Today, fill your cup of life with sunshine and laughter.
~Dodinsky
06 October 2006
PRAYER CIRCLE
Guys, this isn't something I do on a regular basis, but I feel the circumstances warrant us doing everything we can. We know there's strength in numbers, and one of our own needs us right now. Please take a few minutes and say a prayer for our dear friend and his family tonight. They have all ready been through so much in recent months, and the hardships just keep coming.
05 October 2006
INTERNATIONAL TEACHERS' DAY
Why does it matter?
Sometimes,
they need a person in their lives
who listens
to what they have to say
with an unjudgemental ear,
even if they aren't really saying anything at all.
Sometimes,
the loneliness of the human condition
is more
than they can assimilate
and they need to know
that someone cares about them and that they aren't really alone.
But really,
why does it matter?
Sometimes,
the only person who smiles at them all day
is the one
who greets them each morning
and encourages them to strive for and achieve things
that they didn't think they were capable of doing.
Sometimes,
they need to know that being firm
doesn't mean
being physically agressive
or verbally offensive, or abusive in any way,`
and that they can feel safe even when an adult is angry.
Honestly though,
why does what you do matter?
Sometimes,
they need to know that someone sees them
as they are
and accepts them anyway,
regardless of their behaviour or their attitude
and will treat them equally and without prejudice.
And sometimes,
they need someone who will make them accountable
for their actions and deeds,
who will teach them things they can't learn in books,
who will guide them to become a responsible adult.
Why does what I do matter?
Because I am a teacher.
It's not just a job, it's who I am.
- Corinna Masson, B. Mus., B. Ed., M.Mus.
le 5 octobre 2006 (14h05 pm)
Today is important to me. It justifies who I consider myself to be. There are few jobs on the planet that can be as rewarding as this, or as frustrating. My rewards are not financial. They are the little things that you don't even notice at the time. And they mean more than mere dollars and cents ever could.
During my noon, which I frequently take at my desk so I can keep the music room open for kids to come in and play music or chat or study, I will always have visitors who just want to chat. You don't always need to give advice. You don't even always need to respond. They just like to make a connection.
Yesterday, my neuralgia came out of remission. It is a rather painful malady, and I was unable to hide my discomfort from the children. But today was an extraordinary day. I noticed that my classes were somewhat subdued. What I totally missed was the reason for it. During the course of noon hour, it was brought to my attention that my students, being concerned for my welfare, had spread it about the school to be careful of my health, and not cause me any stress.
Two girls, that I don't even teach any more, made fudge as a treat for me. Some grade nine boys (!) made me a card. And my crazy, frustrating, marvelous grade 10 reading class wrote me letters in their journals telling me what a difference I was making in their lives. I never realized they felt that way. I didn't know for sure that I was reaching them. If you read my blog regularly, you know I was questioning the validity of what I do. I think I can safely say that my students have put my mind at ease. And I don't think anyone else could have done it so well.
Sometimes,
they need a person in their lives
who listens
to what they have to say
with an unjudgemental ear,
even if they aren't really saying anything at all.
Sometimes,
the loneliness of the human condition
is more
than they can assimilate
and they need to know
that someone cares about them and that they aren't really alone.
But really,
why does it matter?
Sometimes,
the only person who smiles at them all day
is the one
who greets them each morning
and encourages them to strive for and achieve things
that they didn't think they were capable of doing.
Sometimes,
they need to know that being firm
doesn't mean
being physically agressive
or verbally offensive, or abusive in any way,`
and that they can feel safe even when an adult is angry.
Honestly though,
why does what you do matter?
Sometimes,
they need to know that someone sees them
as they are
and accepts them anyway,
regardless of their behaviour or their attitude
and will treat them equally and without prejudice.
And sometimes,
they need someone who will make them accountable
for their actions and deeds,
who will teach them things they can't learn in books,
who will guide them to become a responsible adult.
Why does what I do matter?
Because I am a teacher.
It's not just a job, it's who I am.
- Corinna Masson, B. Mus., B. Ed., M.Mus.
le 5 octobre 2006 (14h05 pm)
Today is important to me. It justifies who I consider myself to be. There are few jobs on the planet that can be as rewarding as this, or as frustrating. My rewards are not financial. They are the little things that you don't even notice at the time. And they mean more than mere dollars and cents ever could.
During my noon, which I frequently take at my desk so I can keep the music room open for kids to come in and play music or chat or study, I will always have visitors who just want to chat. You don't always need to give advice. You don't even always need to respond. They just like to make a connection.
