Packages on their way to Christmas destinations
Holiday stamps
A simultaneous text from two friends : sky alert (because these friends understand the little things)
GPS services and airport directions
Safe travel and clear blue skies
Old friends and traditions
Signing off that work computer for a few blessed days of holiday preparations/enjoyment
Find joy this week. 🌟
Ah, a Sunday in August. School is back in session for some of us…others have a few more days of freedom. I witnessed a bit of the “first days behind the scenes” this week as my youngest granddaughter started school, and I’ll start with this: thank you, experienced teachers. Teachers who greet with a smile, extend a hand, place a new book dedicated to a child in a backpack, arrive and teach/mentor/model/, often with no expression of gratitude. Thank you for caring for our most precious ones. Thank you to those who give their all and then go home to children of their own. If we can give nothing else to our educators, let us give them the respect they deserve.
Maybe I should keep with a school theme, but I’ve been noticing flight this week—how some of us still stop when we see an airplane above us—why? Maybe in awe of the miracle and science of it…maybe to bless its going forth…maybe to say soon…regardless, noticing the wonders of the sky can be a special practice.
Three granddaughters gathered ‘round my back-porch table and noticed other fancies of flight: the ever present hummingbirds, dancing monarchs, double egrets one morning, and of course, cardinals. So, gratitude for noticing. How rich to see, and to see that others see, too.
Other goodnesses: little hands waiting for and giving pink polish manicures…💅🏼
Other hands guiding a sister with a water play toy…and my own inner hesitation to bring yet another mess forward was silenced by my thoughts of water dries. Kids grow up. Let them play in peace. Relative peace. 😅
Next up was a foray into fake snow making—and I must admit that baking soda and a drop of water occupied some little hands for a good while. ❄️
Grateful for a house where children play and learn and wonder. Grateful for their jokes and insights and my food one calls slow food (versus fast because even that gets old sometimes). 😉
I’ll end with that landed text from a loved one. Grateful for safe travels and adult children who are thoughtful enough to let moms know all is well. That’s a lot. 🛬
Blessings for your new week. I’ll be greeting new students to college classes midweek, and I’m sure there will be stories and insights ahead. ✌️
Seven reminiscences this time, I think. I never know for sure until I sit here to begin. What gifts has the week prior given me? How many ways do all the crossings connect? ❤️…
Well, last week one of my students wrote to the poet Jan Gray. She liked his poem “Ghazal of Oranges” and set out to find some answers to questions she had. He answered her (not a small thing in this big world), and when I tell you it meant something, it really did. This student has a new view now of literature and poetry and humanity because of her action to discover and his action to reply.
Then, I shared the same poem at my GED class and asked a new student to read it. She agreed, but hesitated at first. She kept going, and at the end, looked up and said, You couldn’t have known, but his first line stopped me. My father died on New Year’s Eve…he, too, loved oranges. I felt his presence all around me as I read this out loud.
I told those students about the poet and my other student…how they will likely continue to communicate through emails now, this unexpected pairing. How odd and beautiful the world can be.
At the end of class, I asked this group to jot down their strengths, any areas they hope for help, anything they want me to know. I do this with different groups because all will not speak freely in a new class with strangers present, but they will usually respond in writing. As I leafed through the set, one student wrote a thank you note to me…a student who only shows up when his work life permits, when he can get there on his motorcycle. He encouraged me, turning the tables and reminding me that how we show up is as important as what we bring. We all just need to hear a kind and encouraging word sometimes…it means a lot to me and I’m sure to the others.
Teachers sometimes hear from the community or parents of students , but when we hear from students, it’s deeper and somehow truer to our ears.
So, all this to say: the value of words. Poems. People trying and succeeding in making meaning. All of us crisscrossing through the world connecting like beautiful threads.
This is counting as seven paragraphs haha…didn’t plan that either, but somehow think it works.
There were other precious moments during the week—saving some like a spool of thread, ready to unwind when needed.
As we enter February, I hope you find ways to express yourself to others—no sincere effort is ever wasted and only transforms into more good.
✍🏼 🖊️ ❤️
Well, dear readers,
Some might sigh while others will celebrate the fact that we are three months away from Christmas Day. 🎄 I’m in the celebrate it camp.
A friend posted a beautiful photograph of red berries this week from a walk, and said she was brought to think of me and my love for the holiday. She’s christened me Mother Christmas, and what an uplift that was…to receive such a lovely new nickname and to be thought of when in the beauty of nature.
Thank you, Care.
I’m sure a lot of us often think of others in our journeys as well. Let them know this week. Remind them that our absence is illusion: we are present with others when we call them to our mind’s eye.
