8-25-2017

Mary’s Minute

“The best things in life are often waiting for you at the exit ramp of your comfort zone. “

                                                                               ~ Karen Salmansohn

As we celebrated Stephen’s retirement this week, Delores had told me that she would prefer if I would just give Stevie the card from his friends in the cafeteria.  When it came time for comments.  I said, “Who wants to talk first?” The question was not intended for Stephen, but he interjected quickly and excitedly, “Delores!”  Delores was vaulted out of her comfort zone!  She was not planning to speak in front of the crowd of 30 or so people, but for Stevie, she did not hesitate.  (Good job, Delores!)

I do believe that we have so much to gain by going beyond our comfort zones, but how do we get there?  In Delores’ case it was for someone about whom she cared – she wasn’t going to disappoint Stevie.  Many times it is out of necessity.  We are forced to deal with things beyond our safe realm by the circumstances that life has given us.  The best way to take the plunge, I believe, is by choice.  Darius Rucker has a new song with refrain, “When was the last time you did something for the first time?” and it really got me thinking of the concept of pushing outside our comfort zone.  I realized that the older we get the harder it may seem to find things we can do for the first time.  No matter what are age, there are always things we can do for the first time.  There are always things to do that push us beyond the place where we feel at ease.  The best things in life may be waiting for us across the edge, so go ahead and take that step outside your comfort zone!  You will be glad you did.  (Just ask Delores!)

                                                               Have a great week!

                                                                                                     Mary

8-18-2017

Mary’s Minute

“There is only one happiness in this life, to love and be loved.”
         ~ George Sand

I have heard it said that there is no such thing as happiness, but only moments of happiness. I disagree.  For me, happiness is just the opposite.  Happiness is not a passing finite and concrete concept; happiness is an overarching being.  I think George Sand sums it up.  We gain a sense of true happiness when we love and are loved.

I think people confuse good times or satisfaction with happiness.  It is great to have fun.  It is important to find satisfaction in life.  Laughter is important for our good mental health.  These are moments that are important in our lives, but these should not be confused with happiness.

Happiness is so much more!  Happiness is about an overall feeling of connectedness to others – a sense belonging, to love and be loved.  Love, which is so much more than romantic love is about caring for others.  It is about feeling like you matter and making others feel that they matter to you.

Moments come and go, but true happiness can dwell within us always when we accept the power of loving and accepting love in return.
                                        Have a great week!
                             Mary

8-11-2017

Mary’s Minute

“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.”

                                                                      ~ Aesop

Welcome Back!

Kindness matters.  We kicked off the year at Perry Central with two events.  The day before students arrived, all staff members received training on “Trauma-Informed Care,” learning about brain research and specific strategies of why and how to create a caring community. 

Then on the first two days of school, Perry Central hosted Rachel’s Challenge.  This school assembly focused on the power of kindness to change people’s lives with the goal of creating a caring culture.  Rachel Scott was a student killed in the horrific tragedy at Columbine High School.  The tragedy is overshadowed by the power of Rachel’s kindness during her lifetime and of her family’s quest to spread Rachel’s message.  Rachel wanted to create a “chain reaction” of kindness.  Perry Central wants to be part of the chain reaction, treating each other with kindness. 

On the first day of school I walked down the high school hall way greeting students as a strolled.  As I said, “Hello and how are you?” to students, their response back to me was sincere.  Students said back to me, “I’m great.  How are you?”  It may seem small, but it really made me realize how kind and sincere our students are.  Our teachers genuinely care about each other and their students.  For example, one teacher noticed on the first day of school that a student was hungry and did not have shoes that fit.  That night shoes and food were dropped off at the student’s home.  Perry Central is a caring community, and we will continue to work hard to nurture this.  We are not perfect.  We as individuals and a culture can always be better.  We know that kindness matters, and we work to practice it every day.  Thank you for your kindness!

                                                                                          Have a great week!

                                                                                                           Mary

5-26-2017

Mary’s Minute

“Sometimes people come into your life for a moment, a day, or a lifetime.  It matters not the time they spent with you, but how they impacted your life at the time.”

