Oscar Boycott

I am boycotting the Oscars for its lack of inclusion. It is hard. Most of my protests are just a matter of my time, and I appreciate the opportunity with this one, however small, to sacrifice for a cause, to stand up for what I believe in, and to stand in solidarity.

When duty is joy

Tonight I chaperoned a dance. I didn't want to; I'm exhausted. But I got there and the students were all so happy to be there. And they were happy that the faculty was there. They thanked me for my time, they complimented my dress, they took pictures with me, they made me feel appreciated. They expanded their circle of joy so that I was a part of it, whether I had planned to be or not. Everyone should be so lucky in their work.

Listen to your body!

Last year at a workshop, I got the advice not to act out of habit when I need energy. Rather, I should think about what my deeper need is and try to meet it directly. Tired? Take a nap instead of watching tv. Sad? Talk to a friend instead of drinking a beer. Today I did a good job of that by going to Zumba when I was feeling drained. I was glad for the exercise and the energy!

Between the Dark and the Daylight

Much like my school does, Joan Chittister represents the best parts of religion. It feels like the kind of book that could speak to you in different ways at different points in your life. Some of the lines that were most poignant in this moment for me were:

The Place of Tsunamis in the Ocean of Life
"The waves of life break into the center of our languor to remind us that the quality of our lives is not simply given to us, it needs to be earned." (28)

"Those who insist on preserving yesterday when today has already swept it away like sand on a beach lose the opportunity to guide the present." (29)

"every great moment is history has meant a shift in the tectonic plates of the last, the one that sat motionless for too long. And deep down we know the truth of it: Our sands are shifting now and no amount of willing it were otherwise can possibly stop the process." (30)

"peace is not passivity" (31)

The Mirage of Security
"calamity, as disruptive as it may be, will also bring us new growth and enlightenment." (35)

The Fragility of Achievement
"the healthy person decides . . . Never to become the role in which they find themselves." (44)

"What we are is reserved for our obituary, what we do determines the way we're identified now." (45)

The Role of Failure in Success
"The question ought to be, And if I fail tomorrow, what will I gain as a result?" (55)

"We need failure to learn that we don't need to win to justify the reason for our existence." (57)

The Energy that Comes from Exhaustion
"It is the sheer joy of knowing that we gave back to life everything we were given when we came into it. It is the stamp of authenticity. It is spiritual fair trade." (68)

" exhaustion tells us exactly what we are capable of doing rather than fooling us into thinking that we are something we are not. Exhaustion keeps us honest about ourselves." (69)

"The important choice in life, then, is to choose our stresses carefully." (69)

The Struggle between Guilt and Growth
"The lifelong question now became what was worse - having to face the long-term sting of shame or bear the short-term pain of truth." (80)

The Challenge of Hopelessness
"Clearly, hopelessness has at least as much to do with what we bring to life as it does with what life brings to us. Great pain does not dampen hope and great opportunity does not endure it. Humdrum hopelessness, the garden-variety kind of ennui or disinterest or self-doubt, comes out of our inability to take the world by the hand. However small it may be. However great it may look. Hopelessness is a spiritual doldrum. It is life becalmed, without energy, without edge. It is life lived without a sense of responsibility to the rest of the world, let alone to ourselves." (140-141)

"What breeds hopelessness is the failure to purpose the possible in the imperfect . . . In life in general, hope lies in taking what we have . . . and using every heartbeat within us to turn it into something worthwhile." (141)

"it is as much our responsibility to shape life as it is for life to shape us. It requires us to understand that misfortune is not failure." (141)

"hopelessness may be more about a lack of commitment than it is a lack of ability." (142)

"Hopelessness calls us beyond quitting what we have been born to do . . . It's not a call to a job. It's a call to a life spent doing what I do best - wherever that may be, during work or after us." (142-143)

"When we align being able to do what we want while we do what we must, the fog of hopelessness will left. Then we can live with the greatest measure of joy, however, limited our resources, however many the comports that do not content us. Then the spirits of darkness and doom life, the feelings of hopelessness disappear. Then real life begins." (143)

