I remember it well. I was sitting in a meeting on September 11, 2001 with a parent, a psychologist, and our counselor. The counselor was explaining Post Truamatic Stress Disorder in regards to two young men who had moved to Houston in the last year from Iraq. They had been hiding in the basement of their Middle Eastern home for two years due to the raging battles in the street outside their home. They moved to the United States, looking for a safe haven, but their experiences had had a profound effect on the boys who were struggling to find their place in a world that is not always safe.
I walked up the stairs to my classroom and heard about the first plane attack on the Twin Towers. By the time I reached my door, the second plane had struck. I turned on the television as my eighth grade students arrived. We watched with fear and a morbid curiousity the smoke and the devastation. Our school went on lock-down. No one moved. We were unsure about what would happen not only in the next few moments, but for the rest of our lives.
Our oldest daughter had graduated in the spring and was in her first semester at Baylor. I phoned her and she sleepily answered. I told her to turn on her television. I wasn't sure whether to tell her to come home or to stay put. Reporters were looking at other possible targets, and Houston, with its refineries and ports, was high on the list. I told her to stay put but to be ready to move to safety. I have never felt so helpless.
Parents began arriving to pick up their children, abandoning their jobs in favor of rescuing their children. About half of our students were whisked away to their homes, uniting with families for whatever might happen. Soon, reports of the Pentagon attack were on the screen. The towers showed citizens throwing themselves out of 30 and 40 story windows. First responders were streaming all over the sites, trying to save the lives of those trapped inside. And then, the unthinkable happened. As my remaining students and I huddled around the television, the first tower crumbled and imploded. Ashen bodies ran through the streets, looking for escape. And then the second one fell. It really did feel as though the world had stopped revolving.
As the horror continued, we all went home and settled in to discover what tomorrow would hold. The skies were silent, heads were bowed, and life stood still. It would be weeks and months before we were able to absorb the harsh realities of the attacks on the United States. We would listen to stories of sacrifice and courage as tears streamed down our faces. Never again would we feel that complete lack of fear from the last forty years.
Today, we remember. Today, we mourn. But today, we find that being an American carries with it hope, overcoming, and pride. God Bless America today and always.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Purple Grass and Orange Skies~
Remember in kindergarten, when you could color the grass purple and paint the skies orange? You could put six inch eyelashes on mom's beautiful turquoise eyes and draw red whiskers on dad's chinny chin chin. Kittens were always girls and puppies were always boys. Life was yours to embrace, enjoy, evaluate! How joyful was your ability to create the pictures in your mind...
Then along came 1st grade. Grass had to be green. That is what the teacher said. Kids began to laugh if your pictures were different. By the 5th grade, everyone's pictures looked alike, and you learned about conformity, acceptance, and status quo, but your imagination became stagnant, colors became bland and school became a requirement.
It wasn't just in art that constraints and restraints ended childhood dreams. Music had to suddenly make sense, stay on pitch, and match a specific beat. Compositions had to have perfect punctuation, specific capitalization, and subject verb agreement. Poetry had to be read in rhythm and rhyming patterns had to be identified. Words were no longer beautiful, but served a purpose dictated by rules.
Funny thing, though. The writer with perfect mechanics becomes an editor while an author rediscovers life through stories. The pianist with perfect rhythm and pitch becomes a piano teacher, while the one who hears music in the wind becomes a composer. The exact paint strokes and color matching develops a house painter, but creating a colorful palette and using whimsical subjects develops a modern day Picasso or Van Gogh.
Whether you are a parent or a young adult, a bachelor or a grandparent, open the windows and smell the softness of a sunset, the melody of a songbird, and the poetry in a river. Return to those days of purple grass and orange skies, and for Heaven's sake, allow the children in your life to find the joy in creativity and the rewards of uniqueness. Life is a joyful journey if we truly learn to be ourselves.
Then along came 1st grade. Grass had to be green. That is what the teacher said. Kids began to laugh if your pictures were different. By the 5th grade, everyone's pictures looked alike, and you learned about conformity, acceptance, and status quo, but your imagination became stagnant, colors became bland and school became a requirement.
