In my search of rest, I often find solace in trees. I find comfort in their sturdy trunks and the variations of their bark – molted gray-green, bumpy brown, spectacular white. Their branches reach high to the heaven and bend with the wind.
Category: Kindness
Sacred Rest
Walking through the winter gauntlet that is January and February, I have been on the hunt for rest, not just sleep but rest – physical, emotional, spiritual, social, and sensory.
The Most Beautiful Thing
I know that when Deborah tells me that I will love a book, I need to take her seriously. In the nineteen years I’ve known her, she has never steered me wrong. She has a unique gift for being able to match books to readers.
Finding my Way
Bright Encouragement
Many of her co-workers call her “a ray of sunshine,” and she truly is. Laura always has a smile on her face, sees the positive sides of all situations, and her classroom bustles with excitement.
A Child’s Valentine
February means red and pink hearts, lace, fabric, scissors, glue – a collage of loving kindness. Children cut out jagged hearts with lots of glue and mounds of glitter and sequins. They make a joyous mess, and they are so happy and excited that their exuberance becomes contagious.
One Little Word: Remember
The more I thought about choosing my OLW, the more I felt like it would be cheating to choose a phrase. I sat myself down and told myself that this was not a time to color outside the lines. This was a time to be thoughtful and deliberate. This was a time to choose just one word.
The Gift of Grandmothers
This week, I came across two picture books that reminded me about how important grandmothers are in the lives of children. Grandmothers are wise leaders and mentors. They have gentle and guiding hands. They offer solace for scraped knees, dented feelings, and broken hearts. They can set the world right again. In my own life, … Continue reading The Gift of Grandmothers
Listening Summer
I am becoming more discerning of what I listen to. I want beautiful noise: great books, beautiful music, uplifting advice. To do this, first I had to get very, very quiet.
The Silver Lining
I could have focused on all the things that went wrong with this lesson, all the content I did not get to share, all the things I should have done. Instead, I reframed those thirty minutes as the room I made to show loving kindness and compassion. Something that is in increasing short supply in our world.
Word Dancer: Literature, the Arts, & Education 