handwritten on February 13, 2019
I think if you are an artist or in any artistic career, you probably have heard the phrase "finishing touches." The finishing touches bring the masterpiece all together such as the cherry or the sprinkles on top of a really delicious ice cream cone or designs carefully painted after the main coat has dryed. Sometimes, the finishing touches are what bring life into perspective. Sometimes, the delicate touches help us to make sense of the murky waters.
My husband has an eye for detail and finishing touches. I do not know what it is about him, but he has this magic of placing the sprinkles on top of every day. And truly, if we are honest with ourselves, some of us fail to see the "small...
handwritten on February 12, 2019
Today was one of the first days of our TEDx workshop with students who submitted proposals back in December to be part of our event at the end of May. Today's workshop was about finding the "Big Idea" or the "Heart" of our speeches. For example, what do you want the take away to be? What will be the mission of your particular speech?
As I learned today, digging deep takes time. In fact, for some of the students, we sat and discussed and probed their idea for twenty minutes until we got to a great place.
Two things I learned today. Time in the classroom limits thinking and the ability to really probe student thinking. So often this goes by the wayside, because we have to "do that" or "...
handwritten on February 10, 2019
Generally, on Sundays after church, I do some running around related to school or other odds and ends I failed to pick up the day before. With extra energy this morning and the sun rising, I attended 8:30 service and then headed to the Dollar Store to pick up some items. I thought I would encounter absolutely no one due to the "early time." However, I was wrong.
As I was searching for some cards and other items, I could not help but notice differences in this store compared to other stores. There was an energy and a friendliness. But there was also a connectivity amongst the people shopping and also working behind the register. Either everyone knew everyone or everyone was interesting in...
handwritten on February 9, 2019
Today I made a little stop back to the neighborhood where my parents still dwell. We had some lovely conversation and then decided to get food at a local Mexican restaurant. This one is gong to be hard to explain, but these days, I am so refreshed when I interact with someone who simply exudes love and positivity from their very soul. In this case, it was our waiter. This is hard to do, I think. In a world where most of our happiness is viewed on a "filtered snapchat" or picture uploaded to instagram, many individuals have almost lost their charm and their personality. Strange to think about, but we are so fixated on whether or not the third-party individual will enjoy viewing our "image of...
handwritten on February 8, 2019
Ever since I was a young child, I can always remember my mother's words ringing in my ears, "Whenever someone gives you something. I do not care what it is. You have to write a thank you." I was taught (and my brother) that words mean something, and a thank-you is a note that is cherished forever by the one who receives it. Every birthday party we had, we wrote thank you's at our round kitchen table right afterwards. Every holiday, my mom made everyone in the family sign the card and write a thoughtful message. Every birthday we did the same thing. Then of course there were "I'm sorry cards" and "I'm grateful cards" and "I'm thinking of you cards" and every card in between. And you know, as...