                                                                                       ~ Unknown

We are fortunate to have many people come through our lives that change and refine us.  The older we get the more connections we make, which is a wonderful thing.  Although we can hold onto an endless amount of memories and keep love in our hearts, we do not have the physical capacity to maintain the many friendships and connections we have developed.  I think of it as stages in our lives.  I still hold a special place in my heart of friends I had in elementary school, and there are individuals in my adult life who at one time were very important to me but I have not seen of for years.  The same concept is partially true for places and things in our lives.  We cannot hold onto every home we have ever lived in or keep going back to the same places.  It would not be possible to maintain every hobby that we have had over our lifetimes at the same intensity that we once did.  What is important is that we take all of our experiences and the people who have impacted our lives and use them to make us who we are.  The tough part about continuing to have new experiences and to better ourselves is that that we have to let go.  As a school year ends we are left with thoughts of closing chapters and beginning new ones.  We need to remember that it is okay to let go of our past.  We cannot hold onto every experience or person at the same level we once did.  We can certainly hold onto the memories, but if we try to keep up every relationship at the same level we once did, we will be overwhelmed emotionally and physically.

Let go and let yourself live!

                                                                         Have a great summer!

                                                                                                    Mary

5-19-2017

Mary’s Minute

“If you love life, don't waste time, for time is what life is made up of.”

                                                                    ~ Bruce Lee

I say it all the time, and I know it is cliché, but wow, time really goes quickly!  How can it be that another school year is ending?  I think time may be the greatest gift we have and in contrast the thing that may be most taken for granted.  When we think about how limited time is we realize how very precious it is.  Whether we are talking about the minutes that make up a school day, the moments that make up our children’s lives, or our own precious time on this earth, we know that the minutes, days, and years are limited.  We get particularly aware of the how quickly time goes and how prized it is at milestones, like retirements and graduations.  As we say so-long to long-time friends who are retiring and watch graduates walk across the stage, we may shed a nostalgic tear, as we reflect upon how quickly time goes.  These are great times for us to reflect on how we spend our lives.  Sometimes it is hard to think about time passage when we are going through the motions of life.  Every single day is a gift.  We should be living the lives we imagine, every single day.  We can’t afford to wait for a milestone to turn things around for us.  The time is now.  Thank you to our retirees and graduates for reminding us about the precious gift of time that we are given every day.  Congratulations graduates and retirees!  We wish you all the best in how you spend the time that lies ahead and thank you for time you gave to Perry Central!

                         

                                             Now is your time!

                                                      Mary

5-12-2017

Mary’s Minute

“I think in a lot of ways unconditional love is a myth. My mom's the only reason I know it's a real thing.”

                                                               ~ Conner Oberst

All of us have or have had a mother, and many of us are mothers to our own children.  Thinking of the love our mothers have for us or how we feel for our children is a great lesson in unconditional love.  Mothers love their children no matter what.  They may feel disappointed at times, but their love never fails. 

I think that teachers can equate the care they give their students to the unconditional love of a mother.  Being a teacher is a very “motherly” act.  Teachers don’t have favorites and don’t give up on their students, which sounds a lot like what mothers do.  As we celebrate Mother’s Day on Sunday, I obviously think of my own mother and about the joy of being a mother, but I also think of the motherly love all teachers (male and female) give to our students.

I also think that Mother’s Day is a time to reflect on the act of unconditional love.  When I think of unconditional love, I am not sure if it is more difficult to give or receive it.  As a mother, it feels easy to give unconditional love, but to accept it means that we must open our hearts and become vulnerable.  Why would anyone love us for no real reason?  Accepting unconditional love requires us to accept without trying to rationalize and to open ourselves up to the possibility of being disappointed.  It requires trust!  Giving and receiving unconditional love is worth the risk.  Mothers are our inspiration to give and receive unconditional love!

                                                               Have a great week!

                                                                         Mary

5-5-2017

Mary’s Minute

“A good teacher is like a candle - it consumes itself to light the way for others.”

                                                       ~Mustafa Kemal Atatürk

“We cannot hold a torch to light another's path without brightening our own.”

                                                                ~ Ben Sweetland

There is not a day that goes by that I do not admire the work of Perry Central employees.  I know that what you do is not easy.  I know that you work very hard – your jobs are mentally and physically draining.  You are constantly asked to do more with less.  Most of all, what you do has incredible potential to make a difference, and with that comes with a lot of pressure.  Our students count on you.  They know that you will get them to school safely, that you will give them honest answers, that you will prepare them for their future, and most of all, that you will always care about them! 

It worries me when I think of the first quote in that the work you do is consuming.  I don’t want anyone to burn out, and I know that you sacrifice yourself for our students. I draw encouragement from the second quote, knowing that by lifting your students up, you gain strength.  Your path is made bright because of the light you give to others. 

What you do matters!  Today and every day, I hope you know your efforts are appreciated.  It is not possible to show you the appreciation you deserve, so my hope is that by lighting the path of others, you feel the light within you that can give you strength. 

                                                                            Thank you for all you do!

                                                                                             Mary