It wasn't just in art that constraints and restraints ended childhood dreams. Music had to suddenly make sense, stay on pitch, and match a specific beat. Compositions had to have perfect punctuation, specific capitalization, and subject verb agreement. Poetry had to be read in rhythm and rhyming patterns had to be identified. Words were no longer beautiful, but served a purpose dictated by rules.
Funny thing, though. The writer with perfect mechanics becomes an editor while an author rediscovers life through stories. The pianist with perfect rhythm and pitch becomes a piano teacher, while the one who hears music in the wind becomes a composer. The exact paint strokes and color matching develops a house painter, but creating a colorful palette and using whimsical subjects develops a modern day Picasso or Van Gogh.
Whether you are a parent or a young adult, a bachelor or a grandparent, open the windows and smell the softness of a sunset, the melody of a songbird, and the poetry in a river. Return to those days of purple grass and orange skies, and for Heaven's sake, allow the children in your life to find the joy in creativity and the rewards of uniqueness. Life is a joyful journey if we truly learn to be ourselves.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
You Can Learn A Lot from a Movie~
Last evening, I watched a movie on television: The Emperor's Club. It revolves around the career of a passionate, but very human, teacher. A history teacher creates in his students a love for ancient history, delving into not only the events, but the men who impacted global thinking for generations. Even more importantly, he teaches his students the importance of integrity, honesty, and acceptance.
Perhaps the saddest moment in his life is the realization that even though he wants these life lessons ingrained in his students, he recognizes that one young man in particular chooses to disregard them and uses cheating and lying to gain prosperity and influence. It forces him to remember a time when he, too, made a choice that was not ethical, but he faces his demon and makes things right with the young man he had offended.
Other movies have also tugged at my heart. How many of you have see the movie with James Garner, The Ultimate Gift? This movie was so powerful that I arranged a showing of it to the students at the middle school where I taught at the time. Sometimes an amazing viewing opportunity arises and can change the life of the viewer. Using pain, humor, passion, and more, the screenwriter imparts a wisdom that few can capture. It is important for me to remember and to remind others of these very important gifts we have opportunity to receive and to pass on to our children and grandchildren.
The twelve gifts in the movie "The Ultimate Gift" were:
1) the gift of work (he must learn to work for his money)
2) the gift of money (he must learn to handle his money wisely)
3) the gift of love (he must learn to love unconditionally)
4) the gift of friends (he must find friends who accept him without his money)
5) the gift of laughter (he must learn to see the joys of life)
6) the gift of giving (must learn to be generous, especially with money)
7) the gift of family (he must spend time with family)
8) the gift of problems (he must learn to face and solve problems for himself)
9) the gift of learning (he must learn to learn, he doesn't know everything)
10) the gift of dreams (he must have dreams, dreams for his life)
11) the gift of gratitude (he must learn to be thankful for what he has)
12) the gift of a day (What would you do with your last day on Earth?)
As you can see from the list, what a wonderful reminder of the preciousness of this life God has given us. See how you can apply these gifts to your life. You will be "ultimately blessed!"
Perhaps the saddest moment in his life is the realization that even though he wants these life lessons ingrained in his students, he recognizes that one young man in particular chooses to disregard them and uses cheating and lying to gain prosperity and influence. It forces him to remember a time when he, too, made a choice that was not ethical, but he faces his demon and makes things right with the young man he had offended.
Other movies have also tugged at my heart. How many of you have see the movie with James Garner, The Ultimate Gift? This movie was so powerful that I arranged a showing of it to the students at the middle school where I taught at the time. Sometimes an amazing viewing opportunity arises and can change the life of the viewer. Using pain, humor, passion, and more, the screenwriter imparts a wisdom that few can capture. It is important for me to remember and to remind others of these very important gifts we have opportunity to receive and to pass on to our children and grandchildren.
