Last week, at the age of fifty, one of our colleagues joined those in heaven. Coleen was the kind of person that lived fully, laughed freely and loved passionately.

In her last Facebook post, she shared that she had no regrets: she lived the life she wanted to live. As we guide our children through life and our students through their schooling, isn’t that the message we want to share? Follow your passion… Live life… Make the moments count.

So, as we tuck the little ones into bed or decorate the Christmas tree, as we sit down to dinner with family or as students come to school excited about their donations to our clothing drive, these are the moments to be treasured. Each day is truly a blessing.

Coleen, thank you for the gift of your friendship. Thank you for living your life as an example to us all. You will live on in the many lives you touched.

As I write this, the snow outside my window falls gently as if in a whisper. This is in stark contrast to the images I’ve seen of Buffalo during this past week. Snow, yes. A whisper, not quite. 7 feet actually – in three days. Parents stranded. Kids home alone. Roads closed. Cars buried. Roofs collapsing. Those in the area held in the grips of nature: wondering what’s to come. More snow… rain… melting… flooding? 

All else forced to stop. Travel. Work. School. Football. Hockey. Everything, really. It all came down to basic survival. Stay home. Stay safe.

And though we here in Alberta claim to know blizzards, the extreme nature of this storm is something we really cannot relate to. It is a storm unlike any we have experienced.

The situation seems a perfect writing prompt to use with students. By sharing pictures and stimulating a discussion, creative narratives would most certainly follow. Try it… I dare you!

Once again this week I was reminded of the power of words. Words used in relief, frustration and joy. Words used to hurt and discredit. Words used in forgiveness. Words used to empower.

I was also witness to a little one who is beginning to understand the relationship between the letters on a page and the words we read. Her excitement was evident: the gleam in her eyes spoke volumes. She has entered the world of the literate.

Words affect our every day: our relationships, our ability to function in society, even our moods. Words really do change worlds.

Today is a day of remembrance. We remember, honour and pay tribute to all those who have lost their lives for our country. We remember all who have served our country in the name of freedom and justice. We also remember the many family members, who have not served themselves, but who have been impacted by the atrocities of war.

On this day, I also remember my father. Thirteen years ago this evening, we gathered for his prayer service. The Knights of Columbus paid tribute to him with an honour guard and given the day, we all wore poppies. It was a fitting sendoff to a man who was known as a peacekeeper – not in any official context but simply in the way he lived his life. He had the ability to bring people together, to respect the uniqueness of each individual and to approach all circumstances with compassion.

My brothers and I delivered the eulogy for our dad. Our final words were, “Rest well ye gentle and faithful servant. Your life’s work is done.”

We remember. Today and every day.

From kindergarten to grade six, excitement pervaded our school on Friday. I saw everything from pirates to cheerleaders, superheroes to unicorns. But it seemed in every class, there were two or three Elsa’s! The Snow Queen from Frozen found her way into most classrooms – often as twins or triplets.

On this day, children have the opportunity to hide behind a mask, to take on a different persona, to ‘beg’ for candy: things that wouldn’t be acceptable any other day of the year. I spoke to one mom who said they love to ‘scare’ in their household. They go all out with costumes, decorations and pranks.

Some of my own treasured childhood memories involve Halloween traditions: using everything from boxes, paint and vacuum cleaner hoses to create costumes, watching “It’s the great pumpkin Charlie Brown”, carving pumpkins, trick-or-treating and a traditional late night Halloween birthday party for a great aunt. Regardless of how much you and your family involve yourselves in Halloween, there is no doubt that this is a favourite day for most kids.

I leave the last words this week to the witches from Macbeth: “Double, double toil and trouble; fire burn and cauldron bubble.”

This week, talk centred around tragedy. Our country, a country where we pride ourselves on peace, somehow felt a little more vulnerable. Our sense of security and safety were compromised.

