“But human beings need deepening places too. And far too many never have any.”
Madeleine L’Engle, A Wind in the Door
The Likeness of Unseen Things: A Lesson from the Woolly Bear
Sky brought a caterpillar to class. Shortly before my seventh period British Literature course began, Sky introduced me to her caterpillar (Fred, I believe she named him), a token from her lunch outside in the park. Rather than send her back outdoors to return the woolly bear to its rightful domain, I allowed her toContinue reading “The Likeness of Unseen Things: A Lesson from the Woolly Bear”
All I Need to Get Up to Teach Tomorrow
I never expected to find this card in my mailbox last Wednesday. One of my colleagues had students write notes to teachers in the high school in honor of World Teachers’ Day. To be honest, I had no idea there was a World Teachers’ Day. I’m familiar with teacher appreciation week, but this was unexpected.Continue reading “All I Need to Get Up to Teach Tomorrow”
Nature’s Invitation to Pause
Autumn has burst on the scene with its varied invitations to deepen. In the midst of the full swing of a challenging school year, my son’s busy soccer schedule, and the general maintenance of cars, toilets, and lawns, I’ve still managed to stop to ponder the nuthatches feeding in the neighbor’s pine trees by theContinue reading “Nature’s Invitation to Pause”
A Midsummer Afternoon’s Dream
When I began crafting this poem, I fully intended to mimic the style of Geoffrey Chaucer’s “General Prologue” to The Canterbury Tales: “When that August with his beastly heat…” However, I found the set meter and rhyme too restricting for the random wanderings of a father and his young sons up and down the streamContinue reading “A Midsummer Afternoon’s Dream”
Remembering & Grappling with Loss
We found out this afternoon that our beloved neighbor passed away. On a day when we Americans remember the lives lost as a result of what took place on 9/11/01, the sudden loss of our neighbor reminded me of the fragility of life and the need to savor every interaction I have with those IContinue reading “Remembering & Grappling with Loss”
About
I am a lover of words – the way they sing together in neat or sprawling lines upon the page, conducted by the great wordsmiths of all time. The way a sudden turn of phrase or surprising combination of sounds resonates with the deep within me, causing pause…