The twelve gifts in the movie "The Ultimate Gift" were:
1) the gift of work (he must learn to work for his money)
2) the gift of money (he must learn to handle his money wisely)
3) the gift of love (he must learn to love unconditionally)
4) the gift of friends (he must find friends who accept him without his money)
5) the gift of laughter (he must learn to see the joys of life)
6) the gift of giving (must learn to be generous, especially with money)
7) the gift of family (he must spend time with family)
8) the gift of problems (he must learn to face and solve problems for himself)
9) the gift of learning (he must learn to learn, he doesn't know everything)
10) the gift of dreams (he must have dreams, dreams for his life)
11) the gift of gratitude (he must learn to be thankful for what he has)
12) the gift of a day (What would you do with your last day on Earth?)
As you can see from the list, what a wonderful reminder of the preciousness of this life God has given us. See how you can apply these gifts to your life. You will be "ultimately blessed!"
Monday, August 22, 2011
When Moms are Nervous~
I started my day by taking my youngest to high school. It was harder than I expected considering that she went to school with me for the past three years. How did the years pass so quickly? Will my nest really be empty in four short years?
Last night, Molly went through her closet and picked out outfits for the week. She put together her new Jon Hart backpack with matching pencil bag. She showered so that she could sleep a few extra moments while her Dad ran to the store to stock up on her favorite lunch items. She is much more prepared for this big change than I am. I hovered and asked how I could help. She gently reminded me that she was "now in high school and could handle it." I know she is right!
The high school is MUCH larger than any school she has ever attended, and I couldn't help but look at the many students piling into the building. She has been part of a school where students basically dressed alike, had parents who pushed, and a small student/teacher ratio and family atmosphere. These new students represent our entire city~ culturally, economically, racially, and politically. I am excited that she will be meeting so many new people and learning about so many different cultures and ideas, but I cannot help but feel a bit nervous. Will she make friends that are kind? Will she be confident? ...and will she know how to walk away when confronted with choices that can hurt her and reduce her future?
All I can do is turn both her future days and mine to God and pray that we will both move in the right direction and make this world a better place, a friendlier place, and a safer place.
Here's to my Molly and all the other freshman ~ class of 2015. You are our hope for a brighter future!
Last night, Molly went through her closet and picked out outfits for the week. She put together her new Jon Hart backpack with matching pencil bag. She showered so that she could sleep a few extra moments while her Dad ran to the store to stock up on her favorite lunch items. She is much more prepared for this big change than I am. I hovered and asked how I could help. She gently reminded me that she was "now in high school and could handle it." I know she is right!
The high school is MUCH larger than any school she has ever attended, and I couldn't help but look at the many students piling into the building. She has been part of a school where students basically dressed alike, had parents who pushed, and a small student/teacher ratio and family atmosphere. These new students represent our entire city~ culturally, economically, racially, and politically. I am excited that she will be meeting so many new people and learning about so many different cultures and ideas, but I cannot help but feel a bit nervous. Will she make friends that are kind? Will she be confident? ...and will she know how to walk away when confronted with choices that can hurt her and reduce her future?
All I can do is turn both her future days and mine to God and pray that we will both move in the right direction and make this world a better place, a friendlier place, and a safer place.
Here's to my Molly and all the other freshman ~ class of 2015. You are our hope for a brighter future!
Friday, August 19, 2011
Blood is Thicker than Water~
My sister called me this week and asked if I would be available to come to Dallas to drive her to the hospital. I immediately said yes even though it is my youngest daughter's first week in high school. Why? Because there are times when you have to put aside one important event for something even more important. My sister needs me and I am the one person in the family that can actually take the time to go and spend a few days with her in the middle of the week. I cherish the thought that we are close as a family and can call on one another when needs arise.
I have lived long enough to know that we are a special family. I am always sad when I hear that family members go for months and even years without contact. We all have friends who live miles away from their families and rarely have the chance to see one another. Others are burdened by childhood hurts, cruel words, broken dreams and they just cannot put those feelings behind them. It is so hard to heal from those past hurts. Sometimes we replace our birth family with friends who become our sisters and brothers and find the joy in a family relationship.
