By Kelly Sargent

If you're like many of us, you may have made New Year's resolutions . . . and already broken them. 

You're not alone. According to University of Scranton psychology professor John C. Norcross who has studied resolutions for decades, about 40% of Americans will make New Year's resolutions, and six months later 60% will have failed. 

But hey, that means 40% will still be on track in June. Not bad. Here are some tips to help you beat the odds.

1. Turn down the heat
Do yourself a favor and take the pressure off by not making January 1st a do-or-die start date. Good for you for aiming for personal improvement, but the start of the New Year isn’t your one and only opportunity to set goals. You can resolve to alter your habits and improve your life at any time. Putting so much emphasis on an arbitrary date just adds to the stress already inherent in change.

2. Set realistic goals
In resolving to make changes in your life, it’s crucial for you to take your own individual personality and inclinations into account. You’re the the person who’s embarking on this new course, not someone else or some fictionalized version of yourself — so don’t set yourself up for failure by making resolutions predicated on forcing yourself to do things contrary to your nature. In other words, don’t resolve to run a marathon if you hate running! Making the activities in pursuit of your goal as enjoyable as possible will help you stick to your plan. If your goal is to get more aerobic exercise and find running monumentally boring — which I admit I do, try taking up tennis, racquetball or something else that involves constant motion.

3. Make your goals specific and measurable
In a recent article, CNN author Katia Hetter pointed out that people often think they lack motivation when the problem is really a lack of clarity. "If you want to eat better, be specific. Resolve to add a fruit or vegetable to your lunch every day or limit fast food to once a week.” If your goal is to finally write that book you’ve been talking about for years, break it down to a specific, realistically-attainable goal of writing one page a day. Without a clearly defined and measurable objective, how can you tell if you’re getting anywhere? And if you can’t see progress, you’re much more likely to give up.

4. Pursue change one step at a time
If you’re embarking on a major lifestyle overhaul that involves multiple course corrections: let’s say you decided you want to cut down on your sugar intake, reduce alcohol consumption, get more exercise and spend less time in front of the television. Instead of taking on all of those challenges at once, try focussing on one goal a month or every quarter. For example, step one: spend a month adapting to your new limit of two glasses of wine a week. Step two: Stick to the new alcohol limit and add 20 minutes of weight-lifting a day for the next month. Step three: Continue adhering to the new parameters you've adopted over the last two months and cut sugar consumption to one donut a week . . . and so on. Layering change is easier than trying to take on multiple resets all at once.

5. Forget perfection
It’s impossible not to make mistakes from time to time . . . to have a lapse in will- or won’t-power once in awhile. As a matter of fact, the quest for perfection in itself probably isn’t healthy. Besides, if you were capable of being perfect, you wouldn’t have to be making resolutions in the first place, so do yourself a favor, and don’t turn your pursuit of improvement into an all or nothing exploit. Accept at the onset that you are going to have off days and lapses, and above all, don't confuse temporary setbacks with failure. Your goal is steady progress. If you suffer a lapse, put it behind you immediately and go right back to checking off the specific, measurable, incremental steps that will lead to the longterm improvement you're after.

Well, that’s it for today from your friends at Tucker Law. Now I’m off to put in my half hour of cardio followed by writing one more page of my book.

By Kelly Sargent





Few months offer as many celebrations as December. With permission from and thanks to WorldStrides, here's a look at some of this month’s holidays from around the world.


Christmas
Arguably the most widely known of December holidays, Christmas traditions vary around the world. While Americans celebrate with Christmas trees, visits from Santa Claus, and dreams of snowy landscapes, Christmas falls during Australia’s summer, where it is popular to go camping or to the beach over the holiday. Some Australians decorate a “Christmas Bush,” a native Australian tree with small green leaves and flowers that turn red during the summer.

In England, Christmas traditions are similar to those in the United States, but instead of leaving milk and cookies for Santa Claus, children leave mince pies and brandy for Father Christmas.

In Iceland, capital city Reykjavik turns into a winter wonderland with its Christmas markets, and for the children there’s not one but thirteen Santas, known as Yule Lads. One arrives each night in the thirteen days before Christmas, leaving small gifts in shoes left in window sills.