The Courage of Cowardice
"life-giving courage resists to the end but not without attempting to negotiate the situation . . . It uses any and all means available to achieve an end that is good for everyone concerned . . . It is the work of people dedicated to evolution rather than revolution." (146, 147)

"life-giving resistance, as total and spiritually naked as it is, simply refuses to become what it hates." (147)

"This is the courage of the Jesus who faced down the authority figures of the time over and over agin, inspired by a greater law and a living God as a model to us of what it means to choose courage over cowardice. As Hemingway writes: 'Few men are willing to brave the disapproval of their fellows, the censure of their colleagues, the wrath of their society. Moral courage is a rarer commodity than bravery in battle or great intelligence. Yet it is the one essential, vital quality of those who seek to change a which which yields most painfully to change." (148)

The Certitude of Doubt
"Without doubt there is little room for faith in anything. What we accept without question we will live without morality." (153)

"Doubt is uncomfortable, yes, but doubt always leads us beyond the present moment to the kind of moments that call us to greater truth, deeper wisdom and a more adult measure of the self." (154)

The Pain of the Search for Spiritual Painlessness
"Where is God for me?"

"We can only grow into the God who is already with us one insight, one awareness, one experience at a time." (167)

Quality Professional Development

The professional development days that my school crafts are deepening and energizing. To me, quality PD includes the opportunity to:

- Explore a new side of myself
- Learn something new
- Reflect on things I care about
- Build community

It should be a safe space for engaging and real learning without burdens or pressure. These qualities allow for genuine growth.

Beautiful contradictions

It's important to recognize the joy that can be found in difficulty and the growth that comes with challenge. I am giving up anger and self pity for Lent.

Thank you, universe!

I've had a challenging week, so I've been especially grateful to stumble upon quotes that remind me to keep my head in the game (or, as 2pac would say, "Keep ya head up!"). They include: 

"What breeds hopelessness is the failure to pursue the possible in the imperfect . . . Hope lies in taking what we have . . . and using every heartbeat within us to turn it into something worthwhile." - Joan Chittister

"Profit by the little trials that come to you, for through them, we make real progress." ~ St Rose Philippine Duchesne

"'You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy’. But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you' (Mt 5:43-44). Jesus asks those who would follow him to love those who do not deserve it, without expecting anything in return, and in this way to fill the emptiness present in human hearts, relationships, families, communities and in the entire world."  - Pope Francis

"Hands" by Jewel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfsS3pIDBfw

f I could tell the world just one thing
It would be that we're all ok
And not to worry because worry is wasteful
And useless in times like these
I will not be made useless
I won't be idled with despair
I will gather myself around my faith
For light does the darkness most fear

My hands are small, I know,
But they're not yours they are my own
But they're not yours they are my own
And I am never broken

Poverty stole your golden shoes
But it didn't steal your laughter
And heartache came to visit me
But i knew it wasn't ever after

We will fight, not out of spite
For someone must stand up for what's right
Cause where there's a man who has no voice
There ours shall go singing

My hands are small, I know,
But they're not yours they are my own
But they're not yours they are my own
And I am never broken

In the end only kindness matters
In the end only kindness matters

I will get down on my knees and I will pray
I will get down on my knees and I will pray
I will get down on my knees and I will pray

My hands are small, I know,
But they're not yours they are my own
But they're not yours they are my own
And I am never broken

My hands are small, i know,
But they're not yours they are my own
But they're not yours they are my own
And I am never broken
We are never broken

We are God's eyes God's hands God's mind
We are God's eyes God's hands God's heart
We are God's eyes God's hands God's eyes God's hands
We are God's hands God's hands We are God's hands

Keeping the faith

There's something special about working in a religious school. It is nice to know that I am working toward an ideal that is bigger than myself, and that ideal is something that everyone in the community has, at least to some extent, bought into. I think it helps that the ideal is not a man-made mission statement, but connects to a long-running tradition. I believe it helps people to push themselves to be their best. But hey, I'm an idealist - maybe it's just me.