Although my family is close, it has taken a lot of work to keep it so. We, too, have struggled through disagreements and times where we needed space. Our words are sometimes too free and our advice too assertive. We have pushed too hard when we should have just listened, judged by our own perspective, and hung up the phone when we should have held on. I am fortunate to have a family that forgives. I sure have needed a big helping of forgiveness from them when I come on too strong, but I have practiced forgiveness because we were taught that there is nothing more important than family.
My challenge to my readers is this~ call someone in your family. Ask them how you can support them. If there are things to be forgiven, ask them for forgiveness or forgive them. Plan some one on one time. I promise you, there is someone waiting for your phone call and it will bless you to have a moment of shared family. Here's to the telephone, the letter, the email! May it change your life.
I have lived long enough to know that we are a special family. I am always sad when I hear that family members go for months and even years without contact. We all have friends who live miles away from their families and rarely have the chance to see one another. Others are burdened by childhood hurts, cruel words, broken dreams and they just cannot put those feelings behind them. It is so hard to heal from those past hurts. Sometimes we replace our birth family with friends who become our sisters and brothers and find the joy in a family relationship.
Although my family is close, it has taken a lot of work to keep it so. We, too, have struggled through disagreements and times where we needed space. Our words are sometimes too free and our advice too assertive. We have pushed too hard when we should have just listened, judged by our own perspective, and hung up the phone when we should have held on. I am fortunate to have a family that forgives. I sure have needed a big helping of forgiveness from them when I come on too strong, but I have practiced forgiveness because we were taught that there is nothing more important than family.
My challenge to my readers is this~ call someone in your family. Ask them how you can support them. If there are things to be forgiven, ask them for forgiveness or forgive them. Plan some one on one time. I promise you, there is someone waiting for your phone call and it will bless you to have a moment of shared family. Here's to the telephone, the letter, the email! May it change your life.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Driving Miss Dorothy
I picked up Nan's mother today. I didn't know it was Nan's mother, but I saw a picture on the dresser as I unfolded the wheelchair and watched the beautifully dressed ninety year old Dorothy struggle into it. I asked about the photo and we were both quietly pleased that we have a connection. Sometimes realizing we live in a small world makes us smile.
Today, we are headed to the cardiologist. Although Dorothy may have some physical challenges, it is obvious that she has no mental ones. She has a memory and a wit that I can only one day hope to experience. She grew up in Michigan and it is as clear as day the moments she experienced. I heard about her sweet love who would become her husband one day. They would stay in Michigan where they both worked for the telephone company. She told me about the birth of her sweet Nan. It is obvious that she still treasures her only daughter.
We arrive at Professional Building #4 and drive to the roof. I help her out of the car and we journey down the hall. She knows exactly where to go. Her cardiologist has watched over her for 25 years and believe me, it is a heart worth watching over. I am fortunate to be here with her today, this woman I have just met. She shines with life and is so gracious.We chat until the nurse arrives to take her back to the examining room, and my moment is over.
Dorothy asked me if I liked driving for the Hero office. It brought tears to my eyes, because God is gifting me with new connections, new stories, new friends. It makes me sparkle just having the opportunities to spend time with these men and women who need a ride. One day, I will need a ride and I can't wait to see who shows up. Now, I need to make a phone call and tell Nan about my morning with her mom.
Today, we are headed to the cardiologist. Although Dorothy may have some physical challenges, it is obvious that she has no mental ones. She has a memory and a wit that I can only one day hope to experience. She grew up in Michigan and it is as clear as day the moments she experienced. I heard about her sweet love who would become her husband one day. They would stay in Michigan where they both worked for the telephone company. She told me about the birth of her sweet Nan. It is obvious that she still treasures her only daughter.
We arrive at Professional Building #4 and drive to the roof. I help her out of the car and we journey down the hall. She knows exactly where to go. Her cardiologist has watched over her for 25 years and believe me, it is a heart worth watching over. I am fortunate to be here with her today, this woman I have just met. She shines with life and is so gracious.We chat until the nurse arrives to take her back to the examining room, and my moment is over.
