Sweeping along the river

It's no wonder that people down through the ages have metaphorically described time as a river.

For the past several weeks, I've been floating down the river in a raft with my family, keenly aware that a series of rapids, ending at a waterfall lay before me. At some points, the current was fast, and there were a few eddies and river rocks in the way to distract my attention from the impending fall, but in the last few hours before the wedding, we were floating on almost calm water, being drawn slowly towards the edge.

And then, all of a sudden, it was 1:00 PM on June 21, and the ride began. Whoosh, to the park for pictures. Rush, to the church for more. Quick greetings to arriving guests, as we all tried to catch our breath.

Then, a moment of calm, as the ceremony occurred. Beauty and peace, commitment and song; these gave us the energy for the rest of the day and night. A small still pool before the pull of time led us to the next set of rapids.

It was quite a ride. I don't think things could have gone more according to plan. The weather was wonderful. The wedding party was happy, and didn't seem rushed. The music and slide show went well, and were appreciated. The toasts were excellent. The food was good, and not too filling, so we could enjoy an evening of dancing and people-watching and conversation.

By the time the evening was over, we were all tired, but happy -- and amazed that the time had flown by so quickly.

The next morning, we sat in our raft, having survived the thrilling ride over the falls; wet, tired and happy to have been thoroughly drenched in the experience.

And now, next to us on the river, a new raft is floating. Adam & Marisa will take a side trip or two, in channels all their own, but they'll join up with us frequently as they continue down the river of time we share.

Congratulations, you two. Enjoy the ride.




[Originally posted June 23, 2008 in Snippets and Wisps.  Happy Anniversary, Adam and Marisa.]

Thankful For and Thankful To

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. I hope this holiday finds you well, and that you are able to spend it with family or friends or both. Today's blog is a little essay I wanted to write about the meaning of "thanksgiving." If you don't feel like a Small Sermon today, feel free to stop reading and go enjoy your day. You deserve it!

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Thanksgiving is a special holiday. Though we are taught to be thankful all year round, having a day set aside for feeling thankful helps focus our gratitude.

Of course, it has become "Turkey Day" to some, and "Football Day" to others, but in general, with families & friends gathering together, many people do still focus on the thankfulness.

Interestingly, though, at Thanksgiving, people primarily talk about the things they are thankful FOR. This, of course, is perfectly natural. To feel thankful, people need to feel they have received something for which they can give thanks.

For me, there are too many blessings to count and list, but I would certainly start here:


I am so thankful for my family. Words cannot express it. Though I try. I am also thankful for the friends I have, especially for those who think about me frequently, providing me company when I laugh, care when I need it, and conversation - in person or over the network. I am thankful for my work, for my home, and for the beautiful world in which we live.

But I am not done with this Thanksgiving message. I want to continue on to discuss the full meaning of giving thanks.

Here is the first definition of "Thank" from from Dictionary.com:

thank

–verb (used with object)

1.to express gratitude, appreciation, or acknowledgment to: She thanked them for their hospitality.

And for good measure, the definition of "Thanks" from the same source:

thanks (θæŋks)
—pl n
1.	an expression of appreciation or gratitude or an acknowledgment of services or favours given

In both of these definitions, there is a clear message which is glossed over by many, but it is worth considering. The definitions make it clear there is someone who is thankful, and someone who is receiving the thanks, because the latter did something for the former.

So, if you are thankful, who are you thankful TO?

Yes, I am thankful to the people in my life who make my life so blessed. And if that's as far as you go in your faith, then be sure to thank the people in your life on Thanksgiving. For, just as a secular Christmas is to be more about giving than receiving, a secular Thanksgiving should be about being thankful, and to be thankful, there must be someone who deserves our thanks. With that in mind, look around at all those people who have made your life better, and express your appreciation and gratitude as you celebrate your Thanksgiving.

To carry the message a bit further, people of faith should pause to recognize that what we have been given, the materials and relationships for which we are thankful, are not merely gifts from people, but gifts from God. The original Pilgrims were not thanking one another. They were thanking God.

If you explain to a child the concept of Thanksgiving -- that we are grateful for the many things around us -- and ask them to list those things, they will often lists parts of nature. The sun, the air, the water.

If a person has no faith in a creator, then there really is no one to thank for these things. Such a person can feel lucky to have them, and they should, but they cannot truly be thankful, because they have no one to thank.

But for people who believe in a God, today is the day to thank God, as the true source for all of these blessings. Even the blessings which appear to have come from people are truly an expression of God's love towards us. And for this, thanks are appropriate, and a form of blessing in themselves.

Lord God, Creator of all, Source of Love and Blessings, on this day of Thanksgiving, we thank you, above all, for the gift of life and for the gifts we receive in life. We especially thank you for the people in our lives who show us love and kindness. For these, and for all, we are truly Thankful. Amen.

