are willing to grow the hair out and shave it all off in one day.”

Illinois Valley Community College hosts blood drive April 2

Illinois Valley Community College will sponsor a blood drive on April 2 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the gym.The campus Red Cross Club is organizing the drive to help hospitals maintain adequate blood supplies during the spring, IVCC said in a news release. “Spring is the perfect time to donate so that hospitals can replenish their blood supplies and save many lives in the process,” LeeAnn Johnson, who advises the campus Red Cross Club, which is sponsoring the drive, said in a statement.Blood donations typically decline in winter because of the holidays, harsh weather and an increase in seasonal illnesses. This makes it difficult for hospitals to maintain a sufficient blood supply during the season.Spring donations help offset these winter shortages and ensure hospitals have adequate supplies for patient care.To make an appointment, call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or visit RedCrossBlood.org.Walk-ins are also welcome, but appointments are encouraged to ensure availability.

Princeton DAR honors high school Good Citizens and essay contest winners

The Princeton-Illinois chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution held its annual luncheon on Friday, March 6, to honor area high school Good Citizens and American History Essay contest winners.Seven high school seniors were recognized for demonstrating dependability, service, leadership and patriotism. The 2026 Good Citizen winners are:The DAR Good Citizen program recognizes high school seniors who help renew and strengthen democracy through qualities valued by the Patriots of the American Revolution.Two students won the American History Essay contest, which promotes understanding of American history by highlighting significant people, places, dates and events.For grades 5-8, students were invited to write an essay imagining lunch with a signer of the Declaration of Independence. They were asked to choose which signer they would meet and explain that person’s contribution to American freedom.Seventh grader Leena Grace Gutshall of Logan Junior High School won the chapter competition.For grades 9-12, students chose any Patriot who served in the cause of freedom and wrote about their contributions.Tenth grader Maximus Gibson of Princeton Christian Academy won the chapter competition for the second consecutive year.Richard Wells, a member of the Sons of the American Revolution, was a special guest at the luncheon.The Daughters of the American Revolution provides opportunities to contribute to the community, honor Patriots, preserve American history, promote education, and build leadership skills.Any woman 18 and older may join by documenting her lineage to a man or woman who aided the cause of American Independence through military, civil or patriotic service.To find a local chapter, visit dar.org/membership.

Spirit Matters: Let ‘thank you’ be enough for the gift of being alive

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Who you calling bald? St. Baldrick’s event in Utica raises money to fight childhood cancer

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