Dorothy asked me if I liked driving for the Hero office. It brought tears to my eyes, because God is gifting me with new connections, new stories, new friends. It makes me sparkle just having the opportunities to spend time with these men and women who need a ride. One day, I will need a ride and I can't wait to see who shows up. Now, I need to make a phone call and tell Nan about my morning with her mom.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Ladies Lunch Out
The phone rings, or you get a text or an email ~ "Let's do lunch."
The gents will never understand how important Ladies Lunch Out is to the women of the world. I believe all the problems in the world can be solved with these special meals. Whether comparing notes on parenting, supporting a friend going through a difficult time, or planning an event or vacation, these luncheons keep women functioning at their best.
Lunch sometimes is an escape for those of us who are raising teenage daughters. We sympathize and mourn the loss of our little girls and try to figure out what to do with these emerging, opinionated young ladies over salads and sandwiches. We all can relate when we wonder how such a lovely young lady can try on and discard eleven outfits before going out and just leave them where they fall. We understand when one wants to throw out the computer and the cell phone for some one on one time with their daughter. We encourage one another over desserts and decaf coffee before leaving and reminding each other that this too shall pass.
As we journey through life, sometimes doctors throw us a curve we are not expecting. How many meals have I prayed through as a young wife hopes to begin a family and meets challenges? How many packets of Equal have I stirred into tea when a precious friend discovers she has cancer? How many bites of lasagna have I struggled to swallow when a parent is diagnosed with a life threatening illness? I am so fortunate to have friends that I can be there for and who I know will be there for me. Sometime there is such peace in the sound of ice clinking in glasses and knowing that someone else will be washing the dishes when we finish our meal. It is a blessing when what we long for most is the hug of a close friend.
Lunch is not always about overcoming life's hardships, though. Sometimes Ladies Lunch Out is about celebrating. With a girlfriend, we can laugh about the antics of our husbands and children. We can plan a baby shower for a friend. We share photos of our daughters in their wedding dresses, our sons in their graduation caps and gowns, and someday, the photos of our grandchildren in Santa hats or with the Easter bunny. We celebrate a common book we have read, a pound we have lost, or a movie we have seen. We find joy in the simple things and the big things. We find joy in the company of ladies at lunch!
Now ladies, pull out that directory and make that phone call. Someone is yearning to to Ladies Lunch Out.
The gents will never understand how important Ladies Lunch Out is to the women of the world. I believe all the problems in the world can be solved with these special meals. Whether comparing notes on parenting, supporting a friend going through a difficult time, or planning an event or vacation, these luncheons keep women functioning at their best.
Lunch sometimes is an escape for those of us who are raising teenage daughters. We sympathize and mourn the loss of our little girls and try to figure out what to do with these emerging, opinionated young ladies over salads and sandwiches. We all can relate when we wonder how such a lovely young lady can try on and discard eleven outfits before going out and just leave them where they fall. We understand when one wants to throw out the computer and the cell phone for some one on one time with their daughter. We encourage one another over desserts and decaf coffee before leaving and reminding each other that this too shall pass.
As we journey through life, sometimes doctors throw us a curve we are not expecting. How many meals have I prayed through as a young wife hopes to begin a family and meets challenges? How many packets of Equal have I stirred into tea when a precious friend discovers she has cancer? How many bites of lasagna have I struggled to swallow when a parent is diagnosed with a life threatening illness? I am so fortunate to have friends that I can be there for and who I know will be there for me. Sometime there is such peace in the sound of ice clinking in glasses and knowing that someone else will be washing the dishes when we finish our meal. It is a blessing when what we long for most is the hug of a close friend.
Lunch is not always about overcoming life's hardships, though. Sometimes Ladies Lunch Out is about celebrating. With a girlfriend, we can laugh about the antics of our husbands and children. We can plan a baby shower for a friend. We share photos of our daughters in their wedding dresses, our sons in their graduation caps and gowns, and someday, the photos of our grandchildren in Santa hats or with the Easter bunny. We celebrate a common book we have read, a pound we have lost, or a movie we have seen. We find joy in the simple things and the big things. We find joy in the company of ladies at lunch!
Now ladies, pull out that directory and make that phone call. Someone is yearning to to Ladies Lunch Out.
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