Life is more than the accumulation of good and bad moments. Life is the hope that defies current desperation. Life is the love that is still greater than our present concerns. Life is the faith that keeps me moving forward even after I believe I have experienced my best moment. Moments come quickly and unexpectedly; sharing in another’s accomplishment, feeling a friend’s pain, witnessing a child’s discovery. We all have moments. Make this your moment.
*This was Dennis’ moment. Waco,Texas. Jacob’s Ladder. Ascend for an enchanting woodland adventure guaranteed to forever leave an imprint in your mind and pain in those unused muscles! Built in the early 1900s by the Sturgis family who lived atop the cliff, akin to the Bibical dream of Jacob in Genesis 28:11-19, Chapter 1, reaching the summit you have met up with angels.
I wasn’t taught this act of kindness by a parent, my religion or a friend. I leave you with a gift… that was demonstrated to me by my paternal grandmother, “Busha.” She didn’t travel much beyond a funeral, wedding, mass or the butcher, but when she did Busha always had a gift in hand.
I have deep memories of early Saturday morning visits to Schmeisser’s Sausage Shop in Niles, Illinois. Closed in 2018 after 67 years, this family-run, multi-generational business is where I learned many life lessons: patience (there was always a line out the door), kindness (if you want the best cut of meat be nice) and the importance of supporting local non-chain shops.
These outings meant I would always be treated to an umbrella lollipop and the butcher would get a warm hug and a smile from a near-toothless Busha. And there was one more thing. When the two of them greeted each other, Busha would reach into the deep pockets of her traditional housedress, grab the butcher’s hand and put something in it.
One of the lessons moms and dads learn early on in their parenting career is that rewarding good behavior generally begets good behavior.
From good grades to better behavior, kids receive gifts of money, entertainment or toys to reinforce performance.
Speaking of financial rewards, if the tooth fairy lesson had stuck with me, and if I’d been rewarded five bucks instead of a quarter for every fallen tooth, I would have yanked out all of my adult teeth and spared the pain and financial burden. But I digress.
As a new mother, a “trick” I found successful was a reward of time and special place. It didn’t cost a thing but it was meaningful for both my son and me (even though I am sure if you asked him today he would remember money from the tooth fairy and not an extended outing to the park).
In elementary school, public acknowledgment with award ceremonies and ribbons worked very well for good citizenship, academic achievements and attendance. Hopefully the key to the future success of most of the students was that a personal sense of pride and accomplishment that was developed at an early age, a community of family and peers participated and supported the achievements of the students, and good work was reinforced.
The lesson in both examples sited is that no race card or price tag can be placed on giving it your best; time together is time well spent and together we make a difference. For crying out loud I figured that out with a less than perfect upbringing, mistakes along the way and no advanced degree.
Not a lot of hoopla for Melissa Pilato, from Cypress High School who is graduating with a perfect attendance record; perfect attendance record all the way back to kindergarten. In addition to showing up to school (which is what students are supposed to do) she’s been involved in NHS, CSF, and sports. Her hard work and dedication are their own rewards. Nice work, Melissa.
However, on the other side of town, a Santa Ana Unified student with perfect attendance has won a new car as part of an incentive program to discourage absenteeism. Can you believe that the school district accepted a $13,000 donation from a local car dealership? Promoting attendance or hoping to reduce absenteeism to an 18 year old who just showed up for something he/she is supposed to do is twisted logic. In addition to the “Grand Prize” more than a dozen donations – an iPod, Disneyland tickets, and gift cards to Barnes and Noble, Best Buy and Kohl’s department store were raffled off to kids with perfect attendance in the district. Oh and did I mention perfect attendance for just one year?
I get that curbing absenteeism means more money to the schools. As a matter of fact, every day a student misses school costs the district about $25 to $40. According to a recent article in the Orange County Register, this district’s attendance rate is about 92 to 94 percent, similar to others in the county. So let ‘em all get a $13k car. BTW, the student is responsible for registration fees, taxes and insurance costs which is no tooth fairy change.
Looking back, I wonder how Melissa and the student winner of the car are dong today?
Yes, each of us is recovering from something: a loss, a poor night’s sleep, a health issue or a bad day… But with each recovery, THERE IS DISCOVERY. What is your discovery of the day?
What happened to the 2020 resolutions I made in January?
Get closer to family and friends? I’ve had to work harder to stay close.
Spend time with a new activity? I discovered that I enjoyed painting.
Meditate Working on it
Read more Starting audiobooks and loving the freedom to read
Spend more time in nature? I have a successful garden.
Enjoy little things Caterpillars, butterflies, bees drinking from irrigation
Volunteer with intentionNot as successful as I used to be in person
TravelHave canceled five tripsbut Working on it
Get documents in order Work in progress
Keep a journal A work in progress
Strengthen relationships Not as easy when not meeting in person
Create positivity Keeping Facebook and Instagram upbeat
Eat fewer calories Eating more during the day, but smaller portions
Exercise regularly A constant battle, but with e-bike doing better
Learn a new skill I learned to ZOOM.
Life, unexpected.
While I did not go easily into isolation, Covid19 offered no choice but to live more deliberately and intentionally. For weeks I embraced the required change. But as people fell off my radar, as places became off-limits and things were simplified I went from muddling through long days to the discovery of a quiet, faithful soul.
It's My Passion! 