A happy and blessed Thanksgiving to you all.






[Originally posted in Snippets& Wisps on November 25, 2010.]

"Find What You're Looking For" - Wisdom from Amy Grant

 Amy Grant's most recent album, Somewhere Down the Road, contains a song called "Find What You're Looking For."

Like so many great songs, its lyrics speak to us in layers.  I think about part of the lyrics very often these days:

• There’s so much good in the worst of us 

• So much bad in the best of us 

• It never makes sense for any of us 

• To criticize the rest of us

Honestly, isn't that enough?  Couldn't we just stop there and have a lesson to ponder, to internalize, to commit to?

We demonize those who do not agree with us, but each of them is someone's child.  Someone loves each of us, or did.  And each of us loves someone, or did.  And only the psychopathic among us -- and there are very few of these, despite the cynical humor the guilty will use -- only the psychopathic try to do evil, knowing it to be evil. The rest of us try to live within a moral code.  And yet, all of us get it wrong, at least sometimes.

Yes, that lesson is plenty for one song.

But she doesn't stop there.

• We’ll just find what we’re looking for 

• We’ll find it and so much more

This is so true.  If you think you will find something in my actions, in my words, you have a tendency to find it.  We don't listen to one another.  We can, but we often don't.  And then we demonize.  Oh, and if we look, we can find mistakes people have made, and then demonize them some more, because they have made the mistake.  Yet, as the song says:

• Haven’t we all learned the best life lessons 

• By falling, and falling down hard 

• If we’re looking for somebody’s failures 

• We won’t have to look very far

 And that, too, is so true.

John 8:7:

⁷When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.”

.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.
Lyrics, and background quote from Amy, taken from here.


[Originally posted in Snippets & Wisps on March 3, 2011.]

"What Does a Teacher Make?"- Video

Back from vacation, and one of the things I happened upon (from one of the blogs I follow) is this wonderful piece by Taylor Mali on "What Does a Teacher Make?"  I shared this on Facebook yesterday, but it deserves a more permanent and prominent place in my recorded thoughts.

It is a stark contrast to the recent attacks on teachers and what they are "worth" to our society.


I was at dinner a few weeks back, and the Wisconsin protests were just a few days old. A couple of my dinner partners -- who almost certainly received salaries and benefits far above those of an average teacher -- were talking about how easy teachers have it.  They -- the opinionators speaking -- would be glad to have that job, for that pay, for that "little work."

Sorry guys, you could not handle it. Honestly. And if you tried, I would be sorry for your students. Our students deserve people who want to do the work, who treat it as a vocation or a calling, not people who think it is easy work for the money.

This should not be political, folks. All but a tiny percentage of us were taught by teachers. A good teacher -- and there are millions -- does a good job, and the result is well-educated young people. A great teacher -- and there are many of these, too -- I'd venture more than one per school of most any size -- does a great job, and the result is a set of inspired students who do more than anyone would have thought possible, and who will grow up grateful to what those teachers did.

If I tried to list all of the teachers who inspired me over the years, I might give offense by leaving someone off the list -- and it would be unintentional, but understandable, because I have had so many.  But here is a list anyway.

• The elementary teacher whose name escapes me, but who introduced me to Tolkien by reading us "The Hobbit"
• Mrs. Hacker
• Mr. Gesme
• Mr. Evelsizer 
• Mr. Eittreim
• Mrs. Hein
• Ms. Olson
• Mr. Sexter
• Steve Hubbard
• Diane Scholl
• Ed Kaschins
• Weston Noble
• Leigh Jordahl
• Richard Simon Hanson
• John Bale
• Walt Will

These people, by their dedication to their students, and their skill in the art of teaching, challenged me, pushed me to do more than coast.  They taught me to question, to research, to create, to write, to revise, to analyze, to think.  They opened my eyes to subjects and ideas which lit my imagination on fire.  Would I have discovered the joy of singing choral music without Mr. Sexter?  The thrill of performing on stage without Ms. Olson?  The reasons Shakespeare's work was special without Dr. Bale?  How Economics could be interesting and understandable without Ed Kaschins?

The Paideia class taught by Dr. Scholl helped Sherry and me as we grew to know one another better just before our marriage. The class on Christian Humanism as taught by Dr. Jordahl helped clarify for me the kind of faith which still makes most sense to my heart and head -- and he simply loved having a married couple in his class.

And while it is clear my mind was primed for mathematics & the sciences, many of the teachers above found ways to encourage me to rise above the expectations of the ordinary syllabus, to learn things I could learn, and to help others learn them when I could.  I wanted to be a teacher because of Mrs. Hacker and my dad.  I learned to love and appreciate math and science because of them and the rest of the math and science teachers on that list, and others I omitted while trying to finish this in less than an evening.

