Showing posts with label generosity. Show all posts
Saturday, October 15, 2016
That Interview
It was January 21, 2013, the day Jacob had that interview with the Craig and Galen Brown Foundation. I remember it well because parents were invited, too, but, having just been hit head on, I wasn't able to go. So John took Jacob across town to meet with the Aggie alum who had summoned Jacob by email regarding a scholarship opportunity.
It seemed like forever before they returned from that recruitment interview that MLK holiday. When they got back, Jacob said he thought it had gone well and that, if he understood correctly, Craig Brown was offering him a significant scholarship to attend Texas A & M. Jacob decided shortly after that interview that he would accept Mr. Brown's generous offer and become an Aggie like he was.
Craig Brown has adopted 108 young college kids this year alone; he supports them not only financially, but physically, emotionally, and spiritually as well. He and his Administrative Assistant, Pam Matthews, know them all personally and treat them like their own. Words cannot adequately express the gratitude and admiration that we feel for the Brown Foundation's scholarship and support.
Last night, we were honored and grateful to join the Brown Foundation in celebrating Jacob along with the other 24 Brown Scholars at their senior banquet. It was delightful to watch this philanthropist move about the banquet hall and visit with his guests, beaming with pride over the young men and women whom he has adopted, each one clearly his favorite.
Each senior scholar was given two minutes to talk.
Here's what Jacob had to say:
Craig Brown's generosity is contagious.
Because of his generosity, I now live life more generously.
Because of his mentorship, I choose to mentor more.
Because of his kindness, I am kinder.
That follows for Jacob as well.
We are so incredibly blessed that Mr. Brown stepped into our son's story, invited him to that interview, and enriched our lives by ultimately investing in him so deeply and wholeheartedly.
May Craig Brown's closing words echo in the hearts of his scholars forever:
"It's not what you take with you, but what you leave behind that counts."
Friday, November 20, 2015
PPBF: The Not Very Merry Pout-Pout Fish
Happy Friday! Let's start with some grateful things ...
First, I'm excited about the opportunity to deliver the keynote address in my home state in June. Here's the save-the-date flyer that just came out;
who wants to meet me in Milwaukee?
Next, I'm so grateful to be guest blogging over at Free Spirit Publishing; click {here} to read yesterday's post about helping hungry students through food insecurity.
I'm also tremendously thankful that our tree is filling up. It is such a special treat to peek into our students' happy hearts and see what they appreciate.
Don't you love how the character cam caught the sun's rays
illuminating our gratitude?
UPDATE: Our tree just keeps blooming with blessings!
Finally, I'm swimming with delight that this week's PPBF also serves as a stop on the #poutpouttour.
Title: The Not Very Merry Pout-Pout Fish
Author: Deborah Diesen
Illustrator: Dan Hanna
Publisher: Macmillan Kids
Date: September 8, 2015
Suitable for: ages 3-6
Fiction
Themes: holiday spirit, generosity, mindset
Brief synopsis: When Mr. Fish decides to go shopping with a fixed mindset about what the perfect holiday gift is, he comes up empty-finned. Will Miss Shimmer be able to help him unlock those errant beliefs and complete his quest?
Opening Page:
In a festive ocean corner,
Fish were decking out the reef,
Hanging tinsel, bows, and lights
In a holiday motif.
Resources:
Enjoy this endorsement at Picture Book Reviews {here}.
Create a visual display to showcase no-cost gifts.
Why I like this book: In true Pout-Pout Fish fashion, there's a echo verse that young children will grab on to and easily memorize ...
"A gift should be big,
And a gift should be bright.
And a gift should be perfect -
Guaranteed to bring delight.
And a gift should have meaning
Plus a bit of bling-zing,
So I'll shop till I drop
For each just-right thing!"
... begging us to seize that teachable-moment extension about the fixed-mindset expectations of our friendly fish.
In the end, Mr. Fish is given a beautiful gift from Miss Shimmer, the key to unlocking his beliefs about what gifts should be and adopting a
As an additional creative enrichment activity idea, invite students to re-write the book's poetic refrain with their beliefs about gift-giving. Then encourage them to exchange their work with a critical friend to see if their beliefs are fixed and could benefit from being unlocked.
And what did the author Deborah Diesen hope that we'd glean from her underwater holiday jewel? Here's some timeless wisdom about gift-giving from a recent interview:
Q: Do you have any tips for parents of toddlers about the joy of giving gifts rather than just receiving them this holiday season?
A: Kids love to give presents and they especially love having an active role in the process of creating presents. Try a craft idea or a project that's extremely simple and stress free, and then let your child have at it with a minimum of help. The more messy, lopsided and imperfect the results, the better. Have fun with the process and as you do, you'll create not just gifts, but memories as well.
This joyful holiday treasure spotlights hand-made presents from the heart;
give yourself a gift and check it out.
