11-19-2021

 

Mary’s Minute

“Home is where you feel at home and are treated well.”

                                                                                       ~ Dalai Lama

Most people I know are big fans of Thanksgiving.  What’s not to love with a holiday that if full of good food and family?  Whether hosting or traveling, for many people Thanksgiving is also synonymous with home. 

Home is a word that is typically associated with warm fuzzy feelings.  As in, “I feel at home here,” or “This place feels homey.”  Institutions like schools take special pride in being a place that feels like home.  A good host strives to make people feel welcome and “at home.”  When we welcome visitors, we often say, “Make yourself at home.” 

When my son visited my apartment for the first time, he described it as “homey,” which to me was the ultimate compliment.  (He didn’t even make fun of my eclectic decorating taste!)  Home feels good!  It feels cozy and safe.  As educators we know that we learn best when we feel comfortable and safe.  Those are also the conditions where we can be ourselves and take care of ourselves physically and emotionally. 

As we look forward to Thanksgiving, a day to be reflective about all things for which we are grateful, my wish for you is that you feel at home wherever you are!

                                                                              Happy Thanksgiving!

                                                                                                   Mary

 

11-12-2021

 

Mary’s Minute

“We need to stop just pulling people out of the river.  We need to go upstream and find out why they’re falling in.”

                                                                                     ~ Desmund Tutu

 Perhaps you have heard this quote told as more of a story.  If you enjoy a good story, I am sure you could tell it with a dramatic flair from the perspective of a person dramatically pulling a drowning individual from the water.

The hero runs to the water’s edge and is able to dramatically pull a person from the water.  As he catches his breath, he sees yet another person floundering in the stream, and then another and another.  As a friend runs by, the rescuer, desperate for relief with the cause, yells for help.  When the friend keeps running, there is obvious frustration from the exhausted protagonist, who screams, “Where can you possibly be going that is more important than helping save these poor drowning people?”  Without hesitation, the simple response is, “I am going to find out why they are falling in the river!”

The story/quote is a metaphor for how we approach problem solving in our lives of service.  Specifically, it is model for prevention.  We all want to make the world a better place – we all want to stop people from drowning.  This quote suggests that our efforts can be more effective if we tackle the reason for the problem, instead of just the problem.

As educators thinking about how we can help students, this story is a good reminder to think about root causes for students’ behaviors, instead of just addressing the behaviors.  Sometimes we need to ask students, “What can I do to help you?” or “Is there something going on you want to talk about?”

It also has value when we think of how to address personal challenges.  Instead of simply treating the “symptoms,” we need to look at root causes.  This means asking questions of ourselves in order to get to the “whys” of what is bothering us.  It means taking the time and the effort to get upstream to figure out why the people are falling in!

                                                                              Have a great week!

                                                                                                    Mary

11-5-2021

 

Mary’s Minute

“How did it get so late so soon? It’s night before it’s afternoon. December is here before it’s June. My goodness how the time has flown. How did it get so late so soon?”

                                                                                        ~ Dr. Seuss

 With Daylight Savings Time ending, I am drawn to reflect on the concept of time.  Of course, Daylight Savings Time has nothing to do with time itself, but only how we use it.  Time passes the same whether it is dark or light at X o’clock.  If we had no clocks, time would still pass. 

Although it is fun to think that we will “gain an hour” this weekend, the reality is that time will march on just the same.

And march on it does.  It may sound cliché, but it is also true: that the older we get the faster time seems to go.  Lately, I say that if it is the first day of the month, the month is almost over.  As Dr. Seuss said, “How did it get so late so soon?”

Time is all we have, and ultimately this very moment is all we have.  We can look back on our past or plan for our future, but it is this moment that is slipping by us.  Whether we measure time in years or minutes or days, it passes, and it is our obligation to ourselves to use what time we have wisely and to truly experience each moment.

While I am happy for the “extra hour” this weekend, I am most excited to think about the power of time and to strive to live in the moment more.

                                                                       Have a great week!

                                                                        Mary