I’ve been flipping through a beautiful book my daughter gifted me last Christmas…it’s filled with photos from all of the holidays I’ve been a grandmother. So many sweet memories to look back upon in sequence. All the love that was present then and still continues…and will always carry on, as love does. As good things do.
Lists are in progress, traditions to continue are bubbling up as the busy workdays pass. Things to look forward to and care about are real gifts in a world that wants us to focus on hard and busy and tragic and chaos. My heart has room for holiday thoughts, and I am immensely glad.
Other goodnesses this week:
Spider lilies in bloom along the driveway edge
Two dragonflies with golden wings hovering in front of me in between classes on a university parking lot this busy week
The place where pomegranates should be once the shipments start coming in…I wait all year…the stocker said this week 🌟
And one more gift of an observation from an Adult Ed student: You are unique abnormal. Some might be offended; I felt it was true praise. I don’t want to be conventional, haha.
Maybe it was because I was on the floor creating a butcher paper poem with black marker. I’d left the normalcy of what so many students get accustomed to, and I’d returned to core principles that work and bring me peace: old school words on paper.
I’d been inspired by a conversation and recalled a poem that related…so I did what all good teachers do—grabbed the moment and created a memory.
I find that most of us know what to do a lot of the time. We stop ourselves for various reasons. This week, let’s push on through with the idea, the new routine, the timeline that makes sense to us.
If the intention is good, success will follow.
I didn’t count, but I bet that’s at least seven.
Here’s to you: go into the world and be you this week. ❤️
Well, I walked to the mailbox to check on mail twice today before I realized that it’s Sunday 😅🤣😅…a little levity to greet you, dear readers, today. When we can laugh at ourselves, it’s a good thing.
The week has been a busy and mostly scorching one, but last night a big storm brought 30 degrees cooler temps. I’ve spent a good portion of the day and evening outside, just enjoying. 60s in Texas in May = marvelous.
The rain gave us a couple of inches in the formerly dry creek bed, drinks for the newly growing zinnias (ahhhhh), and even the dirt seems richer after a rain. Deer tracks were evident on the driveway, and no sooner had I noticed them on a walk when I made the return route to see only the broad flank side of a doe or buck dart across the path I’d walked seconds before.
How much we see. How much we miss. How much is here before and after we are. 🌟
Windows into the world before us. Windows were a theme this week in other ways, too…I was offered an office space with a lovely window…and the yes that meant a full day of moving one office to the new was well worth the time. Natural light, plants to help thrive, working without the hum of fluorescents if I choose. Yes.
A couple of days ago, my two youngest grandchildren spent the night, and they let me trace their one and two year old hands on the inside of my pantry door. That door is a hodgepodge of little traced hands and marked heights of squiggly tots through the years. A beautiful mess of life and presence here.
Naps. Those of young ones and the ones we older ones can take sometimes. Restorative. Luxurious. Self care…so important every day, but I’ve been reminded several times recently that it is Mental Health Awareness Month. While every month (and day) we should be aware, maybe this will be the time some of us do a bit more to advocate for ourselves and others.
A link for those who want to learn more:
https://www.aha.org/mental-health-awareness-month
Some bonus good:
An extended evening walk accompanied by the voice of a beloved cousin. Those telephones are a nice invention, aren’t they?
And as we talked, fireflies appeared like stars on the ground before me. That close…as if I could hold them in my hand. Had she not called, I’d have missed them, too…
So, here’s to the things that are just out of sight but waiting for us all. Here’s to those who bring us closer to the real. May your week be filled with knowing. 🧚🏼♀️
Greetings, dear reader,
Seven goodnesses from the past week:
A student who I previously taught came by to see me this week. He wants to write…and in his words for real this time, and I think he really might. We can hope. We can offer hope to those among us who are brave enough to share their desires with us. We can encourage and picture them doing what they hope to accomplish. 🌟
My two youngest grandchildren spent the night this weekend, and for the first time, the youngest let me trace his hand in one of my journals. Little milestones. His sister assisted, and clapped for him in encouragement. Sweet little moments. 🌟
I witnessed a beautiful memorial ceremony this week for a cousin who died after a full and vibrant and long life. It really is a beautiful thing to honor the memory of good people. A tree was planted in her honor—something bright and beautiful to remind us she lived. Traditions like these are important. I was glad to be a witness. 🌟
The irises are still busy under the oak tree in the front yard. Some years, they barely bloom at all. One day, one purple bud opened. The next morning: seven or more. This struck me as a reminder that things really do change so fast, but those changes can be good. Sometimes they really are good. I’ll post a pic or two at the end. 🌟
Fish fries. It’s been a long time since I attended one, but my workplace held one this week and it was nice to congregate on a beautiful day, listening to live music and enjoying good conversation. 🌟
Timers for prayers. I’ve done this for years now: set random alarms to remind me throughout the day to pray for specific people and their needs. A dear friend requested that this week—not the alarm (but she is getting one 🙏🏼)—but the request…it is a holy and precious thing to stop for just a moment to think of another…I believe the power in it is stronger than we might realize. 🌟
Free pass givers. Sometimes we are not at our best. Maybe we are tired, maybe we are anxious, maybe we have no reason except that our best behavior was not available. But even so, we see people letting it go. I saw that this past week. It makes me want to be that free pass giver in this new week. I’ll be trying. 🌟
This past week, I celebrated the National Day on Writing with a couple of classes of college writers. That decision gives me way more than five good things for this post, so here we go:
Young adults exploring the natural world —some sitting and noticing, some standing, some taking advantage of the playground swings in the nearby park we visited, some sketching. All deeply engaged in the moments.
