Week 45

 Day 310

I had a vision until my vision appeared to be a failure.

This fall we had a fantastic photographer (Happy Mermaid Images)  take photos of our students. She shot candid shots while capturing the personality of each student. I had a vision of creating a black-and-white wall displaying the portraits of each and every student. I wanted each student to see their photo and feel valued. So often students don't feel they fit in anywhere and my hope for this wall was for all to feel they belong to a group.

My vision was all good until I ran into a couple of roadblocks.

1. Mistake number one - good old-fashioned double-sided tape doesn't work on old plastered walls).

2. Mistake number two - placing this many photos takes much longer than anticipated

3. Mistake number three - up close it doesn't look too bad but when you step 15 feet away, the wall of photos seems to be lopsided 

4. Mistake number four - running to the store to buy a level and leveling each and every picture to perfection wasn't the solution for the photo wall (still looked off from a distance).

5. Mistake number five - lose sleep at night trying to figure out how to make the wall NOT look like a kindergartner put it up.

PONDER - PONDER - PONDER........

How will I get the above wall to look better than it does? Most of you know me and know I don't throw in the towel easily. I got to school early the next morning to figure this thing out.

After moving a few photos and continuing to step back and evaluate my new and improved work, I realized my mistake. A certain amount of photos have to align either on the sides or the tops/bottoms to look aligned. I am so grateful I did not give up because the faces and smiles of the students brought about a feeling of joy that no setback could prevail. 

Day 311

Oh, did this make me stop in my tracks and reflect on the words. In life, I have learned that one's reaction (or lack thereof) is scrutinized by others. 

This reaction may be an action, word, or even silence. I have used the phrase, "I am in a no-win situation" which technically means it doesn't matter what I would do or say, or conversely, the lack of any response will lead to another's dissatisfaction with me. For the record, it is not about winning, but rather finding a solution to a problem that exists. There are times I discover frustration within myself for feeling I could have operated in a more productive manner; however, more often than not, it is the other individual's challenges that come to the forefront rather than my reaction.

Day 312

This is Pulpit Rock in Norway. I am here for new and unconventional adventures.

I would love to hike to this rock and you can bet 100 percent that I would walk out to the edge. 

Another bucket list item added - the list continues to grow and expand more than my finances or my time will allow right now. But one can dream!

Day 313

Have you ever thought - What contribution have I made to better our society?

We are all responsible to contribute to society in productive ways. There is not one perfect contribution but rather the entire population doing good for the betterment of humankind. Every contribution is valued regardless of its perceived value or worth. 

When we desire an improved society, we find gratification in our contributions and how they can change our world for the better.

Day 314

Winter is here and with it brings the first snow day of the school year. I sure hope it is the last but when we live in ND, it is quite likely it will happen again. I was hoping to get home for the long Veteran's Day weekend, but Mother Nature had a plan of her own. I am grateful for a warm and clean place to relax and enjoy the day. 

Day 315

Nothing like a long weekend to do the extra things. I enjoy decorating cookies and sharing them with others. 

Day 316

I wished I knew how many times someone prayed for me. Imagine if we could hear each time a prayer was spoken and how it impacted our actions, situation, or wellness. 

I have some lovely people in my life that verbalize their prayers for me but I would assume so many more prayers have been said on my behalf than I could ever comprehend. I need to be better at doing this for others as well. It doesn't cost anything and no preparation is needed, it is actually quite simple. It can be done in the shower, while waking up for the day, while commuting, while eating lunch, while cleaning the house, while exercising, while getting the mail, while folding laundry, and I could go on and on. 

I do believe that everyday happenings derail my ability to do this more often (my brain is usually on overdrive during my waking hours). I will challenge myself to add someone to my to-do list every day and pray for them (this significantly increases my ability to ensure I accomplish the task). 

As we prepare our homes and hearts for a large Thanksgiving gathering, I pray for those who are not able to celebrate like so many of us are able. It is a true blessing that we can shop, clean, cook, clean some more, and serve an outrageous meal surrounded by the people we love.