For more PPBF picks, visit Susanna Hills blog {here}.
Wednesday, October 21, 2015
Caped In Kindness
Today I'm excited because of the kindness of a stranger. A stranger, as in someone I've never met in real life. But the beauty of the Internet, with all of its cautions and concerns, is the global connections we're able to make in cyberspace.
And this happened, because of one of those connections.
If you follow my book's Facebook page, you may remember that Steph Kozuch, a school counselor in Indiana, sent me a picture of the little superhero silhouette on the right, back in June. I posted it because I stood in awe of its adorableness {and the fact that she was preparing in June for the upcoming school year}. We reconnected on Twitter in early October when I complimented her on a picture I'd seen of her classroom decor, which now included the super sweet little girl on the left. I told her I'd asked a volunteer to make these for me but that I was still waiting ...
and then this:
#share ~ don't you love that?
It seriously never crossed my mind that she would make them for me.
And when I sent her my address, this:
Then, when they arrived, in a poster mailing tube, all rolled up so that they wouldn't crease, I felt the warmth of a stranger friend cloaked in kindness. A stranger friend with a big, beautiful smile on her tiny Twitter avatar, and an even bigger heart of gold.
Before I put them up, I traced them and sent a pair to PA. And then another pair to OK. So Steph, your super gesture is rippling out. Thank you for being a superhero of the character kind!
Finding a home for these little cherubs was a wonderful way to kick off Character Counts! Week 2015. Then our celebration continued when I met with this year's Peer Assistance and Leadership students (PALs) from Friendswood High School and collected their cape masterpieces for our
SUPERHEROES-in-training Wall of Fame.
Teenagers and their colorful character capes.
Each one more eye-catchingly brilliant than the next.
Each one bearing their heartbeat, happiness and hope.
Each one a caped in kindness.
Each one the story of a mentor eager to positively influence our future.
I wish you could see them all in person.
The capes. {And the mentors!}
If you're ever in the area, come on by for a gallery walk.
These are hanging just outside of Leadership Central.
The PALs visited our campus today, for their tour, and their enthusiasm was palpable. They'll start next week in our character building and I can't wait to
watch them soar.
The future looks bright with these superheroes leading the way.
Cape up and crusade on!
Monday, August 10, 2015
Irrationally Crazy
It started as an affirmation ...
I saw your new room last night; it's so invitingly warm and welcoming. Your Dr. Seuss paintings are incredible. I admire your artistic talent and flair.
... punctuated with a bit of humor.
Oh, and if that adorable Lorax canvas goes missing after I'm gone, I promise I had nothing to do with its disappearance.
It ended with a kindness I will never forget.
A stowaway in my luggage, with this note written on the back,
and signed by the BEAutiful artist herself:
Because today I really needed someone like you to cross my path.
I don't usually run out of words, but this was one of those times.
It was for me.
From Beatriz.
Just because.
Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot ...
Her gift lives out the essence of my message that day,
my challenge for each teacher in that California cafetorium,
and everywhere I go ... to be the one.
The hero you needed as a child.
The one who cares more than a whole awful lot.
The one who lights up the darkest of places.
The one who goes ga-ga ...
crazy even.
Irrationally crazy.
Just because ...
So today I'm grateful ... for an irrationally-crazy gift from Beatriz.
One that punctuates Dr. Seuss' words a whole awful lot.
One that makes me want to be better, kinder, more generous.
Because even grown-ups need that one.
Saturday, April 18, 2015
Through Each Other's Eyes
Round 'em up? Did we ever!
Two weekends, three big events, more volunteers than you can imagine,
countless smiles and too many happy hearts to count later, another annual school fundraiser is in the books. It truly takes a village to raise a child;
blessings overflow when our village comes together for a cause.
We're grateful to all of our school stakeholders for their support.
Today I'm thinking about this Thoreau quote:
Look at how tenderly this young girl is coddling this baby goat. Can't you just feel the nurturing, love and care? My guess is that she felt something for this kid, she connected with its situation, and she decided a warm embrace would be exactly what it needed. She was looking at the carnival experience through this furry friend's eyes. Empathy + Compassion = True Beauty.
It reminds me of this ABC report I saw earlier this week, about the third-grade teacher in Colorado who asked her students what they wished their teacher knew. Their responses were poignant, personal, and somewhat painful to read.
If we're looking at life through our little learners' eyes, giving them a voice, and listening to understand, we ought to be able to predict with some accuracy the answers to these questions: What would the children in your orbit say they wish their teacher knew about them? What about what they wish their parents knew? Their grandparents? Their neighbors? Their friends?
I love the spin on this activity my friend Heather suggested;
a What I wish my colleagues knew board in the staff lounge.
How might how we treat one another change if we were to look
{more often and with intention}
through each other's lens?
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