Monthly Archive for August, 2010

The Power of Second Chances

Theodore Johnson, or “Mr. J” was my fifth grade teacher.

He was a tall, slender man with a reputation for fun that made students pray to be assigned to his class. Mr. J was significant in my life for many reasons. As an educator, he brought mundane subjects to life with humor and passion.

As a person, he taught me the blessing of an unexpected second chance.

One Monday morning, the schoolyard buzzed with rumors about a fire in the school over the weekend. When the bell rang I raced inside, excited by the acrid scent of burnt wood that confirmed the rumors.

Homeroom hummed with conversation. Mr. J quieted the class and explained that “Home Economics” would be cancelled due to a fire. He also… Continue reading

Published on Tuesday August 24, 2010 in Forgiveness, Spirit and Writings. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

Voicing My Wish

One evening, while writing the first draft of my book, I attended a writer’s group for feedback. There were so many people there that night that discussion was limited. When I arrived home, my (then) thirteen-year-old son shrugged off my disappointment and asked me to read the excerpt to him instead. So, I settled into a chair and read a rough draft of reflections on spending my allowance as a nine-year-old child.

As innocent as it seems, the experience was a metaphor for how choice and risk were handled by a child affected by alcoholism. Each week, the trip “down-the-avenue” culminated at Woolworth’s lunch counter where I dreamed of someday ordering a banana split.

An umbrella with colorful balloons hanging from each rib was suspended above the counter.… Continue reading

Published on Tuesday August 24, 2010 in Parenting and Writings. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

Pretzel Medicine

The rumors had been swirling for months but it still came as a shock when the hospital board announced that our small community hospital would be closing on July 1st. The hospital had served this working class poor neighborhood of Philadelphia for nearly 100 years but it would soon become another casualty of the health care crisis.

The day after the announcement co-workers walked around in a stunned state of disbelief. And if impending unemployment wasn’t stressful enough, those looking for comfort in the form of their morning soft pretzel found out that pretzels had been eliminated from the cafeteria menu the same day the hospital announced its closure.

For those of you outside the Philadelphia area, let me explain. Soft pretzels are the lifeblood of this city… Continue reading

Published on Tuesday August 24, 2010 in Support and Writings. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

Supermarket Tantrums

As a mother of two, I’m a veteran of many toddler fits and various other public embarrassments (“CLEAN UP, AISLE 10!”).

I have rushed many wiggling, barely potty-trained children through the smelly backrooms of supermarket stock areas, where inevitably, the even smellier employee bathroom appears at the farthest possible point.

I have apologetically abandoned half filled carts after a few particularly horrible tantrums. One time, although I hesitate to admit it, I even forgot to load a fully paid for cart of food into my car, because I was so distracted by a toddler’s fit. I slinked back shortly afterward and retrieved my cart, red-faced, from the manager’s office.

One incident, forever burned into my memory, took place when my son was 18 months old.

Frankie… Continue reading

Published on Tuesday August 24, 2010 in Parenting, Support and Writings. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

Send Beauty

On the morning of Tuesday, September 11th, Kate Cain-Bell was fully immersed in teaching “something important” to her first-grade class at Richboro Elementary School in Richboro, Pennsylvania.

Not long into the day, the principle asked her to step out the classroom for a moment. There, in the hallway, she heard about the devastation in New York and Washington, D.C. It was difficult for her to grasp the news, let alone explain it to innocent minds, so she agreed with the school’s decision not to inform the children.

When Kate returned to her waiting students, the class work seemed to pale in comparison to the significance of the day’s events. As a deeply spiritual woman, she felt compelled to impact the world in a positive way during the time… Continue reading

Published on Tuesday August 24, 2010 in Forgiveness, Spirit and Writings. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

The Buddy System

I’ve always believed in the power of words. Now I have proof that putting thoughts into spoken word somehow sets unseen forces into motion. You see, a few weeks ago, my mother and I conjured up a dog. No enchanted potions, or mystical spells were used, just one magical word: buddy.

While working on a project together, my mother and I took a break for lunch. We were well into the post meal lingering (part of any good lunch), when my mom began thinking out loud.

“I guess it’s time for Misha to go visit his family again.”

Misha is my mom’s dog. He’s a gorgeous, fluffy white Spitz that only plays with other dogs. All efforts by my mom and stepdad to get Misha to play… Continue reading

Published on Tuesday August 24, 2010 in Joy, Serendipity and Writings. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

The Mark of Angels

Many years ago my husband and I visited Bern, the charming capitol of Switzerland. One evening, we had a night free of planned activities.

Feeling liberated from itineraries, we wandered through the medieval streets into the heart of Bern. The warm evening breeze had lured swarms of people into the town square. Old men played checkers at cement tables amid musicians, jugglers and other assorted street performers. Frank and I paused to drink in the carnival of sights and sounds.

An American accent rang out above the bustle. I grabbed Frank’s hand and pulled him toward the sound of home.

“One… Two… Three!”

A burst of laughter erupted from the crowd around a juggler. I moved in closer, drawn in by his act and familiar accent.… Continue reading

Published on Tuesday August 24, 2010 in Forgiveness, Parenting, Serendipity, Spirit and Writings. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

Mr. Halloween

On a cool, mid-October Monday, a little boy’s voice pierced the early morning quiet.

“What’s that Grand Pop?”

I peered out of my bedroom window and saw a small boy and a gray haired man standing across the street. Their walk to school had been halted by curiosity. The boy pointed at a plastic tarp hanging from a wooden frame in my neighbor’s driveway.

“Oh,” the grandfather explained matter-of-factly, “that’s Halloween.”

The boy studied the thick, dark plastic moving with the breeze and exclaimed, “Oh yeah! The fun house!”

High-pitched tales of last Halloween at “the fun house” resounded down the street as they continued on their way. The grandfather’s response echoed in my mind.

“That’s Halloween.”

“It’s that simple”, I thought, “Bob’s… Continue reading

Published on Tuesday August 24, 2010 in Joy, Parenting and Writings. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

Left Foot Forward

In the early 1940’s, bombs rained down regularly on Essen, a city in northern Germany. Air raid sirens screamed of impending disaster without regard for time of day, sending hordes of citizens scrambling to the nearest bomb shelter. After the “all clear” signal blew, people emerged hoping that the very place from which they fled, would still be standing.

Sometimes the shells hit one of the multiple munitions factories scattered throughout the city, but often, bombs destroyed homes, schools and businesses. Between battles of global dominance, the residents of Essen carried on the ordinary tasks of life. Children played among the ruins, young couples fell in love and families ate dinners concocted from rationed ingredients.

Perhaps it was because my mother grew up in Germany during unpredictable times… Continue reading

Published on Tuesday August 24, 2010 in Courage, Self and Writings. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

Single-Handed

I was wandering among tall timbers the other day, enjoying the distinctly earthy scent of wood.

“Hmm, what size do we need?” I asked, for approximately the 10th time.

My 15-year-old son repeated the dimensions in a voice frayed with patience. You see, while we were exploring new territory, it wasn’t some woodsy passage in the forest wild; it was the lumber aisle of the local home improvement warehouse. As far as I was concerned, it might as while have been Timbuktu. I was surrounded by strange looking machines with razor sharp edges, nails the size of my thumb and instruments of destruction that had no purpose I could determine.

It was a rite of passage of sorts. We were on the hunt for my son’s first… Continue reading

Published on Tuesday August 24, 2010 in Parenting, Support and Writings. 1 Comment Tags: , , .