A few months ago, we started a new form of self-evaluation at work where we talk about our accomplishments with staff and volunteers... focusing on the type of questions we ask through "rounding."
So, applying it to my own personal life, I asked myself today, "what are some great things I've accomplished right now?"
Hmm...
Had a networking booth at a forum on a Thursday night, which I didn't get any volunteers but met some great community contacts, plus my colorful display was featured on the news. That resulted in an office-wide "atta boy!" cheer-- an accomplishment indeed, considering we're in need of a lot more exposure in our service area.
Spent time with a patient's family member one afternoon and it turned out well... she raved about our care and attention we were providing her father, plus said nice things about our Veteran's Day ceremonies.
Planned and coordinated a meal for residents at HOPE, a homeless transitional community on Sat. night. Working with a great team from the College & Beyond group, we served the first-ever Chinese meal there. We fed about 30 residents with enough leftovers for about 100 more. Everyone was appreciative and the meal turned out pretty good. I look forward to doing it again soon!
Saw the latest Harry Potter movie (again), but this time in IMAX format. It rocked!
Started my plans for my upcoming confirmation sessions. Next Sunday, I'll start sessions with 9 high schoolers who are preparing for confirmation. They're older than most of the confirmandees and they have a class to themselves. I'm excited-- I have double the number I had last year! Three of my high schoolers from last year became involved in LifeTeen, and I hope I can attract more youth over!
Made a little more time to finally "breathe," though I thought I wouldn't for a moment. I tried to take Friday afternoon off but was taking calls from the office... they wouldn't leave me alone! This will be addressed at staff meeting! I enjoyed the nice weather on Saturday, taking Molly to the park and hiking trails. Today, she and I ran around the big fields on the Miccosukee Greenway and it was truly peaceful. With the cool air and light fog, it looked like I was in the HP movie I saw the night before-- it looked like a Scottish landscape. I'd never seen Molly run so fast and look so excited running in the fields and sometimes mud. She dared to jump into a pond until she saw my disapproving evil eye.
Well, I feel pretty rounded now. I pray this week is full of many more accomplishments! Off to bed with me...
19 February, 2006
18 February, 2006
A prayer for the homeland
If you've watched some of the news lately, you'll have heard about a devastating landslide in a small town in the Philippines (for info, click here or here.)
Please pray for these townspeople, and also pray for miracles. I've had a lot friends who've called or asked about it and wondered about my family. I don't have any family on Leyte, but nonetheless, I know this catastrophe touches all Filipinos.
It's moments like this that I want to impart some insight into my Filipino culture that few realize. Disasters--especially natural ones-- are a part of... er, better yet, has formed Filipino culture and it's a cross we bear. Whether it be mudslides, typhoons, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, flash floods, disease outbreaks, drought, terrorist bombings, or war, these are all part of life in the Philippines. In the States, we face a few hurricanes every year (last year, of course, is the exception), but for the Philippines, they face a dozen "Katrina" storms annually.
It doesn't mean we're callous or insensitive to the needs of disaster victims; in fact, it's quite the opposite. We're very compassionate and our empathy greater because we know... it could happen to us, and we know that it has happened to us. Despite our own struggles, we'll forage for that extra peso, a sack of rice, or bundle of food to provide to a friend or relative who's suffered tragedy.
In the lifetime of any Filipino, there will be great tragedy to endure, but there will be many more great things to celebrate. I see it through my own grandmother, my only surviving grandparent. She fled the brutality of the Japanese during World War II with young children in tow, struggled to feed them by washing clothes, mourned the loss of two husbands, several children, most of her siblings, many friends and some grandchildren, and has probably survived more typhoons, earthquakes, and floods than you or I have IQ points... combined! But, she has had many more reasons to celebrate... children who love and adore her, well-educated grandchildren who are better off today than she would've imagined, hectares of fertile, crop-producing land, prosperous business ventures, hundreds and hundreds (literally!) of godson and goddaughters, healing many of the sick through herbs and massage, and the honor and respect of her community.
Let's always hope for the best and pray the God of miracle's will be done!
Please pray for these townspeople, and also pray for miracles. I've had a lot friends who've called or asked about it and wondered about my family. I don't have any family on Leyte, but nonetheless, I know this catastrophe touches all Filipinos.
It's moments like this that I want to impart some insight into my Filipino culture that few realize. Disasters--especially natural ones-- are a part of... er, better yet, has formed Filipino culture and it's a cross we bear. Whether it be mudslides, typhoons, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, flash floods, disease outbreaks, drought, terrorist bombings, or war, these are all part of life in the Philippines. In the States, we face a few hurricanes every year (last year, of course, is the exception), but for the Philippines, they face a dozen "Katrina" storms annually.
It doesn't mean we're callous or insensitive to the needs of disaster victims; in fact, it's quite the opposite. We're very compassionate and our empathy greater because we know... it could happen to us, and we know that it has happened to us. Despite our own struggles, we'll forage for that extra peso, a sack of rice, or bundle of food to provide to a friend or relative who's suffered tragedy.
