This is: Siblings' Day, at least in the 35 states that officially recognize it. Even if yours doesn't, you can still use it as an excuse to call your brother(s) and/or sister(s.)
Spirit food: "...[Eternity] could live in me / like the accidental star inside the apple, / like the apple, however blighted, inside the the tree." -- Deborah Digges, "Ancestral Lights" (Digges, a poet, memoirist, and teacher, died suddenly one year ago today.)
Brain food: Who knew there were so many pop songs about literature? This list will get you dancing and make you feel smarter. (via Flavorwire)
Young adults today...: will apparently decrease our vulnerability to heart disease by consuming "2 or 3 standard drinks a day." This is good news, although it should be noted that our risk of getting heart disease before age 40 is already incredibly low. (via The Saskatoon StarPhoenix)
A joy: The Mass Bay District of the UUA wants to know how their churches can serve young adults more effectively! To help them "envision what a spiritual community for young adults might look like," please take a few minutes and complete this survey. (via CampUUsMinister)
A concern: In March, 16 dolphins stranded themselves on Cape Cod. This week, a grey whale beached itself in British Columbia and a single young humpbacked whale was found at East Hampton, Long Island. Scientists who work with marine mammals aren't sure why this sort of thing has been happening so frequently, but one can't help but feel distressed for these poor creatures and wonder why they're so inclined, lately, to fling themselves out of the sea. (To learn how you can volunteer with IFAW, which rescues beached whales and dolphins, visit their website.)
Churchy things: In the midst of a worldwide sexual abuse crisis involving members of the Catholic clergy, Mary Gordon answers the question "How do some of us stay in the Church?" ("In grief," she says, "in sadness, with a resolve not to be shut out by those who say they are speaking in the name of the Father." To read more, click the link above.) (via The Huffington Post)
Unchurchy things: By checking out this amazing mixed-media animation about skateboarding, your day will be made infinitely better. (via The Rumpus)
Young adult(s) of note: Mara and Dave Lateiner, young adults from Millburn, New Jersey, want your family to read together. At their blog, The Lateiner Gang Book Review Spot, which they keep with daughters Lauryn and Sami, they highlight books (usually in the YA/middle-grade range) that can be enjoyed by all ages and will help connect parents and children. (via Jezebel)
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