To evaluate these people by how much money they make, or to think you can put a price on what their jobs are worth?  It can't be done.  These people, and the work they have done, are priceless.


[Originally posted in Snippets & Wisps March 21, 2011.]

What are your Stilts?

The late, great Theodore Geisel (nom de plume: Dr. Seuss) wrote many excellent stories. This is not news. Many of them are allegorical, or at the very least, metaphorical. One of his lesser-known books serves me as an example of how I like to run my work life, as well as my leisure life. That book is The King's Stilts.

In this book, the King has a great work ethic. He gets up early, starts working, and "When he worked, he worked very, very hard." And he works very, very hard, all day, every day -- until quitting time.

At quitting time, he stops working, and he plays. And "When he played, he played very, very hard." And what does he play with? The King's Stilts, of course.

I think I need to build a motivational speech out of the many lessons this book can teach. In our culture, there seems to be an unwritten rule that, to be truly successful, you must devote yourself to your job and forsake fun -- or even outside responsibilities.

I think that some people can be that single-minded. But most of us need balance. And part of that balance is finding our "stilts" and playing with them regularly.

Like any good story, The King's Stilts has conflict. It centers around what happens when the King is convinced to give up his stilts. I will not spoil it for those who have not read the story, but beleive me, a King without his Stilts is not as good at his job.

I have several diversions, each of which provides me with something I need to be well-rounded and productive. I have games, like Magic, which challenges my mind. I have running, which keeps me fit, and gives me time to appreciate the outdoors. I have my DVD habit, which allows me to escape into someone else's imagination, while sharing time and experience with my family. I have fantasy football, which allows me to participate in a game I've always liked, but in a more strategic way -- and it's a common experience for my father and brother and myself. There are more, but the point is the same -- each of the activities refreshes me and builds me up so that I can go back to my job and work very, very hard.

What are your "stilts"? Do you view them as guilty pleasures? Or are they an acknowledged, welcomed part of your life?

In my view, they are blessings. Count them. Appreciate them. Enjoy them, Very, very hard.

................................

Originally published under the title "The King's Stilts" on September 8, 2004.

Toast for Sarah and Troy

Welcome to the celebration of the wedding of Troy and Sarah. I'm Steve Will, the father of the bride. Most of you know this is the third wedding toast I've had the pleasure to give over the past year or so. My son Adam got married last June, and my other son, Lucas, got married in October. So you might think I would run out of things to say. It happens, however, that I've known for a long time what I'd say for the wedding toast for my daughter, Sarah. So, here it is.

{Pause}

"Once upon a time, there was a Princess, named Sarah."

When my children were young, before Leah was even born, in fact, I started telling them "Princess Sarah" stories. I made them up, usually as bedtime stories, over the course of several years.

Princess Sarah's life was somewhat different from our Sarah's, but it was also quite similar. Princess Sarah lived in a castle; our Sarah took walks with her family to "The Castle" nearby -- the name we gave to Kellogg Middle School to make our strolls more fanciful. Our Sarah, of course had two older brothers, Adam & Lucas. Princess Sarah had a younger brother -- his name was "Adam, or Lucas; whatever." Sometimes, it was "Lucas, or Adam; whatever." I could never choose. And when Sarah faced situations in her life, she did so with cleverness, courage and a caring heart. That was the same for each Sarah; Princess and Sarah Lynn.

I loved telling those stories. The kids loved hearing them.

But in those stories, Princess Sarah never grew up. She had adventures with her siblings (eventually, I'm sure there was a Princess Leah who joined the family) and her horse Graymane and her elf friend, Pip. But she was, forever, a child.

Why?

I think it had something to do with the inevitable course a Princess story must take.

A Princess must find her Prince.

When Sarah was three-or-four years old, I could not imagine a Prince who would be worthy of that Princess.

We are all here today, of course, because she found him. She brought a new character into her story. I couldn't be happier for her, and for them.

So I would ask all of you to raise your glasses and join me in a toast to Princess Sarah and her prince, Troy. We hope that they will live

Happily Ever After.

Get a Clue

For our 15th anniversary, Sherry and I hosted a party at the Plummer House. That party's theme was a game of "Clue." But, rather than use the traditional rooms, we used the rooms in the Plummer House, replacing the usual suspects from the game were some of our guests, and in place of the typical weapons, we used some interesting variants. I thought I'd share a few of them today.

The Sword

The Crowbar

The Croquet Mallet

And, finally, my favorite:

The Steamroller

Please note, that this was all in fun, and that no children were harmed during the production of these photos.

In fact, they all had a blast!

[What inspired me to post these? Indie's site of "found" photos and the stories that go with them. Well, and thinking back on our anniversary party last year got me thinking of the earlier one. It was such fun!]

Originally published August 6, 2008.