Category: Poetry

How Does Your Zen Garden Grow?

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As I look towards the end of August, cognizant that my new school year is on the horizon whether it is virtual or in-person, I am committed to keep cultivating my own garden. By this I mean I want to keep in the forefront of my mind, my health, my writing, my artistic expression, and my connection to friends and family. It has not always been easy for me to have clear boundaries between work and my personal life. For decades, I put my work before everything else. Oh sure, I talked about balance, but I really didn’t know how to achieve it. How do I juggle a great jumble of responsibilities? How do I prioritize? What do I need to do to be successful? I struggled and struggled with these questions.

Listen to Their Songs

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As we drift into August, I am beginning to get weary of learning. I desperately need a respite before the tsunami of teaching in a pandemic begins to swell again. This latest webinar feature A.J. Juliani as the keynote. I have heard this dynamic speaker before, and I was eager to hear what he had to say. What I didn’t expect was his final words of encouragement to teachers in the form of a video from Clint Pulver, a motivational speaker. Clint is an author, musician, and employment retention expert. He helps companies and organizations retain, engage, and inspire their workers. Clint believes that a single moment is transformative, and he demonstrates this in a video about his school experience about his interactions with his teacher Mr. Jensen.

Experience of Place

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For the past thirty-six summers, my husband and I have been fortunate to be able to wander and travel around the country – our beautiful diverse country: mountains, plains, deserts, and coastlines. Most summers are now spent in the Green Mountains of Vermont or the White Mountains of New Hampshire, or the rocky coastline of Maine. This year is different. Very different. This year is a summer of home and schoolwork. As I look towards the fall, I yearn for those wondrous summer places. I look back at photographs and remember.

Every child needs a champion.

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Ernest Hemingway famously wrote, "Do not worry. You have always written before and you will write now. All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence that you know." This is mine: Every child needs a champion. As the world seems to be spinning off its axis, this statement is especially true. Children need champions - people who help them feel safe, cultivate their curiosity, and instill hope. I became a teacher because I wanted to be a champion for young people. I have been blessed that I have been able to do this important work for the last forty-two years. So blessed.

Summer of Hummingbirds and Frogs

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It is summer and I am vowing to play. Play with my colored pencils and play with my words. It is easy for me to play with words and share them. I've been doing that since I was four-years-old. It is warm and comfortable. It is more difficulty for me to play with drawing because I'm still at the beginner stage. Being a beginner takes boldness. Being a beginner one must cast away the trepidation and dive deep into play with abandon. Like the hummingbird it all starts with a flash of color, like the spring frogs - I've come out of hibernation and am ready to sing!

A Pause for Celebration

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“Sorrow comes in great waves...but rolls over us, and though it may almost smother us, it leaves us. And we know that if it is strong, we are stronger, inasmuch as it passes and we remain.” - Henry James   After the events of the past weeks: the COVID pandemic, George Floyd’s murder, rioting and … Continue reading A Pause for Celebration

Simple Joy

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Music, Poetry, Dance, Art, Nature, Food, Friends, Travel - all of these things have given me joy.  When Nature, Friends, and Travel were curtailed by COVID-19,  I turned to music, poetry, dance and art to keep me joyful in these past bleary months.  And so spring came, flowers blossomed, the sky returned to its blissful … Continue reading Simple Joy

Ascent: Sharing Our Stories

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This week's Sharing Our Stories prompt from Ruth Ayres was "spreading your wings wider."  I thought about her words for a little while.  Lately, I've been spreading my wings a little wider each day even though we remain in quarantine.  It's funny how being physically inside has made me become more open and wandering within my mind and heart...