“Understand the movement. Be patient. Be persistent.” -Steve Stine

Last night I heard this above quote in an on-line guitar lesson. While the words were intended for application to the instrument and the learner, this quote struck me as excellent advice to consider during this Black History Month. On Monday I had the privilege of virtually speaking with hundreds of educators from our Northern California schools, and I shared with them how critical I believe empathy is at this point in history. Seeing life through an authentic vantage point from another’s point of view is the foundation of community. From my perspective, understanding and appreciating another’s point of view, and accompanying them through shared and varying experiences, is paramount to our learning, growth, and role in building the Kingdom of God here and now.

Last week I also enjoyed the chance to Zoom with nearly 100 educators from around the world to share best practices around community-building and culture. By also virtually attending board meetings for seven of our schools from around the United States, I gained an even greater appreciation for the challenges and creativity employed by the educators across our network of schools. Everyone seems to be doing their best amidst nearly impossible situations.

And on the home front, last week’s big trip to Target meant a hoverboard for my oldest, a nerf gun for our middle guy, and a new dog novel for our daughter. Periodic excursions for our kids to use their Target gift cards go such a long way, and allow us time to reflect upon the gratitude for those whom sent us the cards (often family from far away). We continually strive to celebrate and honor the community and gifts within our midst.

My chance to reflect on these recent experiences reminds me of one of my favorite poems from Ralph Waldo Emerson. Enjoy the words below. Blessings on your week ahead.

“What is success?
To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate the beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded!”

“You can’t see the whole path ahead, but there is usually enough light to take the next step. And then…trust God’s guidance in the moment.”- Henri Nouwen

Yesterday during 3rd grade religion I was fortunate to be able to teach my daughter about Saint Louise de Marillac, the namesake for my former school. My middle son’s face lit up so brightly once he mastered the concept of rounding in Math class. And my oldest son exuded sheer joy when explaining the lego house he had built during his lunch recess. Recalling moments like this provide me sustenance for this long haul of distance learning while working at home. I am blessed.

In this excellent piece on change management, An Agile Approach to Change Management, author Sarah Jensen Clayton writes of the significance of empowerment, encouragement and risk-taking in leadership. These elements resonate with what I am witnessing in schools…and at home. Flexibility, adaptability and learning as we go will continue to serve us well.

Enjoy this beautiful rendition of “Hallelujah,” performed by Yolanda Adams. She sang it last night at a D.C. prayer service honoring those who have lost their lives to Covid-19. Let us keep them in our prayers today, along with all those on the front lines serving our communities. Stay healthy and safe.

“The pain, uncertainty and fear, and the realization of our own limitations brought on by the pandemic have only made it all the more urgent that we rethink our styles of life, our relationships, the organization of our societies and, above all, the meaning of our existence.” Pope Francis

The words of Pope Francis (from Fratelli Tutti) and the picture of this passage I pulled from Twitter a while back capture the range of emotions so many of us find ourselves swimming in these days. Trying to articulate the surreal nature of last week’s riots at our nation’s Capitol to our children provided just the latest parenting hurdle for my wife and me. So we pretended like we knew what we were doing, admitted when we didn’t, and leaned into the conversation. Modeling vulnerability and healthy dialogue is so important to us as parents.

My meeting with school leaders this week captured the intensity of this whole pandemic and its impact upon young people. Concerns around the perceived “achievement gap” expanded into rightful worry about youth, their mental health, and their self-esteem. I am grateful to belong to a community of educators who keep students as our central focus.

Yesterday during 4th grade religion, I was helping my son understand The Lord’s Prayer. Concepts like respecting God’s name, asking for God’s help, and supporting the Kingdom of God here on earth were helpful reminders. Teaching elementary school catechetics is a great reward.

I hope that you too can find your regular rewards in your day to day life. May God bless you and yours throughout this week ahead. Stay safe and healthy.

“True hospitality consists of giving the best of yourself to your guests.” -Eleanor Roosevelt

On this feast day of the Three Kings, I find myself reflecting upon the notions of journey and hospitality. Throughout my morning walk, I thought about the values of patience and persistence as we live through the tenth month of our experience of this pandemic. In terms of hospitality, I find irony in my belief that the most hospitable act we can make on the part of others is to actually keep our distance…a notion that would typically run counter to how I would experience or host hospitality.

