Never Alone

We're reading Charlotte's Web in my class right now...before Wilbur met Charlotte he was very lonely. I asked the children to write about loneliness in their journals. 

Most of my students had no problem thinking of a time when they felt lonely. One child wrote about when his sister locked him of his room; another child felt lonely when his neighbors played without him.

Two children could not identify with the experience. 

One of my girls could only empathize-- she said that her parents felt lonely when she went to a friends house to sleep over. 

And one of the boys could not imagine ever being alone. 

"It's really hard," he said trying to think of what to write. "Because Jesus is always with me."

Thank you, Jesus! I need to remember this simple dependence and pure trust daily.

Matt Mahr's song All the People Said Amen captures this child's Truth and conveys the ultimate necessity of God's healing love; it is an anthem to me when I feel lonely. The tune begins:

"You're not alone if you're lonely 

When you're feeling frail, you're not the only 

We are all the same, in need of mercy 

To be forgiven and be free

That's all you got to lean on 

But thank God it's all you need..."

In reality, God, You're the only one that can fill the deepest recesses of my heart. 

Lord, help me to be childlike and fall into the safe merciful peace of Your Sacred Heart whenever I feel lonely. Through Mary, Amen.

A cool drink

There is nothing more refreshing than the Eucharist.

Crocuses

It's here! It's here! It's finally here! 

Spring.

And "Crocuses are another name for coughing."

Second and first grade went on a Spring walk today during which I was reminded of some "songs" my little ones wrote using  their spelling lists last week.

Here's my favorite:

In the winter we celebrate the white snowballs. 

Spring is next! 

Then our feet get hotter. 

The river has melted. 

The wind will blow us away in winter, in winter.

We plant plants in Spring. 

We can cut the song with scissors. 

We had 1 foot of snow. 

We spent our money on toys!

Artistic Analysis: 

Clearly the repetition of "in winter" makes that the climax of the song. The tune was humorously catchy albeit devoid of any clear sensible rhythm. And the last three lines signify the students' triumph -- and anxiety at nearing the end of the spelling list without a lyrical plan, though the second to last line attempts to recapture the piece's masterful theme.

Most importantly, our feet get hotter. Thank you, Jesus!

Mouse Rap

My kids just finished memorizing The Land of Counterpane by Robert Louis Stevenson. And given my current ailments, I've  been inspired to write my own sickbed rap.

A mouse is chompin' on the wood at mom's mansion

and I'm lyin' on the couch wishin' I were dancin'

sick with nausea as she makes cookies,

 oh lookie I hope I don't toss em!

Mama comes to visit and hears that creature chewin'

and oh boy the sick feelin's growin '

If I could be that mouse, I'd be so cheerful

 but mama wants to give that little thing an earful 

(She's fearful it'll eat all her food)

Mom's on a hunt to find that 

noisy ro-dent

I'd  try'n save 'im but my 

energy is so-spent. 

Little critter, I'm glad we share this moment .

Your persistent presence lightens my mood.

Sticks!

"Stiiiiiiiiiiiiiicks!"

My students had just run outside for snack recess, called my name and announced their sweet find: sticks.

Who needs playground equipment when you have sticks? (We don't actually have playground equipment, but I have an arsenal of stories that prove it might just be a bit overrated...)

In any case, the older students and other teachers --who are used to the school's creative blacktop games--still looked at me like I might be a bit out of my tree... 

Which reminds me of a paper story...

I accidentally photocopied the kids' worksheets double-sided so that the same information was on both sides. I told them that the copier machine and I weren't "on the same page."

I explained the pun for my own amusement. After two minutes I think one kid might have gotten it, but multiple kids laughed--which was delightful for everyone.

Back to the sticks...

We are making a fire in my classroom for Lent. When I explained that to an eighth grader on the "playground," she used one of her new vocabulary words I'm sure: "Your class will be arrested for arson," she said.

I hope she doesn't rat us out...

We're really doing it to symbolize the fire we're building in our hearts, which by Eastertime will hopefully blaze like the big Easter vigil bonfires outside of Catholic churches.