In answer to my question of what was the best part of writing outside, one student’s answer, “Peace…it’s just so quiet.” Yes.
Other words: “We all walked out of those front doors together, all of us —with all our differences— and we became united…and we were free.” Wow.
We are writing sonnets now, and the work we do is influenced by that short time apart from the daily classroom. We draw from the solo classroom of attention. I hope they’ll return there as often as they can. I really think they will. 🌟
The simplicity of teaching and learning…some things really are like poet Mary Oliver told us:
“Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.”
Sitting down in a hairdresser’s chair and not having to say much at all…expertise/trust.
Receiving a text from a former intern thanking me for some random thing that helped her years ago … kindness/memory.
Listening to my son tell stories from his day and realizing how fortunate his students are… wisdom/competence.
Witnessing a stunning sunrise and sunset in the same workday and wondering how many I’ve missed, how many I’ll still get to see…awe/beauty.
Remembering a friend gone too soon and knowing his life held space for more than met the eye…and yours does, too.
Yours does, too.
Don’t miss this world…its breathtaking beauty, its opportunity to connect with beautiful people…its daily gifts.
Happy Friday. Be good to yourself. ❤️💐🌟
A few days ago, I asked students in my College Life Skills class to write non- repeating words in their planners for the month of October. The words? Things they are grateful for—something new each day. It took a few days for them to start looking small, but today we arrived. Will you join us?
“jokes”
“rain”
“pens and pencils”
“the way my pop cooks steak”
“pepper”
I’m a proud teacher. These young men and women are trying, even though they are not convinced about the power of gratitude. We will get there. 🌟
My list tonight…my five things culled from this week’s long list:
Fridays.
Windows.
Texts from my children.
Holiday emojis.
Butter.
Think small…the moments are right in front of us. ❤️
Today I’m doing a quick flip back…a look through my journal from the past week. Let my eyes land on five random moments and let them live happily here. Memories of goodness from the previous week.
Oddly, I am writing this entry super early in the day. Not so oddly, my schedule is always a bit off in August. I started teaching part time this week. The back to work time generally spins routines around a bit.
This week, it was a literal spin with the unwelcome visitor Vertigo showing up. We all say of course by now. Another #2020 eye roll. Thankfully, I have a set of exercises for that, so it passed quickly and I made it through the day with no problems. Count every good as a win, my friends. And, when we feel good, let’s remember to be grateful, too. Noted. I am planning to do quite a few little things today…things that I couldn’t do if the room was spinning. So, I am grateful.✅
I sat outside a lot this summer, and I hope to continue that practice for as long as I can. Waiting quietly in nature solves a lot of problems and opens our eyes to new possibilities. Sometimes I write outside, or knit, or make art. Mostly, I sit and watch. Time well spent. ✅
The pumpkin seeds I planted last month have taken off, and I learned their lesson: they open their beautiful blooms early in the day. If you wait too long, they are still pretty, but different. I guess I never realized all the adjustments nature makes minute by minute. ✅
My niece left a mailbox surprise this week: zinnia seeds for a future day! So kind…and as I look out toward my happy flower patch this season, I think I will cut a bouquet to celebrate that on this Friday, there is still plenty of beauty around…both in the thoughtfulness of others and in the joy to come. ✅
Finally, I started a new part time job this week. I am a teacher in the adult education program in my town, and I help students work toward their ESL or HSE certificates. As always, meeting my students and learning about them has started this season off well. They showed up in masks, but the masks did not conceal their determination and grit. They have goals. They are ready to work. I am ready to help them. ✅
Have a terrific weekend, dear readers. Find a moment or more to get outside and find the healing in nature. Surprise someone. Pick a flower. Plant a seed. Help someone learn. Live in grateful wonder. ❤️
Xoxo
[two new poems added every day]
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