Something We Can Do

Last week I was in two different Kindergarten classrooms during a Lockdown Drill. It's always a little scary. One student, after it was over, said, "I was so scared, and I was so brave." I imagine the little ones in Newtown were very brave. There are children who don't feel safe or brave right now.

I love the idea of Ann Curry's to do 26 Acts of Kindness, and am trying my best, but if you want to one thing more, I would kindly suggest that you visit Donors Choose. There are tons of teachers who are asking for some very basic supplies to make their classrooms more loving and nurturing learning environments. You can see where your donation is going and what type of district it is.

A teacher asked her kindergartners this week to write letters to Santa. Their wishes are so simple, yet so complex. "I wish my daddy would come home," "I wish my mommy would get a house so she would be happy."

In memory of those in Newtown, and for all the children everywhere, we can do one thing more.

http://www.donorschoose.org/

Comments

What Is Grief?

What is grief? It is standing in the shower and you are suddenly crying and then you are sobbing. And you barely thought about it in the two days since you heard your Uncle Rich passed. You thought about your dad and your cousins and your aunt and how sad they must be and you checked in on your dad. "I'm so so sorry." And you went to work and you did what you had to do. And now you are ready for another day and you are thinking of all the things and then you are crying and you are little again and vulnerable and your heart hurts. And you remember everyone. Medford Lakes and a swimming pool and laughing so hard and dancing around a Christmas tree and fireworks by the lake at night. And you can see his face and all their faces smiling Aunts and uncles and cousins and brothers who aren't here. And you remember his voice, deep and laughing, and you remember his kindness and his advice. "Are you taking vitamin C, Joannie?" You see all their faces and you mis

Home for Christmas

Dear College Kid and Post-Grads, Welcome Home! You are finally here! And we are so happy to welcome you. It's been a long semester. You've faced trials and tribulations. You still need to meet your own benchmarks and others you've exceeded. But it's over now. For now, you must rest. For now, you are released from your duties and obligations for studying and group projects. You don't have to worry about homework and practice and when to wake up and when to eat. You are home. You can sleep until noon. We are here to love you back to health and wellness and give you that unmistakable feeling of home. Some things haven't changed here at home. There will be bacon and eggs for breakfast and we will get cream donuts from McMillan's tomorrow. We will have bagels and cream cheese one morning. Some things are new to us. We will order the meat lover's pizza. We will make room on the shelf for your protein powder. Some things have changed. We painted the front d

Tomorrow We Will Make Coffee

We are all searching for guarantees. The guarantee on shipping from our website order, the guarantee on the newly-purchased mattress, the guarantee that when we wake up the electricity will still be on, the guarantee that the weather will get nicer soon, the guarantee that my car will still be parked where I left when I get back, the guarantee of a healthy pregnancy, the guarantee of an easy child. All the things we expect at the beginning of the day to go our way, the meeting, the conference call, the sales pitch, the ruling, the game, the score. I see people searching for schools, looking for a guarantee that the choices they make, the selection of this school over that school, will guarantee that their child will thrive, be successful, and maybe happy. They want the guarantee. They expect it when they walk in, as if they were going to a car wash, that the car will be perfectly cleaned when it comes out the other end. As if kicking the tires will guarantee the purchase they mak

the mud

Search This Blog