In the lifetime of any Filipino, there will be great tragedy to endure, but there will be many more great things to celebrate. I see it through my own grandmother, my only surviving grandparent. She fled the brutality of the Japanese during World War II with young children in tow, struggled to feed them by washing clothes, mourned the loss of two husbands, several children, most of her siblings, many friends and some grandchildren, and has probably survived more typhoons, earthquakes, and floods than you or I have IQ points... combined! But, she has had many more reasons to celebrate... children who love and adore her, well-educated grandchildren who are better off today than she would've imagined, hectares of fertile, crop-producing land, prosperous business ventures, hundreds and hundreds (literally!) of godson and goddaughters, healing many of the sick through herbs and massage, and the honor and respect of her community.
Let's always hope for the best and pray the God of miracle's will be done!
14 February, 2006
My Message Against Valentine's Day
I will not give into Valentine's Day!
In protest, I will not honor the commercialization of love, the prostitution of passion, and the whoring of romance.
I will conduct my protest as a gentleman, kindly and passively. I will accept each box of heart candies, but I will quietly spit out these bits of chalk without attention.
I will continue to accept chocolate, because, well.... it's chocolate and it's free.
When deliveries of flowers pour into the office, I will smile but I will NOT participate in the collective chorus of "OOOOOHHHHH and AAAAAHHHHH!!!!"
A Valentine's card I'll accept, for it's the thought that counts, but I will be unimpressed by a manufactured cartoon card with a generic message of this so-called love. What will impress me is a note of sincerity or the effort a child puts into drawing, glueing, or composing a masterpiece of the soul, celebrating the innocence of LOVE.
In my future relationships, I will not allow this day to force me to demonstate the measure of my love by impressive stunts or expenses, nor will I want her to feel compelled to go beyond compare to profess her love for me.
I will demonstrate my love--not only on Valentine's Day, but always-- in how I treat and honor her. And that, for sure, will be measured by the heart I'll wear on my sleeve.
Finally, I will win this battle against Capitalist Cupid for two reasons that make me: an idealist and a romantic.
In protest, I will not honor the commercialization of love, the prostitution of passion, and the whoring of romance.
I will conduct my protest as a gentleman, kindly and passively. I will accept each box of heart candies, but I will quietly spit out these bits of chalk without attention.
I will continue to accept chocolate, because, well.... it's chocolate and it's free.
When deliveries of flowers pour into the office, I will smile but I will NOT participate in the collective chorus of "OOOOOHHHHH and AAAAAHHHHH!!!!"
A Valentine's card I'll accept, for it's the thought that counts, but I will be unimpressed by a manufactured cartoon card with a generic message of this so-called love. What will impress me is a note of sincerity or the effort a child puts into drawing, glueing, or composing a masterpiece of the soul, celebrating the innocence of LOVE.
In my future relationships, I will not allow this day to force me to demonstate the measure of my love by impressive stunts or expenses, nor will I want her to feel compelled to go beyond compare to profess her love for me.
I will demonstrate my love--not only on Valentine's Day, but always-- in how I treat and honor her. And that, for sure, will be measured by the heart I'll wear on my sleeve.
Finally, I will win this battle against Capitalist Cupid for two reasons that make me: an idealist and a romantic.
11 February, 2006
Have one of those days that you just want to jump in the car and go?
I did it twice yesterday and today. Of course, yesterday was a business trip to Dothan, but after I got out, I decided to take the scenic route back to Tally—through Hwy 90 coasting through downtowns and taking in the nice homes and beautiful forests and fields.
Today, in spite of the rain and dreary gray skies, I took a trip over to Bainbridge, GA to see a traveling exhibit on the life of Anne Frank. I’d never been to Bainbridge and thought, “what the heck?” So I checked it out.
It was a nice exhibit; it was a simple pop-up type of exhibit with photos and lots of captions. It’s not elaborate, but I really did appreciate the message.
It’s very frightening now to think our world is quickly losing sight of the suffering and the pain endured during the Holocaust and from World War II. With “the greatest generation,” the men and women who lived, fought, and worked during this time quickly dying, we’re also losing a direct connection to that time of history. What we’ll have left are old documentaries and photographs.
It’s amazing what photos offer—a quick capture of emotion that’s preserved for the future. The photos of Anne Frank’s childhood, smiling with her family and friends in the early 1930s, showed a young girl and her family filled with happiness and joy—most importantly, a sense of normalcy.
Neither she nor her family would know that in ten years they’d be in hiding, fearing the brutal Nazis.
Today, in spite of the rain and dreary gray skies, I took a trip over to Bainbridge, GA to see a traveling exhibit on the life of Anne Frank. I’d never been to Bainbridge and thought, “what the heck?” So I checked it out.
It was a nice exhibit; it was a simple pop-up type of exhibit with photos and lots of captions. It’s not elaborate, but I really did appreciate the message.
It’s very frightening now to think our world is quickly losing sight of the suffering and the pain endured during the Holocaust and from World War II. With “the greatest generation,” the men and women who lived, fought, and worked during this time quickly dying, we’re also losing a direct connection to that time of history. What we’ll have left are old documentaries and photographs.
It’s amazing what photos offer—a quick capture of emotion that’s preserved for the future. The photos of Anne Frank’s childhood, smiling with her family and friends in the early 1930s, showed a young girl and her family filled with happiness and joy—most importantly, a sense of normalcy.
Neither she nor her family would know that in ten years they’d be in hiding, fearing the brutal Nazis.
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