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Mindfulness
There is a lot of talk about mindfulness these days. It is something I teach, even to my young students. It involves focusing on the present moment and accepting your thoughts and feelings, with no judgment. As a teaching tool, it is meant to calm us as we try to regulate ourselves in the midst of the flurry of what is going on around us. My naturopath actually brought up the concept of mindfulness again, suggesting I would improve my digestion if I practiced mindful eating. What is that about? It means focusing on just eating – not TV, reading a book, or texting. The theory is that if my…
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It’s Good to Remember
Today has been a day of much thoughtfulness. As much as I would like not to, memories invade my thinking processes and emotional well-being. Why do these thoughts wheedle their way into my day? Can I not just put them aside and move forward? Two years ago, today, I faced cancer surgery. That was definitely high on the list of hard days in my life. While the memories dim somewhat, the pain of that diagnosis still makes me shudder. I really can take these memories two ways. I can dwell on the “why me” aspect. That leads me down a path of no good. My other option is to remember…
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A Living Legacy
The morning sun seeps into the room, but the woman knows it not. As I sit with her, she asks why the light is not on as it seems so dark. Her beautiful blue eyes, ones that have looked out on me since my birth, are now unseeing and darkness prevails. The sparkle is gone and struggles take hold. Another woman sits in her wheelchair, alone in a strange place. No one is familiar to her and she seems lost in the vastness of the new facility. Her joyful chuckle is not totally silenced, but it is vastly diminished. She is filled with great unhappiness at being separated from all…
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Giving What Matters
Being around children I see lots of interesting behaviours. It’s always interesting to watch how some children share. Some will freely give of what they have to others. It seems to come to them as easily as breathing. Others hold what they have close to themselves and often if they do give something to others it is their cast offs. What really matters to them they keep and only give what they find less appealing. I have found myself in the latter category on occasion. Growing up with very little monetary wise has sometimes made me cautious and protective about what I have. I guess I have had moments where…
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The Walls Come Down
It is moving day today. Once again, I must change classrooms. Throughout my teaching career I have had to pack up and restart many times. Believe me, the whole moving thing is getting old. This time is somewhat different. Almost our entire school is moving today as we make a shift to more concentrated grade areas and spaces for our students with challenges. I am moving to a permanent space – one I can finally call home for the remainder of my career. That is exciting and I am looking forward to this new start. The move is not without some grieving though. Yesterday the tears were flowing. This is…
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Just Too Much Going On
Some weeks are just more hectic than others. I have had times in my life with extensive to do lists, but this week seems to surpass them all. I would love to say that I am handling it well and that I am trusting God to get me through whatever happens. That’s not really what’s going on. Some days I am keeping my cool, but more often than not, small things set off a string of emotions and sometimes even tears result. As I take some moments to write out my thoughts and feelings (a healing thing for me) I ponder what will turn things around for me right now.…
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Surrendering Instead of Striving
I see it in my classroom every day. It’s that streak of independence that drives my students to find their own way, despite the instruction I give them. It can lead to all kinds of trouble as my little people get off track and miss the mark of the lesson or task. Sometimes it can manifest itself in relationship issues when they barrel ahead without thinking of the appropriate steps to resolve a conflict. It is challenging for us humans to submit to authority and do things someone else’s way. We want to assert our independence and we prefer to direct our own paths. What do we do, then, when God asks us…
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Being Thankful
In the course of this school week, I have read my students a number of Thanksgiving stories. One of my favourites is Mercer Mayer’s Being Thankful. The main character in this story repeatedly finds himself in situations where he wants more of something. For example, he sees someone with a fancy scooter and he tells his mom he wants one. His mother reminds him that he already has a scooter. He eats an ice cream cone but someone else has a fancy sundae and so he wants that instead. Ultimately, the character grows and learns to be thankful for what he already has, but it takes a big…
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Reaping a Harvest
The day was sunny and bright as we returned from a short camping trip. As we approached our deck, something was amiss. The lovely flowers that had graced my entry way now looked smashed. My first thought was about what creature might have been at my plants. But then it dawned on me – there had been severe weather when we were camping, perhaps it hit at home as well. With trepidation I went out to my large garden, fearing what storm evidence I would find. Sure enough, hail had wreaked havoc to most of my plants and fruit trees. I cried. And then I had moments of just wanting…
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Why
It’s a favourite toddler question. Why do I need to go bed? Why do birds fly? Why are apples red? Our young ones can find more “why” questions than we can ever imagine. It is their way of making sense of the world. Their inquisitive minds absorb incredible amounts of information in those early years. We are built to want to know the why of things. In our quest to gain the knowledge of the world, we want to know how things work and why things are as they are. Our human minds want to make sense of things and understand their purpose. The urge to know why has led…
