Remembering

Monday I talked to my 2nd graders about 9-11. This is the first year I have had kids who don't remember it. And, I am sure they have heard about it before - but maybe not. They looked at me like I was speaking crazy thoughts - how I wish I could have been. It made me think about the innocence of children and how quickly that changes. How quickly the sadness of the world tarnishes the perspective that everything is as it should be. I guess it was good for me. I had gotten to the point that I could talk about it to my classes without tearing up. Yesterday, I tried to read a book called "Brave Mole" to my class. It was a book I purchased after 9-11 that is an allergory about the terrorist attacks. The first year after I bought it, I couldn't read it - the librarian ended up reading it to my kids. I broke down while trying. I'm not embarrassed about that. I wish I had seen more of my teachers have feelings. I always shed a tear during Charlotte's Web. I cried with my kids when we watched the funerals for the Space Shuttle crew who's mission we had closely watched. I couldn't read Brave Mole yesterday. I had already tarnished their idea that all is right with the world - I didn't want to let them know that teachers cry yet. I will save it for Charlotte and Wilbur.

What Nate Berkus Taught Me

I don't know about any of you, but quite frankly - the news is making me feel depressed. I can't imagine what those poor people are going through after Hurricane Katrina. My heart breaks for them. I am easily depressed. Watching the news is something I generally steer away from. I remember feeling so distraught last year at Christmas when the tsunami hit overseas. I tried to identify with those people, but had no connection - I couldn't have picked Sri Lanka out on a map at the time if I had wanted to. And then I read on CNN that Nate Berkus, who I knew from watching the Oprah show once in awhile had been caught in the tsunami and that he had lost his partner. My heart ached for him and the pain I was certain that he was going thru. I can't imagine watching someone I love being torn away and tossed out to sea. Without even really thinking, I sent an email to him through his company's website. A month later I was invited to the Oprah show. I remember him saying over and over - when tragedy strikes do something - no matter how small. He said, "For the first three days when I was back in Chicago, I went to bed every night with a stack of thoughts and prayers from people for me and for Fernando and Fernando's family. It literally made me go to sleep and gave me reason to get up." When I heard him say that it was a startling thing - I thought back - how long did I consider whether to send a note or not? How long did I contemplate whether or not he would think it was stupid? How close did I come to just going about my regular routine? How close did I come to turning my head and looking the other way? We can't pretend that Hurricane Katrina didn't happen. It's a horrible reality. Whatever you do - do something - and do it out of love.