To everyone who takes the time to read our blog, wage battle against real estate and mortgage fraud, and who believes in the power of new media journalism and citizen participation… we offer the following thoughts on how to observe this Thanksgiving:

Count your blessings instead of your crosses
Count your friendship and knowledge gains instead of your losses.

Count your joys instead of your woes
Count your friends instead of your foes.

Count your smiles instead of your tears
Count your courage to fight on instead of your fears.

Count your full years instead of your lean
Count your kind deeds instead of your mean.

Count your health instead of your wealth
Count on the power of all of us instead of just yourself.

Happy Thanksgiving!

…one cannot help but think what the battle against real estate and mortgage fraud would be like if the brave men and women in uniform were available to aid in the fight.

To all our Veterans, wherever you are, we salute you and thank you for the deep sacrifices you made in support of the American Dream.

To all the Mothers out there who make this day possible in the first place, we say…

Happy Mother’s Day!

P.S.: You won’t need a magic cape to spot, report, and stop real estate and mortgage fraud! Just do it!

Yesterday, October 17, the U.S. population reached 300 million, and what would have been my daughter Kolleen’s 19th birthday causes me to reflect on what it all means.

It’s not the 300 million figure that impresses me most. It’s the fact that each of those 300 million people is an individual who, through the course of their lives, will, in some way, touch the lives of the more than 6 billion individuals on the planet.

When Kolleen passed away earlier this year, I was deeply moved at her visitation and funeral by all the friends, family, and acquaintances who showed up to grieve her loss and celebrate her life. I realized that although Kolleen was no longer with us in body, her spirit continued to thrive in those who knew her and loved her. They shared their stories of Kolleen with me and my family–my wife Kathleen, and Kolleen’s siblings Kyle and Kaleigh.

Recently, I picked up a copy of The Dash, based on the poem “The Dash,” by Linda Ellis. (You can view The Dash Movie online by clicking here.) In the poem, Ellis describes a man speaking at the funeral of a dear friend. Referring to the dates on her tombstone, he notes that what’s most important about those dates is not the birth date or the date of her death, but the dash between those years. The man goes on to say that in the end, what we own, what we achieve materially is of little consequence. What’s important is “How we spend our dash.”

The Dash constantly reminds me of the importance of connecting with others every day of my life, especially in a world in which technology is making communications increasingly less personal. When we connect with others, as Kolleen did throughout her short life, the dash becomes much less of a line between two dates. It becomes an ever expanding series of circles that ripple out, touching the lives of many others.

On this day, I realize that Kolleen’s dash didn’t end on the day she died. Because she touched so many people in so many positive ways, she made her dash eternal.

I wonder about that 300 millionth U.S. citizen born today. What will that tiny baby’s dash ultimately represent? How will he or she affect the lives of others? How will that person’s life ultimately touch me?

I’ve been in Florida since mid-day yesterday, visiting family and preparing for a talk I’ll deliver later this morning for a mortgage company in Ft. Lauderdale. For those of you who may not know why I’ve been away from blogging since the Memorial Day weekend, I have some very sad news to share.

My oldest daughter–my angel–my 18-year-old Kolleen, A.K.A. “KoRo,” passed away quite unexpectedly on Memorial Day. Kolleen was everything to me and my wife Kathleen and our two other children, Kyle and Kaleigh. These last 10 days have been both a horror and an honor. If you’re a parent, you know the horror part. The honor part has been as a result of the outpouring of love and support from nearly every corner of the planet.

To see for yourself what an amazing friend, sister, granddaughter, niece, cousin, teammate, neighbor, and daughter Kolleen was, please click here for a tribute blog that was created by some of my assistants in the early hours of this tragedy.

I’ll be back tomorrow with more news, information, and commentary on Real Estate and Mortgage Fraud. Until then, I just wanted to say to everyone who has shared a thought, memory, or kind word with my family and me since Memorial Day, we thank you again from the bottom of our hearts. These are difficult and trying times, to say the least, and your support has been of great comfort to everyone in my family.