'We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.' - Oscar Wilde

I had the great pleasure of watching Eclipsed on Broadway tonight. It reminded me a lot of Spotlight and The Big Short. They are all powerful and important pieces that are superbly executed as they remind us that the world can be a terrible place. Sometimes a good story just shines a light on that and asks us to reflect on our place in the order of things. We get to see the best and the worst of what we're up against - the gutter and the stars.

I get by with a little help from my friends

Last week I heard this story on NPR about how friendship can lessen pain: http://www.npr.org/2016/03/16/470635733/midlife-friendship-key-to-a-longer-healthier-life. The story was beautiful, but I already knew that from personal experience!

Nuns Inspire Me

I've been around more nuns than usual in the past few weeks because of various Sacred Heart endeavors. The more I am around nuns, the more I admire them. Before I got to SR, I would have thought that the women who become nuns are those who are uniquely committed to their RELIGION. I see now that the commitment goes deeper than religion. Nuns are committed to VALUES. In whatever they do, their love of God as expressed in the specific charism of their order is their first and foremost motivation. The integrity of their lives is more defined than most, and they live simply enough to not complicate that. Of the Sacred Heart nuns I have met, every one of them shares my values. In many ways, they offer to me in my work the same support and motivation that I offer to the students.

How busy is too busy?

This weekend, after having finished the 11th grade retreat and the Busy Person's Retreat, I was signed up for a Religious Education retreat in Richmond. As Friday evening rolled around, I didn't want to go. I was exhausted, and the thought of driving to Richmond to be around people I didn't know just didn't feel appealing. And it was a task-oriented retreat, not a restorative retreat, which didn't help. What changed my mind was that I realized that I had never been to a Quaker retreat that I didn't appreciate. This one took a while to grow on me, but I did in fact leave restored and reminded that the work I do with the First Day School is my faith in action. The whole retreat felt like affirmation that I am in the right place as a Quaker - everyone there was a kindred spirit. Similarly I had a home-stay with a stranger, which I was nervous about, and it turned out that the woman I stayed with is inspirational as both a Quaker and an educator. Sometimes when the reasoning behind "one more thing" feels right, it can be worth it no matter how many other things are going on (interestingly, I've found the same is true about books. I can be reading a number of others slowly, and if the right one comes around, it's still worth it).

Understanding Feminists for Life

Today at school we welcomed Kim Daniels, a member of Feminists for Life, to talk about the sanctity of life. Many students were very worried about having a pro-life message forced upon them, but what she shared was a very positive and inclusive way of thinking of the pro-life cause as a social justice feminist patchwork quilt that people could be a part of as they see fit.

She asked he following questions:

What are the needs of women?
How can we meet them so that women have a real choice (since many women have abortions because they don't have the resources to have a baby)?
How can we support pregnant women, new mothers, and working mothers? Even someone who isn't in other ways "pro-life," can get behind those ideas.
How can we build bridges and not walls?

It's so rare that we hear about pro-life causes through this lens. It was an important unifying assembly for our school.

We know what we're doing

"Anti-racism is always divisive." -Ta-Nehisi Coates
*HOWEVER*
“Once you feel loved by the universe, you’re already accepted, and you’re not really concerned about offending people.” - Alice Walker

Immersion

Today I'm at a retreat in DC. I could have stayed at home, but I thought it would be better to have the simplicity of a full immersion experience. Because of all the things I love about retreat, being able to return to my routine in the middle just doesn't feel like it would help me get the most out of it. So instead I'm here in a cold twin dorm bed with a roommate, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

I love my kids

I worked a 14 hour day today, and I wouldn't have changed a moment of it. The day both began and ended with amazing work with students. There is nothing better than watching the students lead. They are stunning. They have such authentic love for, and find such authentic joy in, the service that they do. It is magical to be a part of that.