Friday, December 21, 2012
Time off from School
One of the most non-productive weeks of school happens to be the days just prior to Christmas. And all teachers know that a snow storm will bring excitement levels to an all-time high. Couple those two events together and you have ..... this past week of school. Although we were busy, we didn't learn anything new. We did learn how to make Christmas wrapping out of sheets of fingerpaint paper. It is just the right size for covering a printed book of Christmas poems written by third graders. We did learn how to sing all the Christmas carols on the few CDs I had, which had the exact same 8 songs. We did learn that the volume button on the old classroom TV does not go up high enough to overtake the noise of the students. The Polar Express movie is not the favorite of third graders. I learned that students are more immune to that one swear word on The Night They Saved Christmas because no one even snickered when they heard it. I learned that the fun of playing games is not the most important to children; it is more important to win or ruin the fun of the games. That is difficult to understand. The students might not be learning lots of new school objectives, but we are all learning new things about viewing life these days.
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
A Week of Many Thoughts
This week seems to be filled with so many emotions, mostly very sad or touching feelings. I won't elaborate on the events that took place in Connecticut last Friday, except to say that I was so saddened by the thought of a school/town/area losing so many young children. I can't imagine what they are feeling. But in reality we can imagine because we can see it. The media have made sure the people of Newtown are not far from our thoughts.
I was so touched by the words of Robbie Parker, the father of little Emilee Parker, who was a victim of the shooting. As he spoke in front of his LDS wardhouse, his care and concern for the family of the shooter showed the world the compassion he has. I am sure everyone there was shocked to hear him speak with such love for the family of the person who hurt his family, but I am sure his testimony of eternal life was the catalyst for his care. I also hear a news interview given by the mother of Emilee. She was saying that the shooter must have been in such a dark, dark place in his mind that she felt so sorry for him. That is probably a very different point of view that the media wasn't prepared for. I thought it was a compassionate thought.
Last night I was speaking with a person during our ward Christmas dinner. This lady is a very nice, loving lady. She told me she doesn't get emotional over things, that she doesn't turn to tears very often. But the other day she was out for a walk and passed the school when the students were walking to their classrooms after recess. She saw two small boys walking with their arms around each other, laughing and playfully pushing each other along, with their arms around each others shoulders. She admitted she totally lost control of her emotions and broke down and cried. To think of how much fun they were having together, so innocent and vulnerable. So sweet and having such fun with their friends. How sad to think what had happened to those other sweet children.
Yesterday was also the date that my father passed away three years ago. It was snowing that day, and it snowed again yesterday. I miss him and our talks. I wish I could walk into the house and sit and visit with him again. Enough. I can't go there today.
The snow outside is beautiful, but makes me laugh. A while ago it became apparent that Garth would be going to Arizona for a week to help Nancy out after her surgery. With a beautiful fall, and a quiet, no-weather beginning of winter, we joked about no snow coming until he was gone. Sure enough, he left on Sunday and on Tuesday it snowed all day. This has put me as the recipient of some very nice acts of kindness. Yesterday our custodian came up to my house and shoveled the snow off the sidewalks and around the car. That was so thoughtful of him. Then when at the ward Christmas party I was told the Young Men would be scraping my yard for me. When I got home after choir practice there was a large pile of snow off the side where they pushed the snow from the driveway and they re-shoveled the sidewalks. It was so nice of them to think of me while I am home alone.
I am missing Garth but doing fine. I know I don't like being alone, but at the same time can't wait until the end of school so I can get home where I feel safe and comfortable.
I was so touched by the words of Robbie Parker, the father of little Emilee Parker, who was a victim of the shooting. As he spoke in front of his LDS wardhouse, his care and concern for the family of the shooter showed the world the compassion he has. I am sure everyone there was shocked to hear him speak with such love for the family of the person who hurt his family, but I am sure his testimony of eternal life was the catalyst for his care. I also hear a news interview given by the mother of Emilee. She was saying that the shooter must have been in such a dark, dark place in his mind that she felt so sorry for him. That is probably a very different point of view that the media wasn't prepared for. I thought it was a compassionate thought.
Last night I was speaking with a person during our ward Christmas dinner. This lady is a very nice, loving lady. She told me she doesn't get emotional over things, that she doesn't turn to tears very often. But the other day she was out for a walk and passed the school when the students were walking to their classrooms after recess. She saw two small boys walking with their arms around each other, laughing and playfully pushing each other along, with their arms around each others shoulders. She admitted she totally lost control of her emotions and broke down and cried. To think of how much fun they were having together, so innocent and vulnerable. So sweet and having such fun with their friends. How sad to think what had happened to those other sweet children.
Yesterday was also the date that my father passed away three years ago. It was snowing that day, and it snowed again yesterday. I miss him and our talks. I wish I could walk into the house and sit and visit with him again. Enough. I can't go there today.
The snow outside is beautiful, but makes me laugh. A while ago it became apparent that Garth would be going to Arizona for a week to help Nancy out after her surgery. With a beautiful fall, and a quiet, no-weather beginning of winter, we joked about no snow coming until he was gone. Sure enough, he left on Sunday and on Tuesday it snowed all day. This has put me as the recipient of some very nice acts of kindness. Yesterday our custodian came up to my house and shoveled the snow off the sidewalks and around the car. That was so thoughtful of him. Then when at the ward Christmas party I was told the Young Men would be scraping my yard for me. When I got home after choir practice there was a large pile of snow off the side where they pushed the snow from the driveway and they re-shoveled the sidewalks. It was so nice of them to think of me while I am home alone.
I am missing Garth but doing fine. I know I don't like being alone, but at the same time can't wait until the end of school so I can get home where I feel safe and comfortable.