Yesterday, my neuralgia came out of remission. It is a rather painful malady, and I was unable to hide my discomfort from the children. But today was an extraordinary day. I noticed that my classes were somewhat subdued. What I totally missed was the reason for it. During the course of noon hour, it was brought to my attention that my students, being concerned for my welfare, had spread it about the school to be careful of my health, and not cause me any stress.
Two girls, that I don't even teach any more, made fudge as a treat for me. Some grade nine boys (!) made me a card. And my crazy, frustrating, marvelous grade 10 reading class wrote me letters in their journals telling me what a difference I was making in their lives. I never realized they felt that way. I didn't know for sure that I was reaching them. If you read my blog regularly, you know I was questioning the validity of what I do. I think I can safely say that my students have put my mind at ease. And I don't think anyone else could have done it so well.
04 October 2006
WHEN GOOD DAYS TURN BAD
Trigeminal Neuralgia (TN), also known as Tic Douloureux, is considered by many to be the "most terrible pain known to man." The electric shock-like pain generally is on one side of the face and is spasmodic, coming in short bursts lasting a few seconds. Several attacks can follow each other within minutes. There are often trigger points, places on the face which, if touched, trigger an attack.. Eating, shaving, applying makeup and talking can be triggers. There can be periods of remission when pain is completely absent. These periods of remission, which can last days, weeks, months, even years, are unpredictable and without medical treatment, the pain usually returns.
TN is a very rare condition. Statistics vary, but TN occurs in approximately 150 per million people per year. Medical literature notes this condition is rare for anyone under age 50 but in reality, TN is known to exist in many younger individuals including children.
(http://facial-neuralgia.org/conditions/tn.html)
I often forget about it ... until it comes back. It's an embarrassing affliction to have. I won't die from it, although I may wish to sometimes. No one seems to know exactly what causes it. There is no cure, but apparently sometimes it just goes away. There are no warning signs.
Mine is just below my right eye. My doctor suggests that stress is a trigger for me. It started out as just a little twitch, barely noticeable, really. But it got worse each time, until the day when it literally dropped me in my tracks. It felt like someone was pulling my entire face out through my eyesocket.
When I was diagnosed this summer, the doctor told me it might never get too bad but, if it did, it could be controlled with meds. So, the day the pain made me pass out, I started my meds. Now I only get attacks when the stress in my life is extreme.
I'm one of the lucky ones, apparently. I went into remission quickly and easily, and I know my trigger. Now, can someone please tell me how to avoid stress?
TN is a very rare condition. Statistics vary, but TN occurs in approximately 150 per million people per year. Medical literature notes this condition is rare for anyone under age 50 but in reality, TN is known to exist in many younger individuals including children.
(http://facial-neuralgia.org/conditions/tn.html)
I often forget about it ... until it comes back. It's an embarrassing affliction to have. I won't die from it, although I may wish to sometimes. No one seems to know exactly what causes it. There is no cure, but apparently sometimes it just goes away. There are no warning signs.
Mine is just below my right eye. My doctor suggests that stress is a trigger for me. It started out as just a little twitch, barely noticeable, really. But it got worse each time, until the day when it literally dropped me in my tracks. It felt like someone was pulling my entire face out through my eyesocket.
When I was diagnosed this summer, the doctor told me it might never get too bad but, if it did, it could be controlled with meds. So, the day the pain made me pass out, I started my meds. Now I only get attacks when the stress in my life is extreme.
I'm one of the lucky ones, apparently. I went into remission quickly and easily, and I know my trigger. Now, can someone please tell me how to avoid stress?
02 October 2006
FOR THE MAIN FEATURE OF THE DAY, FOLKS, PLEASE GO TO THE NEXT POST DOWN ...
Please disregard this. I am inundated with misery today, and I need somewhere to put all these negative thoughts before I explode with them. Why do bad things happen in bunches, when so often we have so long to wait for the good things?
This weekend, my good friend Erica, who is the art teacher at my school, was away visiting with friends. Some disgruntled students decided it would be fun to break into her studio apartment and trash the place. They broke down the front door, entered her private home, and proceeded to tear the place apart. In the process, they destroyed 7+ years of her creative life, including works in progress and thousands of dollars of art supplies. To add insult to injury, they then decided to eat her food and drink her liquor, having themselves a little party before decamping. Erica is new to the area and, although this is not her first teaching assignment, it is her first year in this particular community. She was in the midst of setting up a showing for the end of October, a principal source of income for her. This, boys and girls, is one of the downsides of teaching. I cannot begin to express my grief for this talented young artist, nor my disbelief and disenchantment at the identities of the young offenders.
