Reflections

"There comes a moment in every life when the universe presents you with an opportunity to rise to your potential.  An open door that only requires heart to walk through, seize it and hang on.  The choice is never simple.  It's never easy.  It's not supposed to be.  But those who travel this path have always looked back and realized that the test was always about the heart.  The rest is just practice." 

- Jaime Buckley

I believe we are here to be truly human.  Vulnerable, transparent, and authentic.  I pray that we all become what we were born to be, an emanation of Divine light.  I pray that everyday I have the courage to stay open and be fully in the moment.  I want to immerse myself in the fullness of this life.  When my life is ended, I want to be fully used up, nothing left.  I want all my compassion, empathy and integrity to be blessings in the lives of all those I have been privileged to serve.  It is my passion for humanity that brings me the greatest joy.  Upon deep reflection, I believe all I've ever really taught was how to be fully human.

I believe to be a teacher of value, I need to fully engage in each moment. 

As I stand in my truth, I pray that I reflect what matters
and I hope my light shines for others to find their path.

Forgiveness

"The weak can never forgive.  Forgiveness is an attribute of the strong."

- Gandhi

The process of forgiveness helps us conquer judgement of others.  We all make mistakes.  Very few of us plan to make a mistake and hurt someone.  Most of our actions are unconscious or trying to fulfill a need we perceive as important in the moment.  Upon deep reflection, I find that every mistake is really a neutral action until I take offense, until I am hurt.  Forgiveness is not required until I make a judgement.  My experience is judgement is a heavy load to carry.  In all my reading and study of forgiveness, I find it is most important to forgive the actions of others that have hurt me because forgiveness takes the burden of judgement off of me.  

"Forgiveness is the key to action and freedom."

- Hannah Arendt

"We never heal until we forgive."

- Nelson Mandela

"Forgiveness is not an occasional act; it is a permanent attitude."

- Martin Luther King, Jr.

"Forgiveness is the fragrance of the violet which still clings to the heel that crushed it."

- George Roemisch

Safe Schools

Educators must create a safe physical and emotional environment that allows our learners to explore the worlds of knowledge, compassion, understanding and empathy.  We all need an environment where we can be authentic and vulnerable.  We all need a place to breathe, relax, and appreciate.

Many of our students bring a backpack of pain and past trauma into our schools.  We can not fix their past but we can and must create safe and welcoming classrooms and schools.  We can create a community where students feel they are cared for and loved.  When we create a safe learning community children heal, they relax and they learn.

Happy Birthday Sandra

December 9th is my beautiful wife's 70th birthday.  Sandra and I have been married for 40 years and she is quite simply the finest human being I have ever met in my life.  Sandra is my role model and inspiration.  Sandra is the kind of person songs and poems are written about.  Her dedication and commitment to our special needs daughter, Ashley has kept her alive and well for 34 years.  Whenever I am, I speak about Sandra and Ashley.  Sandra is commitment, she is empathy, she is compassion, she is faith, she is unconditional love.

As I write this Sandra is comforting Ashley in Intensive Care.  Sandra has not left Ashley's bedside since we entered the hospital at 4:30am, December 3rd.  Ashley has pneumonia, she is intubated and on a ventilator.  I marvel at her strength and positivity.  She makes friends with every care giver in intensive care. No one gets away without being fully human. Sandra will love you until your walls melt. Sandra’s boundless energy brings bright light to everyone in the hospital.

Ashley continues to improve and Sandra continues to shine her light on Ashley, our family and everyone in her world. Sandra reminds me every day that the greatest among us are not the brilliant, not the most innovative or the wealthiest or most creative. The brightest lights in humanity are the kindest. Sandra shines her light through a beacon of kindness.

Forgiveness

The seasons come and go.  Spring brings us flowers breaking through the thawing ground.  Summer warms all life.  Even the days too hot for comfort serve to grow living things. 

 Fall invites decline and letting go.  Even though we want to hold on, the laws of nature loosen our grasp.  Winter asks us to rest.