The uncertainty surrounding the war in Iraq is the greatest issue facing the American psyche today, said Dr. Joyce Brothers who will speak Thursday in Fargo.
"We've never thought of ourselves as a warlike country," she said in a phone interview Tuesday. "I think if anything divides us it's if we should be pulling out, bringing our troops home, or intensifying."
Brothers, syndicated columnist and the dean of American Psychologists, spoke to military members in Germany a month ago. She wrote about the challenges facing returning soldiers in a recent issue of Parade magazine.
She said it can be hard for soldiers to reestablish a family bond when they come home.
The importance of family communications will be part of her hour-long presentation Thursday as the keynote speaker for The God's Child Project 15th anniversary dinner at the Ramada Plaza Suites.
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She also will speak Saturday at the group's banquet in Bismarck.
The title of the presentation is "Compassionate Giving in a Complicated World."
"Giving is something you share, it's not something you do to someone," Brothers said.
She will discuss six characteristics of strong families, including scheduled time together, concern, sincere appreciation and strong religious feelings.
"None of these characteristics of strong families just happen," she said. "They can be learned, they can be practiced."
Jena Gullo, executive director of The God's Child Project North Central, said Brothers is a good fit for the nonprofit organization's event.
The God's Child cares for and educates orphaned, abandoned and poverty-stricken children through a worldwide network of clinics, schools, foster homes and community development centers.
"She's really used her success and education to help her fellow Americans," Gullo said. "She's done a lot of work helping us to understand who we are and how we can be of better service to others."
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Readers can reach Forum reporter Sherri Richards at (701) 241-5525