Hanukkah
Hanukkah, or Chanukah, is an eight-day Jewish celebration that commemorates the re-dedication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem following the Maccabean Revolt. Those who took part in the re-dedication witnessed what they believed to be a miracle. Even though there was only enough untainted oil to keep the menorah’s candles burning for a single day, the flames continued to burn for eight nights.

Also known as the Festival of Lights, Hanukkah begins on the 25th of Kislev on the Hebrew calendar. Celebrations revolve around lighting the menorah. On each of the holiday’s eight nights, another candle is added to the menorah after sundown. The ninth candle, called the shamash (helper), is used to light the others. Typically, blessings are recited and traditional Hanukkah foods such as potato pancakes (latkes) and jam-filled donuts (sufganiyot) are fried in oil. Other Hanukkah customs include playing with dreidels and exchanging gifts.

Kwanzaa
Kwanzaa was created by Dr. Maulana Karenga in 1966 after the Watts riots in Los Angeles. He founded US, a cultural organization, and researched African “first fruit” (harvest) celebrations. From there, he combined aspects of several different harvest celebrations to form the basis of Kwanzaa.

The name Kwanzaa comes from the phrase “matunda ya kwanza” which means “first fruits” in Swahili. Each family celebrates Kwanzaa in its own way, but celebrations often include songs and dances, African drums, storytelling, poetry reading, and a large traditional meal. On each of the seven nights, families gather and a child lights one of the candles on the Kinara, then one of the seven principles, values of African culture, is discussed. An African feast, called a Karamu, is held on December 31.

Boxing Day
Only recognized in a few countries, Boxing Day originated in the United Kingdom during the Middle Ages and is celebrated on December 26. It is so named because it’s the day when the alms box, collection boxes for the poor often kept in churches, were opened and their content distributed, a tradition that still takes place in some areas. It was also the day servants were traditionally given the day off to celebrate Christmas with their families.

Boxing Day has now become a public holiday in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, among other countries. In England, soccer matches and horse races often take place on Boxing Day.

The Irish refer to the holiday as St. Stephen’s Day, and they have their own tradition called hunting the wren in which boys fasten a fake wren to a pole and parade it through town. The Bahamas celebrate Boxing Day with a street parade and festival called Junkanoo.

However you and your family celebrate (or don’t) all of us at Tucker Law wish you every good thing.

 By Erin Tucker

This year, as every year, we're grateful to our clients, past and present, for trusting us to represent them in matters of concern in their lives. Wherever you are, on T-Day, we hope that you will be safe, warm, well fed and surrounded by loving souls — whether two- or four-footed.

And speaking of the four-footed variety, what could be more fun than watching Teddy Bear, the ‘talking’ porcupine munching on miniature pumpkins and telling us all about it. Although filmed at Halloween, it's still perfect for Thanksgiving. Have a great time  overeating . . . but maybe not raw pumpkin.

By Kelly Sargent

Everyone at Tucker Law gets excited for Halloween, especially me. I love getting to be someone else for a day. 
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My husband Paul and I have had great fun dressing up over the years: murderous bride and murdered bride groom, Sonny and Cher, presidential candidates, tub of pop corn and a bottle of Tobasco sauce, cheerleader and a football player, except we reversed roles entirely; he was the cheerleader in a wig, skirt and pompoms, and I was the football player complete with shoulder pads, uniform and helmet.
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Once I dressed in a nun’s habit, accurate to the last detail. As I went about my day, I forgot what I looked like, and pretty much literally put the fear of God into two 12-year-old boys who were tearing around an office supply store where I’d stopped. I gave them a stern look, possibly accented with a foot tap, and wow, did they ever calm down.

Later that afternoon, I popped by a friend’s daughter’s house to drop off a baby gift. I knew that she was still in the hospital, but I’d forgotten that her husband had never met me. When he answered the door, I swished in saying, “I’ve brought some things for the new baby.” The poor guy looked like a guppy gasping for air.

I said all this to make sure you know I’m not dissing Halloween. I’m a fan.

I do feel duty-bound to warn you, however, that Halloween and Beggars’ Night — in some places, Des Moines included, they don't necessarily coincide — pose risks for your children and your home and property.

