Monday, October 16, 2017

Burstin' Buttons

Our older daughter graduated Saturday from an arduous two-year Montessori Teacher Training program. It was such joy to witness her enthusiasm and grace as she MC'd the student part of the ceremony for her 15 classmates. 

We, her peeps, are so proud of her that we're burstin' our buttons! We're also VERY happy to have her back. Her professors and examiners thanked us family members in the audience for our patience during this time of "Maximum Effort" - a commitment which all of these vibrant young women made and completed. The three-ring binder books they have created take up a minimum of two feet of shelf-space. The teaching tools they have fashioned from bits of ribbon, cardboard, felt, and ingenuity are sure to wow their students. I've heard that Daiso became their most frequented store for teeny tiny objects with which to construct lessons for eager young minds to tackle. 

Maria Montessori, certainly knew how children learn and she developed methods for their guides (teachers) to keep curiosity alive in young ones.

I have to say, because it's true, that Mosa embodies the irresistible and genuine enthusiasm that makes wanting to learn contagious.  Lucky are those who get to be in her classroom. Lucky is her daughter to have such a clever and hard-working mama. Lucky are we to have landed in a place (Oakland) where we got to support the process by hanging with our delightful eight-year-old granddaughter as part of the care-team while her mama BARTed over to San Francisco for school so many evenings and all day Saturdays these past two years. 

How lucky we are to celebrate with both our daughters and the grandie, this monumental accomplishment. It gives such satisfaction to prepare a celebratory feast. My beloved and I feel extremely lucky to have daughters and granddaughter who are self-actualizing women all! Thank you for coming up for the weekend, Megan! Your presence makes such a positive difference.

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We also count ourselves lucky to have a home. Ninety-thousand have had to be evacuated in the North Bay this past week. Many folks still are not sure whether their homes have been spared or devoured by hungry chaotic flames.

The Red Cross may be the most efficient organization for making things happen on the ground during the on-going relief effort. It's hard to stay away from the fire zone when so much work needs to be done ASAP to support folks suffering horrific loss, but for now, the roads must be kept free for emergency vehicles.  I was relieved to hear my high school buddy Judy's voice on the phone Saturday morning as she let us know she's safe and staying with a friend. 

Many thanks to the persevering firefighters from all over the state and beyond. Gratitude too, for the inmates fighting the fires in Napa, Sonoma and Mendocino. The combined heroic efforts seem finally to have turned the tide as of Sunday. Containment is increasing. While there are still red-flag warnings for the tinder-dry hills in "Smokeland" where we live, we are, for the moment, also safe.

May all beings be safe, May all beings be healthy, May all beings be happy.

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