Perhaps we are naive. Perhaps we have been so fortunate to live in this country, that we forget the daily struggles faced by so many in other parts of the world. The incidents that occurred in Montreal and Ottawa occur daily in many countries. It is big news here precisely because of our belief that we are immune to this kind of violence.

Despite a little shake up, I remain thankful to live in a country where there is not a gun in every home, militia parading the streets or children recruited as soldiers. The shake up serves as a reminder of how fortunate we are to be able to trust our police, to vote, to walk the dog, to go to school and work each day without the threat of violence. Just ask one of many immigrants who have lived the realities of violence, war and mistrust.

And though we practice lock-downs in our schools, I say to our students, “The chance of something happening is very small, but it’s better to be prepared.” The best part is, I don’t say it simply to reassure the students, I say it because I believe it.

“God keep our land, glorious and free!” 

When I think about synergy and collaboration, I think about our school. There are good things happening within. I am proud to say that we do not sit by and become stagnant. We do not stay rooted in tradition ignoring the change occurring around us. Not at all.

At our school we push the status quo. We test and try, assess and reassess. We reflect on what we’re doing and strive for greatness. We work for the best interest of each child entrusted to our care.

Students today are different than students of the past. If we don’t change along with them, we are doing them a disservice. We provide opportunities for learning and leadership, we forgive mistakes and we continue to learn ourselves to ensure the best learning for our students.

Are we perfect? We can’t be. Will there be missteps along the way? We wouldn’t be human if there weren’t.

We entered this profession to change lives. To inspire and uplift. To educate and motivate. What a privilege!

The other day I watched a TedTalk by David Steindl-Rast about gratitude: how living with gratitude leads to greater happiness. It got me thinking about this whole business of ‘home.’

I was once of the mindset that my house should be bigger, newer and fancier than it currently is. Upon reflection though, I wonder why I ever thought this. It is not because I don’t like my home. I do. It is certainly not because I need a bigger home. What would I do with more space, after all? So why then? Our society conditions us that bigger, newer and fancier is also better. As if that bigger, newer, fancier house will lead to greater happiness.

And yet (despite the size of my home), on this Thanksgiving weekend, I find it effortless to create a list of things I am thankful for… 

I am thankful for staff members who go above and beyond for our students. I am thankful for our dedicated parent volunteers. I am thankful for the innocence and honesty of children. I am thankful for the sunshine. I am thankful for the tree across the street with vibrant orange leaves.  I am thankful for the opportunity to write. I am thankful for the time with my family, especially the wee ones and those getting on in years. And yes, I am thankful for my home and those within it.

I just finished reading The Invention of Wings. It is fiction, yet fiction rooted in truth about an American woman striving for the abolition of slaves in the early 1800s. Because of her beliefs – vastly different from the societal norm at the time – she alienates herself from her family and puts her safety at risk. Her story is juxtaposed by the story of one of the slaves working for the family. Both women’s stories are heartbreaking and yet hopeful, too.

This book got me thinking about courage. And I wonder… how many people questioned or even abhorred the use of slaves but stayed silent? How many in our society today have the courage to speak their minds against the status quo?

I think of a sign in my office (passed down from a principal I admire greatly) that says, “Stand up for what you believe in, even if you’re standing alone.”

I would like to think that I have the courage to stand up for what I believe in. I would hope that I inspire children to do the same. I strive to be a person of integrity who means what she says and says what she means. Someone who values individuals: their stories, their backgrounds, their distinctiveness. Someone who stands up for what is right, even if I happen to be standing alone.

I am, most definitely, a work in progress.

During this last week I noticed a change in nature’s palette: the cool greens have become vibrant yellows and sultry reds. The boulevards catch my eye while I’m walking and while I’m driving.

Though much of life is unpredictable, I take comfort in the predictability of nature. Knowing that the seasons will turn as expected each year. The birds will sing as the rain subsides. The geese return each spring without fail. 

When life itself presents uncertainties, rest assured the sun will rise tomorrow.