For example, Halloween brings 17% more crime-related insurance claims than any other day of the year, including theft and vandalism. 

Here are some preventative measures.

• Clear an easy path for trick-or-treaters to get to your doorstep to avoid liability suits
• Make sure your home is well-lit and shows some activity to deter vandals and break-ins 
• Use timers inside and outside of your home, garage and sheds
• Don’t leave lit candles unattended inside a pumpkin or anywhere else 
• Put your car(s) in your garage, if you have one

And here are Halloween safety tips from Safe Kids Worldwide to prevent your children from becoming a statistic. 

Trick-or-treat with children who are under 12 years of age
If kids are mature enough to be out without supervision make sure they

• Trick or treat in groups and stick to areas that are familiar and well lit     
• Never go into a stranger's home alone
• Cross streets at corners, using traffic signals and crosswalks
• Look left, right and left again before crossing and keep looking while they cross
• Put electronic devices down
• Walk, don’t run across the street
• Never dart into the street or cross between parked cars

Ensure their attire is as safe as possible by

• Decorating costumes and bags with reflective tape or stickers
• Using face paint and makeup instead of masks, which can obstruct vision
• Having kids carry glow sticks or flash lights to help them see and be seen
• Choosing costumes that aren’t too big to prevent trips and falls

Just have fun this Halloween, although you might want to make an effort not to frighten unsuspecting husbands and children.

By Erin Tucker

September means that school is once again in session, perhaps already for several weeks by now where you live.

Although July and August are the most accident-prone months of the year, the school year brings with it an additional set of risks for your family.

According to Stanford University Children’s Health and School Transportation News, more than 23 million elementary and secondary school children ride a bus to and from school, and each year about 17,000 of them are treated in emergency rooms for bus-related injuries. Thankfully, most of the injuries are minor: sprains, strains, scrapes or bruises. Still an average of seven children die in school bus crashes every year, and 19 are killed getting on and off the bus.

Most victims are aged five to seven, run down in the bus danger zone — 10 feet in front of the bus, 10 feet behind it and 10 feet on either side — hit either by the bus or by a passing vehicle. Afternoons are more dangerous than mornings, and fully 38% of school bus fatalities occur in a one-hour time period: between 3 and 4 PM.

To protect children, some bus companies have added a mechanical arm that keeps children a certain distance from the bus, and some school districts have mounted cameras on their buses to record motorists who fail to stop for a school bus. (Remember, in Iowa it’s illegal to pass a school bus from behind with red or yellow flashing lights.)

Parents can help prevent accidents by keeping a watchful eye on children who are waiting for or getting off a bus and by teaching them to always walk far enough forward to be visible to the driver before attempting to cross the street and never walk behind the bus.

So is it safer to drive your children to school? Statistically, the answer is no.

According to analysis by the National Highway and Transportation Safety Administration, riding the bus is 20 times safer than being driven by their parents, and it's 50 times safer for students to travel by bus than either driving themselves or riding with other teenagers. Specifically, about 500 students are killed each year in passenger vehicles during the hours of school-related travel — 6 to 9 AM and 2 to 5 PM.  Almost 75% of those fatalities involve teenage drivers.

Speaking of teenagers, there are five teen pedestrian deaths every week in the US. While teens aged 15 to 19 make up about 26% of all children, they make up about half of the pedestrian fatalities, much of it caused by distracted walking.

The organization, Safe Kids, conducted a study in 2016, observing 39,000 middle school and high school students and 56,000 drivers in school zones. Unsafe street crossing was observed in about 80% of the students, and unsafe drop-off or pick-up behavior was observed in nearly a third of the drivers! Parents can help by being extra cautious in school zones and by emphasizing to their children how vital it is to stop and look in all directions before crossing any street.

So once again, we say be careful!! And if you need us, we’re here.

By Erin Tucker

If you’re reading this post in August, you’ve almost survived the most dangerous stretch of the year for fatal accidents. YAY!

Although July has the infamous distinction of owning both the holiday and holiday weekend with the highest number of automotive fatalities and water-related deaths (click here to learn why that month is so deadly), it's only half the story.

