Kindness

Just a moment ago,
I got a message
from someone who enjoys my blog.
It made me pause
and contemplate once again
how I feel about all of you.
I have a "statcounter" that lets me know
how many people visit my site
and the city and country they are from.
Because of this,
I know when a wonderful blogger
from Canada reads my site
and when a dear college friend
catches up on my mischief.
However,
most of the stats,
I am unable to put a face to.
Despite the fact
that I do not know most of your names,
I feel a deep kinship with you.
You see,
I know that like me,
you are walking this road we call, "life".
And I'm counting on the fact
that you are puzzled at times,
just as I am.
I am glad you are here
as I try to make sense of it all.
Your very presence
helps me try to remember what I know is true
and to let go of the "nonsense"
that just feels true in the moments of crisis,
temptation
or loneliness.

So tonight,
I just want to thank you.
You are a sincere blessing to me.
May your tonight,
your tomorrow,
your always...
be a blessed and beautiful adventure.

From Sea to Shining Sea

Happy Memorial Day to you and yours!

More than just a day off for Americans,

Memorial Day is a day to remember

all the men and women

who have given their lives

to protect the land we call home.

Our children play and learn,

we live and love,

in freedom,

in peace,

because the world knows,

we will stand...

we will fight...

we will do what must be done.

To the men and women of the past,

like my Grandpa Jones,

I say thank you.

To those who stand today,

ready,

just in case,

I say thank you.

I love my country,

my freedoms,

the peace that we all share.

I pray for our country

and those who care for it.

Tonight and always,

may we be blessed with grateful hearts.

Counting by two's

Spending my days with Kindergarten children is a eye opening experience.

It makes me stop and realize how very much knowledge I take for granted.

Knowing my phone number, tying my shoes and understanding what to do if I ever got lost...

Without a thought I instinctively know what I should do.

Why is this so?

Though, I will assert I am an intelligent woman,

it is not because of my own innate ability that I can claim these skills.

People who cared for me, many years ago, taught me how to learn what I needed to know.

They taught me one tiny step at a time.

They built on what I already knew and gently led me into more complicated information.

As a teacher I do this everyday.

This week my students will be receiving math manipulatives to practice counting by two's. We've sung songs, looked at our one hundreds chart and even completed dot to dots and other skip counting exercises.

Now is my one last push before I assess who needs more help and who "has it". So out go my numbered milk caps or my "hopping stars" to all my kiddos. They'll either hop the numbers or line them up to practice. Some kids might even get a copy of our counting songs, it all depends on how tough the concept seems to them.

As I get ready to pack up their things, I want to send out a thank you to all the wonderful people who helped me grow.

My Parents, my family, my friends, my teachers.... Everyone who helped a small blond noisy child grow into a confident woman.

We are better because of the people who help us along the way.

I also believe we become better people when we help as well.

I am blessed to touch the lives of the small ones in my care each day.

Both the ones who are my dear children and the ones who I teach at school.

I honestly believe, with all my heart, that we are supposed to help each other on our journeys.

Our smiles, our belief in the abilities of those we encounter, are powerful.

We are candles in the dark,

umbrellas in the rain

and cookies on a very bad day.