Women's Month

March is National Women's Month. Women, the sacred feminine, is essential to all life. She is half the conversation. She is half the salvation and half of our wholeness.

It is finally time for women to thrive. Our world has had enough of male dominance and macho ego. The voices of great women from Mary to Magdelene, from Eleanor Roosevelt to Mother Teresa, have taught us there is another way. Even Jesus came to us "meek and humble of heart" (Matthew 11:29).

It is time to heal the male addiction to power over others. Maybe the eternal feminine is needed to heal our wars, oppression, hatred, and mistrust.

We must listen to the feminine voice inside all of us.

Empathy

Empathy does not make us soft. Empathy makes us fully human. When we can understand those that feel very differently than we do, they become more human in our eyes.

It is very easy to be judgmental. It takes great effort and empathy to seek to know and understand. We can never know the history and challenges of those whose wounds we do not understand.

We have all been broken. We all will fall and fail, again and again. Empathy says “judge not lest ye be judged.”

Courage is calling...will we answer the call?

"From ancient times, a decline in courage has been considered the first symptom of the end." Alexander Solzhenitsyn

"If not you, who? If not now, when?" - Hillel

Courage is always a risk. Like all the courageous people of history, we are at a pivotal moment. 

Will we stand for character? 

Will we speak the truth? 

Will we conquer the fear of disapproval and follow our North Star? 

Will we be people of character and values?

Listen! Did you hear the call? 

Our life's mission calls to us from deep inside our soul. 

We each are invited to be all that we can be.

Sandra...

My wife Sandra, is full of love and joy. Most mornings you can find her singing a happy tune. Sandra has an inner light that never ceases to shine, even when we are challenged. 

Sandra is devoted to her family and is a good and loving friend. She has given the past 38 years of her life to our special needs daughter Ashley. In her 24/7 service, she finds a deep satisfaction. She knows she is fulfilling her purpose. Sandra has a deep and loving faith. Her life is not easy. 

An average day is up at 7:30 AM and she starts Ashley's medications, breathing treatments, percussion treatments, and diapering. Tube feeding also begins at the same time. On most days Ashley is up in her wheelchair by 10:30 AM and Sandra begins other tasks. At noon it is medicine time again and at 5 PM it is feeding time and it's 7 PM it is medicine time again. At 10 PM Ashley is put into bed and the breathing treatment, percussion treatment, and diapering begin again. Through all of this exhausting work, Sandra has a serenity. She is resolved in her loving care. She finds great joy and giving herself to the good of others.

Share your love and gratitude...

"Too often, we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around." - Dr. Leo Buscaglia

I have had the privilege to spend many hours with those in their final days. Universally we want to know; Did our life have meaning? Did it matter that we were here? We all want to feel that our lives had meaning and purpose. We all have contributed something special to this world. We all leave something meaningful.

Do not wait until someone is leaving this life. Let them know now. Tell people you love and appreciate them. Let them know they have contributed to your life. Let them know they have made a positive impact, a difference in life.

When we acknowledge and affirm each other, we transform our lives.

Be generous and abundant with your compliments.

Extend loving kindness to everyone.

We are all different

Life is a gift. We are each blessed with our spirit and our divine uniqueness.

We are each different. If we look close enough, we see everything and everyone is different. We can find similarities but none of us are the same.

We all bring our unique light to the world. We all shine differently. 

The moon does not complain that it is not as bright as the sun. The moon does not feel less than the sun.

We must stop comparing, judging, and evaluating each other.

Trust that your uniqueness is needed in the world.

We are all different. Each of us expressing our uniqueness to make the world a better place.

Happiness is sharing your gift in your unique way.

There are no small actions...

I don't remember consciously inviting this difficult time period into my life. I pray to move through this as soon as possible. I am aware that in the past, difficult times have been good for my soul and strengthened my character.

Difficult times have invited me to gather my character traits, virtues, faith, and love to face adversity. "If you bring forth what is within you, what is within you will save you." - Gospel of Thomas

Difficult times liberate us from our ego-driven, me, me, me. Today's questions appear difficult. I search deeper and longer for truth. I join with my unseen allies; spirit, angels, and unconditional love. I listen to the "still, small voice." 

The universe speaks to me and I am engaged in a relationship with the whole world. We all thrive on interdependence. We are all interconnected. This is our opportunity. Pour your love and purpose into every day. Be yourself. Be fully authentic.

There are no small actions. The world needs you. Now!

Contribute to the good...