We talked about the Paschal candle, which is used in Baptism, and how everyone lights their little taper candles from the big, new Easter candle to illumine the dark church at the Easter vigil. We visibly witness that Christ is the light of the world.

My class started building our fire last week when the children began covering the bottom of a boot shoebox with glued-on crumpled newspaper for every sacrifice they did. Next week we're moving on to the harder stuff, perseverance through Lent--and were using sticks.

The children know that the sticks have to be crisscrossed to allow airflow through the fire so it can grow.

Lord, this is a meditation for me too. Help me to be patient as You teach me to flow with Your Holy Spirit this Lent. Help me to breathe with perseverance and peace as you rearrange the sticks in my heart so You can really set me ablaze with the freedom of your love. Thank you for the inferno of Your Sacred Heart, through Mary. Amen.

Penance Oatmeal

This is what penance oatmeal looks like...

Oh the Irish and their steel cut delicacies... 

Perhaps this concoction might be tastier than the "Lenten bread" that didn't rise a few years past? Christian hope...

I would not have gained this experience had I practiced the virtue of patience (a Lenten goal) instead of dashing through the supermarket without checking labels.

And yet what good are labels?! I guess in some cases they're necessary...

Lesson learned: There is nothing instant about this "organic," "natural" "promise." What a meditation for Lent and life!

God IS With Us

Temptation is real. The devil is a deadly liar. He tempts me to deny God's love.

Love is more real. God is a lively lover. With Him I have nothing to fear.

Thank you God for your Divine Mercy holy card posted above my station at the nail salon before my cousin's wedding this past weekend. The small image was unnoticable at first because a large poster of long painted red nails at the end of beautifully curved fingers holding a pile of doughnuts (of all things) was above it.

Thank you for the huge Divine Mercy picture in the gas station I patronized yesterday. I had noticed the picture on a walk through the snow about a month ago, but forgot about it until the owner of the gas station swung open the door while I was pumping my gas and unknowingly exposed Jesus' merciful heart right in front of me.

Thank you for my student who laughed at the wit of another student as he looked at me and said, "She's really funny!" to which I agreed.

Thank you for the chivalry of the man I took to the wedding, and his openness to participate my family's crazy dance traditions --even though we had just met two days prior.

God you are with me. Thank you. I love you. Amen.

Baby in a rubber band

I asked the kids to put rubber bands around their Latin flashcards. Yes, I learn it, then I teach it (Latin).

"It's just like putting a baby in a rubber band," mumbled a boy to himself as he struggled to loop it around.

Hmm...what?

After Mass on Ash Wednesday I whispered to the little girl sitting next to me to say a quiet prayer to Jesus.

With great enthusiasm she exclaimed, "We're going to Chuck E. Cheese's?"

Incredible.

Thank you God for these children and the joy they bring to my life. Amen-- "Yes, I believe!"

Vulnerability

"Are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus was baptized into his death?"--Romans 6

Christ did not fear death. He made Himself totally vulnerable out of love.

Tonight I had dinner with a young man who made himself vulnerable when he shared about his conversion in college.

He realized Jesus loved him when he was in a study carrel cramming for an exam. He experienced total acceptance in the Lord's presence--and his eyes started to well up as he brought the memory to mind.

I just met this man tonight. He was not afraid to show his emotions regarding the love of his life. Thank you, God, for this man's vulnerability and great love for you. 

Please give me this same confidence in your mighty power to transform my wounded heart.

No Fear In Love

"Perfect love casts out all fear."--1 John 4

My friend choose a new life for herself and her children. 

Thank you, God! Grant her perseverance! Praise Your Name! 

Funny Things

“From there to here, from here to there, funny things are everywhere!” – One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish Blue Fish. Dr. Seuss, who would've been 110 on his recent birthday, is right. Funny things are everywhere. And thank God, because humor keeps me ALIVE!

Funny things remind me of childlikeness and dependence on God. He totally provides JOY in varied funny ways.