On a Catholic School Matters podcast that I heard yesterday during my workout, the guest spoke about the importance of hospitality in our schools. In a typical environment, he described how hospitality could be measured by how visitors would be greeted upon their arrival on campus. It reminded me of the school I used to lead, where we taught students to “look each guest in the eye, shake with a firm handshake, and speak audibly.” These instructions were meant to not only instill confidence in the young people, but also to make visitors feel known, valued and loved.

A sense of belonging is to so critical to one’s self-worth. I invite each of us to consider ways by which we are promoting a sense of belonging at home, at work, and throughout our school communities. Especially during these strained times, I feel this commitment to a renewed sense of hospitality is all the more important.

These concluding words from Saint John Neumann (whose feast day was celebrated yesterday) remind us of our God-given self worth. Blessings on your week ahead!

Everyone who breathes, high and low, educated and ignorant, young and old, man and woman, has a mission, has a work. We are not sent into this world for nothing; we are not born at random; we are not here, that we may go to bed at night, and get up in the morning, toil for our bread, eat and drink, laugh and joke, sin when we have a mind, and reform when we are tired of sinning, rear a family and die. God sees every one of us; God creates every soul, . . . for a purpose. As Christ has His work, we too have ours; as Christ rejoiced to do His work, we must rejoice in ours also.

Be satisfied and be grateful. For what you have. For what you receive, For what God has given you. -Rabbi Albert Lewis

This week I am grateful for how much I enjoy serving in educational leadership. I am thankful for my faith and my family. I appreciate my health and the privilege I experience in being able to work from home.

In this excellent piece, Hang in There, Help is on the Way, the significance of perspective, support systems and perseverance is clearly highlighted. Although we are all tired emotionally and physically from the demands of the past nine months, now is the time throughout these holidays where even more diligence is being asked of us. Some would say our disciplined approach to the health and safety of all is required of us, from a faith standpoint.

We are fortunate to turn to the example of Jesus when considering just how to support those who are suffering right now. In reading my Jesuit Volunteers magazine the other night, I was struck by the claim that “The life and ministry of Jesus is a model of the resiliency required to put our faith to into action.” Teaching and healing in and through the lens of community worked well for Him; let us try to view our lived reality through this same viewpoint of community.

I will be counting community among my many blessings throughout the down time ahead. I miss my family who live afar, yet am relieved to be able to be with my own children, along with the neighbors on my block – our new family – with whom we will celebrate the holidays with … outdoors. I pray that each of us may lean into our own communities of support, spirit and sustenance in these weeks ahead.

I look forward to writing again in 2021. Stay safe and healthy in the meantime.

Footprints in the Sand – Mary Stevenson (1936)

One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord. Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.

In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand. Sometimes there were two sets of footprints, other times there was one only.

This bothered me because I noticed that during the low periods of my life, when I was suffering from anguish, sorrow or defeat, I could see only one set of footprints, so I said to the Lord,

“You promised me Lord,
that if I followed you, you would walk with me always. But I have noticed that during the most trying periods of my life there has only been one set of footprints in the sand. Why, when I needed you most, have you not been there for me?”

The Lord replied, “The years when you have seen only one set of footprints, my child, is when I carried you.”

“The more you devote yourself in prayer, the more you will do well in your work.” John Baptist de La Salle

This long week concludes mid-day Friday with the start to Christmas break for my kids. We are all very ready for a break from screens, Zooms, printer glitches and virtual meetings. Teachers and kids are all doing their very best given the circumstances, but the cumulative toll is real. Tired from this unnatural experience of learning from home, my children will benefit from an active couple weeks outdoors….thank goodness playgrounds re-opened after only a few days of closure during San Francisco’s current Shelter in Place.

I sense the same level of exhaustion and pure decision-fatigue among the educators with whom I work. Focused on connectedness over content, and relationships over rigor, I remain in awe of the servant leadership and flexibility demonstrated by those running our Lasallian schools. Perseverance abounds amidst ever-changing and extenuating situations.