According to the National Safety Council (NSC), when all causes of accidental death are taken into consideration, more preventable, accidental deaths occur in July and August than any other two-month period of the year.

You might suppose that vehicular accidents are the leading cause of the dual-month spike. With school out for the summer, longer daylight hours and vacation travel, there are more cars on the road providing additional opportunities for incidents. But no. With drug overdosing included in the category, accidental poisoning is at the top of the list.

Here are the top five:

Poisoning including drug overdose — 38%
Motor-vehicle accidents — 24%
Falls — 21%
Choking and accidental suffocation — 3%
Drowning — 2.5%

FYI: Although the NSC has tracked preventable injury and death data for 99 years, it has for the first time made “hot car deaths” its own category in response to an unfortunate emerging trend.

The most alarming finding from NSC’s data analysis, though, is this: preventable deaths have now reached the highest number in US recorded history: 169,936 as of the end of 2017, the latest year statistics have been released. That works out to be 466 of us a day; roughly one American every three minutes!

That’s not even taking into account the thousands of people who were injured and survived, and as we know from our work here at Tucker Law, sustained injuries can change a life forever.

Once again, we urge you to be careful!!! And, as always, call if you need us.

By Erin Tucker

Most people assume that the most dangerous American holiday to be on the road is New Year’s Eve.

Actually it’s the Fourth of July.
Surprised? We were, too.

Although New Year's Day holds the record for the highest number of deaths from all causes, our national birthday  and the weekend surrounding it  top the list for the most automotive fatalities. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the American Automobile Association, between 27% and 30% more traffic deaths occur then than on an average day or weekend.

In Iowa however, the rate of increase is a whopping 56%. Pedestrian fatalities also shoot up, on average 46% nationwide. Unsurprisingly, alcohol plays a significant role, a factor in more than 40% of the fatalities. Then there's the inherently dangerous nature of fireworks. The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that depending on the year, between 180 and 230 fireworks-related injuries require emergency room treatment around the Fourth. And don't forget the  accidents, injuries and deaths that take place in or on the water, boating, swimming and skiing . July is the highest month for those as well.

Bottom line? Be careful out there the next few days! We're here to help if you need us. 

By Rob Tucker

​In both my April and May posts (And the Winners Are . . . ) (And the Winner Is . . . ) I mentioned how difficult it is each year to select one winner out of four East High finalists to be the recipient of an $8000 college scholarship. 

I have been interviewing at East on behalf of the Rotary Club of Des Moines for at least nine years. As rewarding as it is to be the means of helping a deserving student afford to attend college, it hasn’t gotten any easier to disappoint three out of four we interview.

As an antidote, earlier this year fellow East High interview team member, Kelly Sargent proposed to the RCDM board that the scholarship budget be increased enough to allow us to give $100 Target gift cards to three runners-up at each of the six Des Moines schools we support. Of course it doesn’t compare to receiving an $8000 scholarship, but it acknowledges at least in a small way the deservedness of the finalists, and as a practical matter, it’s something they can use to purchase items they'l need to begin life as college students. 

The board approved the addition, but since the annual budget had already been set, the new policy won’t go into effect until next year. My interview team, Kelly, Mark Lyons, new East High member Jim Vickery and I, didn't want to wait so we chipped in to buy our three runners-up their $100 gift cards.

Here’s the thank you letter we received from Jada Powell, one of our East High runners-up.

Dear Rotary Club,

I appreciate the opportunity you’ve provided for me throughout this scholarship process. I completely understand how hard selecting the applicants could have been, and feel blessed for making it as far as I did. You win some and lose some!

Thank you for my Target gift card; it is more than appreciated and has already helped me get a jumpstart on supplies for my apartment. Since we met, I have signed my letter of intent to DMACC, and I’ve been eagerly preparing to graduate. Thank you.

By Rob Tucker

Last month I wrote about feeling privileged to be a member of the team that chooses the Rotary Club of Moines (RCDM) scholarship winner from East High School. (And the Winner Is . . . )  

Every year RCDM awards an $8000 scholarship to a student from each of Des Moines' six high schools, so there are six separate interview teams. After the selections are made, the scholarship committee meets as a whole to ratify the list of winners, and the awards are presented a few weeks later at a luncheon honoring the winners and their families, counselors and school officials. 

