HOPE

Hang Onto Possible Endings

December Hope

It had been a long, stormy year. The rise and fall of emotions left me feeling like I'd been tossed by the waves in the ocean. And then, a tsunami hit. "Cindy, Cindy, wake up! Cindy, Cindy, answer the phone!" I was jolted awake by the sound of my youngest sister's desperate voice on our answering machine. Heart pounding, I looked at the clock, it was close to midnight. Something must be terribly wrong. I practically ran to the kitchen to answer the phone, only to hear her hang up. How long ... continue reading...

Hope of Thanksliving Joy

    Thanksliving Round 2 It's not a typo! Thanksliving. Google it. Lot's of people write about it. I even wrote about it last year. I just finished teaching a unit on gratefulness to my kindergarten students.  Reminded that grumbling and complaining are opposite of grateful and thankful, inspires me to be more intentional about my thanksliving. Finding something to be grateful for in the midst of a frustrating, sad, or even maddening situation can feel like searching for the ... continue reading...

Total Eclipse of the Heart

  I can't stop thinking about the eclipse. Magical and even spiritual have been used to describe that awe inspiring moment when the moon revealed the glory of the sun. Planning, prepping, and positioning took place all across our nation in anticipation of the recent solar eclipse. Due to the weather, weeks of hype were met with delight or disappointment, depending on where you were positioned  on  August 21, 2017.   Somewhere in "The "Path of Totality",  Bonnie Tyler was on a cruise ... continue reading...

Something to Learn

Savoring the last few days of summer feels like sitting on a boogie board long after the wave is gone, trying to capture every memory making moment.  The unhurried pace of summer contrasts sharply with the race to ready my classroom before school starts. Completing every task to feel "ready" often leaves me feeling like I'm trying to finish a popsicle before it melts! I have learned it's not a race that I often win. As summer draws to a close, thoughts of vacations, visits and villas turn to ... continue reading...