In this post, Who Are You?, writer Lisa Kelly invites us to consider the questions of “Who are you? What is your voice crying out in the wilderness to proclaim?” I look forward to spending time in prayer and reflection in these upcoming weeks thinking of questions like this one. As I prepare to warmly embrace and welcome 2021, I intend to do so with a renewed commitment to presenting my best self to the world. I trust and pray that you can as well.

“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.”

This quote from today’s Gospel seems appropriate. While I presume Jesus was preaching of the Kingdom of God, and how God can provide the nourishment that we need, I also hear it this morning from the perspective of prayer. This past weekend I spent time in the woods, in the Pacific Ocean, and with my family. Although it was not restful per se… the weekend provided me with two primary outlets of my spiritual life: nature and my family. I am grateful for this privileged time.

A recent post from the “Center for Creative Leadership,” Giving Thanks Will Make You a Better Leader highlights the importance of gratitude in leadership. It states, “Because gratitude is a complex social emotion, it draws people together in pursuit of a greater vision.” I have found that recognizing that for which I am grateful… especially during times of strain or exhaustion (or both, like nine months in to a pandemic!) … sustains me to focus on the bigger picture. These helpful suggestions from the article (below) provide accessible ways by which we may embrace gratitude:

  1. Send a note expressing your gratitude. Research shows that writing a letter thanking someone for the positive impact he or she has had in your life is a great way to boost your gratitude. Or, send a text, if you prefer. Take out your phone right now (if it’s not out already), and send a simple text to someone you’re grateful to have in your life and let them know that you are thinking of them.
  2. Keep a gratitude journal – or even just a list. Gratitude journals are popular these days, and for good reason. Keeping a journal of people and things for which you’re grateful can increase your feelings of gratitude.If you’re not the journaling type, don’t worry; research shows that making a short list works, too. Some research suggests that a short list once a week might actually be more effective than doing it daily. Just jot down 3 things you’re grateful for on a Post-It note. Stick it somewhere you’ll see it often, and refresh it weekly. (Some people even create gratitude jars for this purpose.)
  3. Take time for reflection. Research has also found that simply reflecting on the many aspects of your job — large and small — for which you’re grateful can boost gratitude levels. These might include supportive work relationships, sacrifices or contributions that others have made for you, advantages or opportunities, or gratitude for the opportunity to have your job in general. Going on a short “gratitude walk” is a great way take a time out for this reflection. If you’re feeling inclined, repeat the exercise and think about the many aspects of your life for which you’re grateful (family, friends, hobbies, etc.).

Best of luck as we all strive to embrace an attitude of gratitude. Blessings on your week ahead!

“We have all known the long loneliness and we have learned that the only solution is love and that love comes with community.”- Dorothy Day, Co-Founder of the Catholic Worker Hospitality Movement

Several significant anniversaries in the past week have me reflecting with appreciation on the many women in my life who have shaped my heart. Forty years ago last week, activist Dorothy Day joined her fellow rabble-rouser saints in heaven. Monday was the 65th anniversary of the day when Rosa Parks courageously refused to give up her seat on the Montgomery bus, a move that is described here as “the spark that ignited the Civil Rights movement.” And yesterday marked the 40th anniversary of the killing of Ursuline Sister Dorothy Kazel, Maryknoll Sisters Ita Ford and Maura Clark, and lay worker Jeanne Donovan, who served as faith filled martyrs of the civil war that ravaged El Salvador in the 1970s and 1980s. Each of these women showed a strength of conviction and faith that I can only hope for my own children as well. I am grateful for the many women in my life who have taught me how to be brave, how to love, and how to lead.

My kids recently found a cell phone in a neighborhood park, and through the magic of the website Nextdoor, I was able to find the phone’s owner. When he came to pick up the phone yesterday, he insisted on giving me a $100 bill as an expression of his gratitude. In conversation with our kids last night, we decided to donate this contribution to Golden Gate Lab Rescue, for whom we have to thank for our family dog, Sheba. Practicing random acts of kindness is one of the principles of our family’s annual advent calendar, and I was proud of my children for our conversation and decision last night. No good deed goes unnoticed.

Here’s a beautiful 12th Century Christmas Carol, the Wexford Carol, from Irish musician Patrick Dexter. I follow him on Twitter and have found such solace in his music throughout this pandemic experience. Plus he lives in the county where my grandparents grew up, County Mayo in Ireland, which comforts me too!