Last night, my darling dog, Mandy, my guardian angel, passed away peacefully in her sleep. She was my protector and my comfort for so long, I cannot imagine what the past 11 years would have been like without her. She was my very best friend, and right now, I am feeling a bit lost and bewildered. Now, at the end of a long and ugly day, I must go home and find words of comfort for my son and my other dog when I truly feel, maybe for the first time in my life, that there is no comfort to be given. Perhaps we can never hope for better than what we live, day to day, and maybe survival is what it's all about. I don't know any more.
This weekend, my good friend Erica, who is the art teacher at my school, was away visiting with friends. Some disgruntled students decided it would be fun to break into her studio apartment and trash the place. They broke down the front door, entered her private home, and proceeded to tear the place apart. In the process, they destroyed 7+ years of her creative life, including works in progress and thousands of dollars of art supplies. To add insult to injury, they then decided to eat her food and drink her liquor, having themselves a little party before decamping. Erica is new to the area and, although this is not her first teaching assignment, it is her first year in this particular community. She was in the midst of setting up a showing for the end of October, a principal source of income for her. This, boys and girls, is one of the downsides of teaching. I cannot begin to express my grief for this talented young artist, nor my disbelief and disenchantment at the identities of the young offenders.
Last night, my darling dog, Mandy, my guardian angel, passed away peacefully in her sleep. She was my protector and my comfort for so long, I cannot imagine what the past 11 years would have been like without her. She was my very best friend, and right now, I am feeling a bit lost and bewildered. Now, at the end of a long and ugly day, I must go home and find words of comfort for my son and my other dog when I truly feel, maybe for the first time in my life, that there is no comfort to be given. Perhaps we can never hope for better than what we live, day to day, and maybe survival is what it's all about. I don't know any more.
DECISIONS
Every day, each of us is faced with a million little details which require decision-making skills. From the moment we get up in the morning, when we have to decide what's for breakfast, what to wear, whether or not we have time for one more cup of coffee, the route to take to get to work, the list of decisions we are called upon to make is endless.
Sometimes, we make the right decision, and sometimes, we don't. Sometimes, the decision we make is incidental and unimportant, but sometimes ... it can make all the difference in the world. We can sometimes predict the end result, but often, we just have to go along for the ride and find out. Sometimes, we even make what we think is the right decision, only to find that it wasn't. Those are the worst, because being caught offguard always makes us question our judgement.
I am not what one could call a good decision-maker. I have an impulsive streak a mile wide, and I tend to rely on my instincts far too often. I've always been the kind of person who leads with my heart instead of my head. And, as you could probably guess, I haven't always come through unscathed. Very recently, I made a decision that caused great sadness not only for myself, but another person as well. I rarely have regrets, but this is one for which I cannot forgive my impulsive nature, however inadvertent the outcome may have been.
This week, I have two very important decisions to make. They will alter my life in ways I cannot even begin to explain. Suffice it to say, one is a matter of business, the other is an affair of the heart. I must not permit myself to be distracted from carefully weighing the pros and the cons of each matter. I would appreciate your prayers while I take some time to consider what must be done. Pray that something leads me to make the right decisions, because right now, I have little confidence in my own judgement.
Sometimes, we make the right decision, and sometimes, we don't. Sometimes, the decision we make is incidental and unimportant, but sometimes ... it can make all the difference in the world. We can sometimes predict the end result, but often, we just have to go along for the ride and find out. Sometimes, we even make what we think is the right decision, only to find that it wasn't. Those are the worst, because being caught offguard always makes us question our judgement.
I am not what one could call a good decision-maker. I have an impulsive streak a mile wide, and I tend to rely on my instincts far too often. I've always been the kind of person who leads with my heart instead of my head. And, as you could probably guess, I haven't always come through unscathed. Very recently, I made a decision that caused great sadness not only for myself, but another person as well. I rarely have regrets, but this is one for which I cannot forgive my impulsive nature, however inadvertent the outcome may have been.
This week, I have two very important decisions to make. They will alter my life in ways I cannot even begin to explain. Suffice it to say, one is a matter of business, the other is an affair of the heart. I must not permit myself to be distracted from carefully weighing the pros and the cons of each matter. I would appreciate your prayers while I take some time to consider what must be done. Pray that something leads me to make the right decisions, because right now, I have little confidence in my own judgement.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)