"You cannot solve a problem by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them." - Albert Einstein

The challenges we are all currently facing will not be solved by sitting around a conference table discussing the problem. Each one of us is being called to act responsibly. We are all responsible for what we think, say, feel, and do. It is time to accept the call to heal ourselves, each other and our planet. We can forgive and let go of any negative thoughts that impact our spirits. We can contribute to the good.

Know that there is a greater power of unconditional love at work in our life and in the lives of all humanity.

"Be the change you want to see in the world." - Gandhi

What is your school community's shared story?

When we make a commitment to build community, we create "we" stories. We honor and value each other's courage and vulnerability and we share our skills and strengths in service to the greater good.

We share leadership. We reclaim our power to help ourselves. We do not wait for permission. When we see a human need, we fill it.

We prioritize the community's good over individual ego.

We emphasize connection. We share food, laughter, tears, and dreams.

We plan for the future and implement now!

We practice gratitude and forgiveness.

We know we are servant leaders.

We know our community is defined by how we care for the young, old, poor, disabled, and those who are very sad and disconnected.

We take responsibility and apologize when we make mistakes.

"The secret of life is to have a task, something you devote your entire life to, something you bring everything to, every minute of every day, for the rest of your life. And the most important thing is, it must be something you cannot possibly do." – Henry Moore

Commitment

Love and Commitment have always been my 2 highest core values. When I make a commitment, it is a promise that originated in love. When I see a need, I fill it, or I find other resources that can do the job better than I can.

Throughout my now almost 50 years in professional service to education, I have made countless commitments. My commitments often seem to be involuntary. I don't think, I automatically say yes. Sometimes that has been problematic.

I find that more often, my service to schools, teachers, students, and parents is part of my identity. My commitments make me part of any organization I am serving.

My commitments are relationships built on empathy, compassion, and trust.

I love my work. I love those I serve. Together we build a structure for students and staff to thrive, learn, and be healthy. My commitments are my identity. They are how I get acquainted with those I serve. My commitments make my pulse beat. They make my eyes shine and they make my face glow.

My commitments coincide with my sense of purpose. They are why I am here. They give me, and my life, a sense of meaning. My commitments have brought me freedom from fear, addictions, depression, and narcissism. My commitments have built my character. 

My commitments have helped me answer the essential question: "What is life asking of me?"

So, reflect on your life. What have you loved doing? What has uplifted your heart and soul? What has called to you? 

Commit your life to those answers.

Possibilities...

Many of us are fortunate to know we are blessed to feel appreciation, and gratitude for the simple pleasures of life. To feel the wonder in a flower in bloom. To feel the awe in a crimson and pink sunset. To feel the ecstasy of holding the hand of someone you have loved for over 43 years.

I am so grateful to wake up and think of possibilities. Each morning I let go of the past and think of the wonderful, infinite possibilities that are waiting for me. I focus on my dreams and my goals.

I live my life with gratitude and appreciation. I live in a comfortable home. I have a warm shower. I have a warm bed to sleep in and a variety of foods to nourish me.

I can calm my mind, release my stress, and open myself to new possibilities.

The Family of Love...

We are all here for a short time, twenty, forty, sixty, eighty, one hundred years. We are here to love and be loved. We are here to learn and relearn that we are all children of unconditional love.

We are here to help our sisters and brothers remember who they are. We are here to remember we are all members of one beloved family. 

We are here to break down walls and build bridges. Walls are built on fear. Bridges are built on unity. In our unity, we are all here for just a little while to remember to love and be loved.

We are all members of the family of love.

A Prayer for Humanity

Dear God,

I continue to feel your unconditional love permeating my heart and mind. I see your love and acceptance in every diverse face. We are all loved, no exceptions.

In this unconditionally loving universe, everyone is welcomed. Everyone is accepted. Everyone is valued. Everyone is loved.

No one is excluded.

May we all share this love with open hearts and minds.

May we all be sisters and brothers in loving humanity.

Every Moment is Sacred

In this Christmas season, allow yourself to remember that every moment is sacred. In every moment, the sacredness of life is being expressed. Somewhere a flower is in bloom. Somewhere a bee is gathering pollen and somewhere a bird is singing its song. In your life, children have been born and loved ones have passed. In this life, a smile can lift your heart and someone's tears can touch your soul.

Let us all remember the sacred moments of laughter, deep conversation, meaningful connection, and unconditional love. We have all overcome challenge, and it is time to hold hands, heal hearts, and come together.

December is for Gratitude

 

December is for Gratitude by abbymorgan15