Belonging is the Root of Gratitude

Go on any social media today and you will see a plethora of posts, quotes and pictures depicting gratitude in various ways and for a multitude of reasons. I am always amazed at the desire in the hearts of people to yell from the highest mountain about that for which they are grateful. It is beautiful really, and a human trait worth exploring.

What is it that makes us want to share our gratitude? Is it a feeling of happiness created by another? Is it the sensation of completeness that soothes our being? Or perhaps it is the sense of love that we enjoy at the receiving end of a message or sentiment. Whatever the catalyst, the sharing of gratitude holds in its power the healing necessary for our world.

And so today I challenge you to look inside for the origination of the gratitude you feel. Then look beyond the event or person or object and find what it is that is truly rooted in your heart. In almost every case, I believe you will find a sense of belonging has been planted deep within your heart by whomever or whatever brings you that sense of thankfulness. 

Take just a minute (I mean that literally.): Close your eyes and let your gratitude bring you joy. Sit with the thought for a moment and just feel it. Connection...belonging...you fit here...you have a place...you have a purpose...there is a reason for you. 

Then, once you have allowed your gratitude to permeate your very soul, go about bringing to others that same sense of belonging. Thank you for being here, allowing me to share my passion and purpose, and planting in my heart a sense of belonging right here on this journey with you.

If You Keep Making that Face, it Will Freeze that Way!

My children tonight asked why I always share with others about our foibles...ok, they didn't say "foibles", but they asked why I share all our weirdness and craziness. And I told them that sometimes I really feel that we are led through the experiences we have so that others can know they are not alone. For example tonight Anna, my 17 year-old new-driver, came home and greeted me with, "I know you don't need more to worry about but..." She had driven into the mailbox while attempting to park, knocking the passenger side mirror from the car. Well, not totally knocking it off. To be fair, it was hanging on by the power wires. But the good news is that the mailbox that had been secured (by me) was still intact. Oh, and by the way, the car needs to clear inspection this weekend after having failed three times. 

But this post is not about the mailbox or the mirror or failed car inspection. That was Monday. Nope, this post is about Tuesday and that old saying, "If you keep making that face, it will freeze that way!"  Remember being told that as a child? Silliness, right? And yet, with all this snazzy remote learning, that warning is more true than ever. 

If you are a frequent reader, you already know about Bear, our cute little puppy that we adopted in April. He was 10 weeks and 11 pounds then. He is now a 9 month-old 70 pound puppy. So Monday during period 3, Bear was happily lying next to the piano chewing on something. The dogs, there are three, have chew toys all over the house, so there was really no reason for alarm...until he let out a yelp that sent me jumping from my desk chair in the middle of a discussion about early 1900 immigration with my US History class. Immediately after his yelp, my class had gone black. When I went toward Bear, he was cowering. At the same time, Maccaroni children, who were all supposed to be in classes, began walking toward me saying how the internet had gone out, and it became apparent what had happened. Bear had chewed clear through our modem/router power cord and gotten a shock that scared him more than injured him. Thank God he's huge!

It is rare that I am affected by such seemingly normal Maccaroni-life-occurrences. But anyone who knows me well knows that I don't take teaching lightly. I began to get those feelings of frustration that make me feel I need to fix it...NOW! My kids were awesome...and why wouldn't they be? They got a free pass from period 4. I had them email their teachers with the present-day version of the dog ate my homework, which they really enjoyed a little too much. I went to Staples to see if the cord was replaceable but since it wasn't I purchased a new device and went home to do the set-up. Hopefully this has been fun for you so far. We are not even at the face-freezing part yet...but here it comes.

The kids and I were back in business by lunchtime and ready to take on the afternoon. That is when I decided it might be interesting to see what the Zoom recording showed in terms of the dog-yelp and what my students did in my absence. I went to my Zoom account, clicked on recordings, and that is when the old saying came to life..."If you keep making that face, it will freeze that way!" The recording said it all. Me in mid-sentence, Bear's loud screech, and then, the frozen face...

Maybe someone can explain this to me...frozen faces have become the norm...every day my students freeze in class, they tell me I am frozen, and at times we all share that "frozen in this moment" look, but we never freeze in a flattering pose. Why am I never full smile and bright eyes in that frozen screen shot? 

Then again, maybe that is the lesson here. These crazy remote learning days are just a moment in time. 

No need for alarm. No need for constant battling and worry. Some day in the not-so-far-future, these days will be nothing more than the memory of a moment frozen in time. What will your face look like in that memory? Let it be one of calm and serenity. Let it be one of happy childhood memories when your students look back and say:

• "My teacher was awesome!" 
• "He made sure we were OK everyday when we got on." 
• "We had so much fun!" 
• "She greeted me by name each day." 
• "She was beautiful inside and out!" 
• "This one time when his face froze, he was laughing so hard that he was smiling from ear to ear...that's how I remember him."