“Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face.”

”“ Victor Hugo

In the clear light of an early winter morning, the scene from my kitchen window caught my attention. It was a world of stillness and peace. The yard, my neighbor’s home, the whole area wore a jeweled, white wrap.

We may not think so, but it is written that nature continuously shouts God’s praises through its beauty, magnificence, majesty and resplendence. The weather shapes and in many ways nourishes our humanity ”“ beautiful but also terrible.

The delicate pinks of the sunrise reflected in the soul of the sky, and the bare, undressed, frozen trees sculpted the landscape. The snow reached up to the windows and long, pointy icicles hung down from them. What did I see in the full of a blue sky? There, in a world of stillness, on top of the roof of my neighbor’s garage, stood a red shovel standing in deep snow. To me it was a whimsical, awesome, picturesque sight.

Soon my neighbor came out and climbed up on the roof to continue shoveling.

We live in an atmosphere of change. We live in a changing world. The world is on the move. Very little seems to endure. A world of constant change and turmoil creates a restless generation ”“ insecure and uncertain of who they are, why they are here and where they are going. Change requires time, preparation and patience.

For these reasons I was impressed with the skills, talents and personal commitments of the young cadets as I spoke to them on the TV show “Zaffie.” The cadets experience excitement, friendship, belonging and being a leader. It was a pleasure to introduce The Alpha Co. 1st Battalion 3rd Cadet Training Brigade of the Joint Military Cadets of America, covering the northeastern region of the United States. The Maine unit, the Maine Marauders, is the first in the Alpha Co.

Cadets attending were Charlie Thompson, Tareq Albdor, Hasaian Al-Khaleeli, Dylan Petroupoulos, Jim Nguyen and Dawson Spencer. The cadets were accompanied by Lt. Paul MacDowell of this group and Sgt. Bryan Noyes, who is also a post service officer with the VFW.

The mission of the Joint Military Cadets of America is to positively impact America’s future by providing quality youth development and military career exploration for boys and girls to mold them into responsible citizens who enjoy and promote a healthy, drug-free, crime-free lifestyle.

The organization also aims to instill in its members the ideals of honesty, fairness, courage, respect, loyalty, dependability, attention to duty, love of God and fidelity to our country and its institutions, and to promote physical fitness through physical activities, such as military physical training.

So, if you live in southern Maine or the seacoast region of New Hampshire and are ready to challenge yourself and become a member of the Joint Army Cadets of America, please visit www.NEarmycadets.weebly.com.

— Zaffie Hadiaris of Saco is the host of “Zaffie,” a weekly television talk show on Channel 3 Biddeford public access. It can also be seen at biddefordmaine.org. Contact Hadiaris at [email protected].