If you haven’t yet read this wonderful piece penned by Pope Francis, I invite you to read it this week. A Crisis Reveals What is in Our Hearts encourages empathy, thoughtfulness and compassion. May we strive toward these important attributes in the week ahead. Blessings to you and yours.

“Appreciation can make a day — even change a life. Your willingness to put it into words is all that is necessary.” Margaret Cousins, Suffragist

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year. What typically would be a household full of friends is this year instead an intimate gathering of us and the dog:) We’ll still cook all day, have a 3pm toast with the neighbors on our block, and will also begin our day with our annual Family Turkey Trot in Golden Gate Park. Although this year’s Trot consists of a virtual component, it does still feel like a San Francisco community event, for which I am grateful.

Speaking of gratitude, check out Chris Cornell’s acoustic cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Thank You” here. His angelic voice does justice to Robert Plant’s lyrics of love and appreciation. May Chris rest in peace.

I will spend time in prayer and reflection this weekend, offering thanks for all those who risk their lives in service to fighting off this pandemic. I pray that those who are ill or have lost their lives may find peace. And I’ll spend lots of time outdoors, including heading to the beach on Friday.

I hope that you also may be able to enjoy this long weekend ahead, and that you too can be in community and in communion with that which grounds you. Stay healthy!

Thanksgiving Prayer – Catholic Health Association

God of all blessings, source of all life, giver of all grace:
We thank you for the gift of life:
for the breath that sustains life,
for the food of this earth that nurtures life,
for the life-giving love of family and friends.

We thank you for the mystery of creation:
for the beauty of the Earth that the eye can see,
for the unfolding universe that draws us beyond our imaginings.

We thank you for the communities to which we belong:
for families, for friends,
for neighbors and for companions at work.

We thank you for the strangers who welcome us into their lives and whom we invite to be part of ours.

We thank you for our brothers and sisters of all ages, all races, all nations and all faiths.

We thank you for the multitude of ways that you call us to steward the gifts of creation and to serve others in your name.

We thank you for this day, for the companionship we share and the bountiful goodness of the bread we break together.

God of all goodness, we pray in thanks for your presence among us however  we gather together, and your promise to be with us now and always.  AMEN.

“One of the unexpected impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic may be that a society that feels besieged by the threat of the virus will increasingly treat scientific information, and not just scientists, seriously.” Nicholas Christakis

One day last week we paused to watch a dumpster load onto a truck. This is a familiar experience from my childhood, for my dad was a roofer and often used dumpsters at job sites. My children were fascinated- my oldest, an aspiring engineer, admired the pulley….my middle child just loves anything with dirt…and my youngest eagerly described the anticipated final steps. The driver of the truck gave us a wave as he departed, and I revelled in the sense of awe and fascination demonstrated by my children. I was grateful that they slowed me down to notice this extraordinary event during an otherwise ordinary dog walk. God is good.

Last night I finished Apollo’s Arrow: The Profound and Enduring Impact of Coronavirus on the Way We Live by physician and sociologist Nicholas Christakis. It is an in-depth reflection upon our lived experience of Covid-19. This review captures its essence well. There are many lessons to be learned from the past 9-10 months, and throughout the months ahead. Like Christakis, I hope that this experience teaches us to honor our community and adhere to data and science. I have the same hope that our political climate moving forward can be one rooted in facts, dialogue and a shared commitment to community.

I recommend a read of this heartfelt article by Molly Cahill, An open letter to the bishops, from a young Catholic who’s only known a church in scandal. She states, “My sincerest hope is that generations to follow will not have to experience the disappointment and distrust I have experienced.” In the Catholic Church, my heart goes out to young people, especially. My adolescent years were such a formative time for me as a person of faith, and are the primary impetus for my vocation as a Catholic school educator. I pray that the adults in our Church pro-actively accompany young people on their own journeys by knowing them by name and meeting them where they are. With young people, I firmly believe that our starting point needs to be their own experience. They have much to teach us.

Let us pray for our physicians, nurses and all healthcare providers and essential workers across our country. May God bless you and yours throughout this week ahead.