On The Subject Of Beauty

August 13, 2016.Reading time 5 minutes.

From the time I was preteen, I was obsessed with drawing the same cartoon over and over; the first illustration showed the shapely backside of a long-haired temptress, and the next frame revealed the fact that the things are not as they appear – a woman with a monstrously ugly face. It was a self-portrait, […]

Educational Walls

August 1, 2016.Reading time 7 minutes.

I have this recurring dream that I am teaching a class, composed of adults and adolescents, which is spread out over three rooms. Try as I might to build community through ice breaking activities, it is physically impossible to reach all the students at one time. I am reminded of how it feels to teach […]

Emotional Backlash (Or Happy F*@#king Mother’s Day)

May 9, 2016.Reading time 6 minutes.

This post is hard to write, however; I have no where else to vent, and need desperately to process what has happened. Yesterday was Mother’s Day, and inadvertently my two daughters and I had booked a mani-pedi for that date, the original intention being one last pampering for my middle daughter before she goes into […]

Autism, I’m Aware

April 6, 2016.Reading time 1 minute.

Just finished listening to Life, Animated: A Story of Sidekicks, Heroes, and Autism by Ron Suskind. Suskind, a Pulitzer prize-winning author, writes a very intriguing and enlightening memoir about parenting a child with Autism. His son, Owen, once unable to speak, finds his voice and self through the magic of Disney. The story of Owen […]

Cutie Duck

March 2, 2016.Reading time 1 minute.

“Did you know that I am a big sister?” three-and-a-half-year-old Sloane is quick to offer to anyone she comes into contact with. If asked her sister’s name, she quickly replies: “I call her Cutie Duck”. Small for her age, Sloane has wispy, white blonde hair, big brown eyes, and talks with a high-pitched, squeaky voice. […]

Imagine

If we could lift understandingto indigenous teachingsexpand our loveto earth, sky, and seaMake personal gain tabooand Ancients a weigh point If we could witness the mountainsslow floating across the skyand touch the dolphin’s soulanxiously swimmingwhere tuna are netted Would we cower at our insignificanceor move forward, learning to acceptthat all of life is deeply woveninto […]

Dear Child

I know a little girl,whose hair in ringletsfalls, unkempt from lackof brushing; who standswhen she should be sitting;who laughs with defiance whenchallenged, her dark eyes gleamingwith mischief; who holds her chin uphigh and stamps her feet, arms foldedin protest when she does not get her way. I see that little girl,have watched her play,with a […]

Re-de-fine-d

Ask me how I’m doingand I’ll say “fine”, notbecause I’m actually fine,but because “fine” is the onlysocially acceptable response. If I said that I have been lyinghere, for three hours now,willing my body to move,that would elicit unsolicitedadvice and tarnish my “fine”. I’d berate myself for breakingmy promise not to moan,knowing that complainingprovokes a compulsive […]