I couldn't help but be impresses by this year's awardees, both individually and as a group. Check them out.

The winner from East High, Jasmine Johnson, is one of seven children. Because her father was abusive, he couldn't remain part of the family, so Jasmine was raised by a single, working mother who nevertheless taught Jasmine to read by the time she was three. Despite working 24 to 30 hours a week at HyVee and volunteering more than 200 hours, Jasmine managed to earn good grades and academic honors. She plans to attend Iowa State University and major in psychology to prepare for a career as social worker or mental health counselor. 

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​Tam Cao is the scholarship recipient chosen from Hoover's applicants. In addition to her academic achievements which include making the honor roll and becoming a National Honor Society member, Tam has been active in cheerleading, tennis, choir, the Viet Eucharistic Youth group and her church, and she mentors ESL students. Tam's goal is to become a dentist and will attend Grandview as a pre-dentistry student.

The Lincoln High winner is Blessing Hutchinson. The interview team described her as a wonderfully, positive person who lives up to her name. Blessing was a member of the Lincoln track team and well as active in Upward Bound, church and multi-cultural dance. She has been accepted at Drake University where she will pursue of a bachelor's degree followed by a master's in school counseling.  She said, “Sometimes all you need is someone in your corner.”
 
Raymond Abwe was selected from eight applicants at North High. The interview team said they were strongly affected by the “incredible” personal essay written by a young man who knew no English less than three years ago. Raymond was born in Tanzania to a family that had fled from the Congo and came to the U.S. as refugees. Raymond helped found and is active in a church for Congolese in Des Moines. He plans to study accounting at Grandview in order to teach badly needed financial literacy to the Des Moines Congolese community. 

The Roosevelt winner is Oanh Bui. Oanh, whose parents are from Vietnam, has a 3.82 grade point and has already earned 22 college credits through her AP work. Oahn said in their seven-person household, commitment to education and hard work are expected. She has been active in student government, the Rider Crew, Christ the King Church, and she plays the piano. She is also a graphic artist who started her own design business as a high school sophomore. Oanh is enrolled in Iowa State University's College of Design.
 
Scavo's winner, Nou Vue, is a first-generation Thai-American and a single mom who works full time to support her grandmother and her two two-year-old daughter. After leaving school for two years, she returned, earning all A’s and B’s in spite of the limited time she had to study. Nou, who was unable to be present for the award luncheon because she was on a mission in Thailand, plans to attend DMACC to earn an association nursing degree, followed by Iowa State University to complete her nursing degree, then medical school to become a pediatrician.   

The gumption it's taken for all of these students to succeed in spite of the challenges and obstacles they've faced is impressive. 

By Rob Tucker

It's hard to believe the school year is almost over, and it's already time to award the Rotary Club of Des Moines college scholarships. Every year my club presents an $8000 scholarship to one student chosen from each of the Des Moines high schools: East, Hoover, Lincoln, North, Roosevelt and Scavo. I always serve on the East High team.

This year my usual East interview partners, Kelly Sargent and Mark Lyons, were joined by long-time Rotarian Jim Vickery. We were in agreement that choosing the recipient was at once rewarding and difficult because all four finalists were so deserving. 

Our job, however, is to select one recipient. Our 2019 East High scholarship winner is Jasmine Johnson. 

Jasmine is one of seven children. Her father was a drug addict who physically abused his wife and children, forcing Jasmine's mother to do the best she could as a single, working mom.

Despite the adversity, Jasmine’s mother taught all of her children how to read before they were three years old. Jasmine told us that by the time she was four, she understood that education would be her salvation. Throughout her career as a student, she held on to her belief that she could be successful in life if she worked hard . . . and she has.

In addition to working 24 to 30 hours a week at HyVee and contributing more than 200 volunteer hours to service projects, Jasmine managed to maintain a 3.4 grade point average and make the East High honor roll this past semester. She was also the recipient of the Most Creative award, a Poetry Club award, and she was chosen for the National Youth Leadership Council.

Jasmine has been accepted at Iowa State University where she plans to study to become a social worker. She told us that she wants to be able to help young people who find themselves facing the sort of challenges early in life that she has had to overcome.