First Grade

One of my students can't keep his desk clean. “I like being messy” … he said with a smile I can’t resist. 

I acknowledged his preference and explained that it’s not efficient in the classroom. Then I gave him a visual: “It’s like a hamburger…folders on the bottom (bun), then journals (burger), then papers for class on top (bun).”

Immediately, a voice calls from the back of the room…“Ohh, can I have a cheeseburger?”

Another student shared about rattle snakes. "They scare the hell out of me." The word came out quickly, but it might as well have been in slow-mo. “H…e….l….l…”  There was a moment of frozen time when two other students gasped and I sucked in a deep breath of self-control to keep from laughing.

Thankfully it blew over.

One of my girls came to me before snack time with an urgent message: “I wanna tell you something…there’s shorts under my stockings.”

That is serious uncomfortable business...and I really wonder how they got there.

In car line after school, one of the boys blurted, “The best part is I’m going squatching," to a question no one posed. “Big Foot hunting!” (Yes, this same boy has Big Foot correct his Math homework).

“What does squatching involve?” I asked, (already having some idea given that my brothers interviewed “Squatch” believers on their recent trip South). 

His mom answered, “I don’t know, it must be a man thing. They go in the woods.”

The boy stuck his head out the car window and chimed in: “Throw sticks, make Big Foot calls...” 

I wonder what kind of influence reality TV shows have on American family life...

My students played dress-up in the afternoon. The boys found some old devices in the box… "Look at this Secret Code Password…” said one boy as he held up his mechanism… 

Cell phones. Magical.

What if adults used their imaginations this way?

Hairdresser

My hairdresser does.

I moved the chair a bit away from the hair washing sink because I’m tall.

“I must be getting shorter, or all the women coming in these days are Amazonian,” he said.

I joked that my spear was in the car.

“My spear’s in my heart,” he said. “Not like in my heart, but that’s just where I keep it…”

Art Museum

Spears and armor were displayed at the art museum where two friends and I went on “pay what you wish” Wednesday. We skipped that room but made sure to check out the free yoga class that happened on the second level. My legs were tired so I squatted to rest -- a little too close to the yogis.

An Asian guy, who watched the class, came up to me, unfolded his museum map in front of me like a yoga mat and asked with an impish grin, “Want to try?”

The imagery was too much for my friends who walked away as tears of mirth streamed from their eyes.

Later my friends and I looked at a room where urns were displayed. I wondered if cremated people were in them. We agreed that we should pray for their souls, and my friend began the prayer…it went fine until he paused and attempted to pronounce their Dutch names…

May they rest in peace.

Zumba

There was no rest for most us at my recent Zumba classes.

We lifted colorful barbells that sounded like maracas when we shook them, and we danced at the same time. It was almost like we were weight lifting.

During a water break, I commented on the practical genius of one woman who brought a hand towel to wipe her face. Then I saw another woman mop her face with a bath towel. She took practical brilliance and self-confidence to a whole other level.

On Saturday, another woman was just as real with herself. She sat and watched the class with a box of Dunkin Donuts in front of her. She got up a few times to move and then went right back to those sugary delights. To her credit, she got herself to the class…and Mardi Gras is tomorrow.

Mardi Gras

My friend and I went to a Mardi Gras party Saturday night (right after I pulled the handle off the microwave at my apartment...and I did use a word that would make my first grade blush. Luckily, my friend was here to laugh with me).

We sat at a table with a Nigerian man and his Caribbean wife who added much joy to our night. They, like many who attended the BYOE (bring your own everything) party, had brought enough food to make a real “loaves and fishes” miracle happen (like if you came with just a few sandwich bags of goodies a la my friend and I, you’d still get fed really well).

He asked us if we wanted wine. I said no, but couldn’t help thinking about the delectable -- looking homemade elegantly iced cake on the table behind us. My friend and I lamented that we hadn’t thought of dessert –at a Mardi Gras party to boot! 

"Do you have any cake?” I impulsively asked him.

He laughed and procured a delicious pound cake. More proof that totally God loves us. Through funny things and "fishes." Personally. For real.