Gratitude List: 1. More feathers. Two days ago, as I was walking out of school, I was thinking to myself that I hadn’t found a feather yet that day, and I thought perhaps the daily feather find was at an end. I had it in my head, the actual words “There will be no more feathers.” But there, on the sidewalk in front of me was yet another feather. I have been telling my students that they get to make the meaning of their stories, and I told some of them about the feathers. I can be the scientific naturalist and say that I find a feather every single because there are owls in the trees at night eating little birds and crows fighting as they fly above my house and school. I can say that the Universe is offering me little gifts to remind me that I have wings, that I can fly. I can say that I just have keen eyes for feathers. Whatever it is, I am really glad that they keep finding me. 2. This is a weird one for a gratitude because it’s a difficult story. But I learned this story this week about how a group of Prussian Mennonites, during WWII, actually sent a letter of support to Hitler. It was chilling to hear how they unquestioningly thanked the fuhrer for his dedication the “Fatherland” and to Christian principles. So sobering. And a good reminder to myownself to pay more attention to my commitment to my spiritual work than to the work of politics, to keep the political in the perspective of the spiritual. I am grateful for reminders to be true to the deeper realities. 3. The laughter of my new friends, my new colleagues. Belly laughter builds community. And after the in-breath of focused work together, we need the out-breath of laughter together. 4. How sleep brings answers. I went to bed last night anxious about the chapel service I have to prepare for school on Tuesday, not sure what I would say or how I would present my own story. I woke up this morning knowing exactly (sort of) what I am going to say. 5. Small kindnesses. At the end of the day Thursday, I put two bags of trash at my classroom door so I would trip on them and remember to take them out to the big bins. A student I have never met stopped and peeked in the room and asked it he should throw them away for me. Little thing, but it made my day. Probably my week, too. Or semester. May we walk in Beauty!
Posted on: Sat, 30 Aug 2014 15:57:09 +0000
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