Rekindling the Inner Spirit

"In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit." - Albert Schweitzer

When The Universe Speaks

I had just gotten off the train this morning, and began to walk a mile to work. As I walked, I took a moment to check my Blackberry. I had one email message waiting for me. When I saw who it was from, my heart leapt a bit in my chest. An old boyfriend - a man who is so good and who has many amazing qualities. I opened the email and began to read. I stopped walking and chills ran up my spine. I looked around. Was I being punked? The email was dated February 27, 2007. Why had it appeared in my email inbox? I began to walk slowly and I read the email. It was about matters of the heart.

I got to work and quickly logged onto the computer. I opened my email and looked in my inbox. The email was not there. Yes, it appeared as new mail on my Blackberry, but not in my email inbox. Weird, right? Better yet, what does it all mean?!?

Here is the email exchange:

February 27, 2007
There's comfort in the tidy little things that are in our lives. Crisp four
sided squares or six faced cubes.....3 inches by 3 inches by 3 inches. A
perfect cube. Our heads like perfect cubes. They stack nicely....take up an
exact amount of space. I can tell you in an instant what it is....3x3x3. A
cube. You can describe it and people know what you're talking about.

The heart is such an aptly rendered shape. I wonder when the heart first
took its valentine's shape...it is so perfect. So as I lay in bed last night,
contemplating your email and matters of the heart, I wondered if I could
describe a heart....a valentine heart. How would you describe it? Its....well about
3 inches high....in total...symmetrically shaped....ah... kind of pointy on
one side and bows out at the top on either side..... its not a 3x3x3 cube. A
heart is beautfiul shape and appropriate shape.

My response:
The NEXT odd thing here, is the fact that my response is nowhere to be found in my email account. I know what I wrote. I wrote that maybe, just maybe the modern-day heart came from the following idea: The human heart is roughly the size and shape of a fist. When you put two fists together, however, you get a rough heart shape. Maybe it's right... maybe love is really meant to be the joining of two hearts, which then forms that heart shape. Alone, you have a fist. You have to find a way to allow your single fist to soften enough, to let down your guard enough, so that it may be joined with that which belongs to another - together forming a heart.

I don't know what the answer is. I didn't know what the answer was in 2007 either. I am wondering why and how I got that email on my Blackberry. I suppose it's time to look deeper and take this as a message from a higher source. And with that in my mind, I am left to spend my day contemplating what it means when the universe speaks...

"It's the song in your heart that wants you to help make yourself a better person, and to help other people do the same. Everybody has one."                                     — The late Mattie Stepanek

Daniel

     Daniel is a lively boy. He's got energy to spare. Sometimes he gets into trouble. I suppose that goes with the territory when you're super inquisitive and a bit mischieveous. The teacher usually has to say his name multiple times each day. Most of the time, she has to say his name because he's not doing what he should be doing or he's goofing off. He's not a bad kid, he just makes poor choices and that's the source of his trouble.

     This morning, I was meeting with a colleague of mine. Suddenly, Daniel appeared in the window of the doorway. His face was long and he didn't look happy. He slowly opened the classroom door and dragged his feet as he walked toward the teacher. The teacher instructed him to take a seat. He looked like he was about to cry.

The teacher began to speak:
   "Daniel. There are many times when I have to direct you and you do not complete your work. You are not in trouble, sweetheart. I called you in here because when I was looking over yesterday's work, I discovered that you had done it beautifully. I couldn't have done a better job myself!"
     Daniel's eyes grew big. A smile slowly spread across his face. He was proud, and it showed. He had earned the teacher's trust and she was recognizing him for a job well done. Watching the whole thing made me feel good inside.

     It is students like Daniel who keep me coming back to school each and every September. I have taught many students like Daniel over the past 17 years. Each child is salvageable. Each child is a piece of clay which can be moulded. Sometimes the piece of clay that we are given just needs a little extra love and a little more blood, sweat and tears before it can be transformed. As a teacher, I like to remember that. Daniel was a healthy reminder that my job and my words can either destroy a child, or build him up.

Jahcelyn

Jahcelyn came to school with her hand all bandaged up. At first glance, her hand reminded me of a boxer's hand... all taped up and ready to go. Of course, we were all interested in the source of the injury. Sometimes children tend to exaggerate, thus leading to bigger and better bandages - attention seekers more than actual wound intervention. It took all of about five minutes before my colleague inquired about the bandaged hand.

"Jahcelyn, what happened to your hand?" inquired my colleague.
   "I got cut while opening a cat food can." said Jahcelyn.
"Ouch! That must have hurt! Maybe your cat should open his own cans of food from now on." stated my colleague.
   "Nah, he can't do that." she replied. "He doesn't have disposable thumbs!"

All of us stood there a little dumbfounded. First of all, she meant opposable thumbs, but if you knew Jahcelyn, you'd really wonder where that came from! There's one valuable lesson to be learned here. Never underestimate the power of learning. She learned "opposable thumbs" from somewhere, and for some reason, she chose to remember it. Not only did she remember it, she used it properly in context. WOW! That's pretty cool!
     I love my job! There's never a dull moment... never!

An Ocean

An ocean
  separates me
from some of the things
        that I love the most.
Water.
   wet and vast.
It keeps me away from...
   My Oma,
mountain air,
  wild flowers and hiking
loved one's hugs... 
        and kisses.
It fills that place-
    the space between.
         I want to hear the bells~
the voices of churches
    tolling to those who have forgotten.
I miss wandering cobblestone streets
     taking in the charm of days past-
people greeting me as I walk by.
   High up in the Alps, being able to see
as far as visibility allows..
      hearing cow bells in the distance
even when
       there are no cows to be seen.
           Open markets, fresh food,
camaraderie... time spent with others.
   Bicycles for young and for old
long walks in the woods
       breathing in nothing but fresh air...
I miss it. I miss all of it.
    Fields of golden wheat
sunflowers looking up at the sun
         all against the bluest skies.
Yes, an ocean
   a huge, vast ocean
separates me from some of the things
         that I love the most
but lucky for me, they will live on
       in my heart,
until we can be reunited
        once
           again.