This week I issue my heartfelt thanks to all of you for following me at Gather the Good. We have been up and running for two months now. I am thrilled by the positive responses, and I look forward to sharing more stories with you.

BY NANCY KIDD

I know so little about technology, but my friend/editor Laura Mabry tells me to just keep writing. She takes my words and makes them magically appear online, fancying them up with photos and all the nice graphic touches. It’s been pretty amazing, and I want to give this shout out to her. I am so very grateful for her friendship, for her overall expertise, and for the way she holds my hand through this process.

Last week’s post about Brandon continues to run through my mind. I keep recalling his enthusiasm and his persistence. What he sought to share was something bigger than himself and for the betterment of all. And though I wrongly sought to hold him back for his own sake, his message found a way to prevail.

Last week it dawned on me that perhaps Brandon and I have something in common.

Just like him, I am compelled to share some things. I need to share some stories I know. They are not my personal tales but rather the stories of the good I witnessed in the students I taught. For years, my coworkers and I discussed the need to tell others about the things we witnessed in detention—authenticity, kindness, acceptance and even love.

All these things from kids often judged based on their misdeeds.

Although I do not claim to be a writer, just like Brandon, I feel driven to proceed anyway.

Maybe that’s where our paths split because young Brandon showed no signs of trepidation. I, on the other hand, was filled with fear and worry. Before we began, I was extremely nervous. In fact, I hardly slept the week before the first post came out. What if no one read the stories? What if I couldn’t tell them well enough to be understood?

What if … ?

I have no idea where any of this will head. Right now I am content just basking in gratitude for the journey thus far.

And, if I can do as Brandon did and learn to lean into the unknown where my heart leads, the joy—and even more of the world’s good—must surely follow.