Wisdom—I like to believe I’ve gained a lot of it over the course of my life. I can certainly talk the talk, confident about how I should respond to the challenges I’m bound to face from time to time. “Remember to stay in the moment.” “Focus on breathing deeply.” “Say a prayer and then release it to God.” “Relax!” “Don’t waste your energy on worrying.” “Just walk through the experience.” Oh yes, I know all the right things to tell…
Because of the constant turnover at juvenile detention, new students arrived often. One morning it was a tall, slender 16-year-old named Anthony. He swaggered into the classroom with a “don’t-you-dare-mess-with-me” arrogance. When I’d meet students like Anthony, I would try to cajole them into a better mood. I wanted them to let go of their defensive facades and to become one with the group. My efforts, however, weren’t always successful. I certainly made no progress that day with Anthony. Maybe…
“Remember there’s no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end.” -Scott Adams My dear friend Connie has been battling stage 4 breast cancer for about 6-1/2 years. Through it all she has carried on valiantly, a fierce warrior woman refusing to let the diagnosis keep her from doing the things she deems important. More than once she has walked right up to death’s door, then fought her way back to…
Several years ago I heard a song by the Avett Brothers, and I loved it—the message, the melody, and especially the cello. That instrument just speaks to my soul! Recently I started listening to more of their music, and my admiration for their talent continues to grow. I realize I’m a latecomer to jump on the band’s fan wagon, but I’m here now. And I am all in! I have particularly fallen in love with their song “No Hard Feelings.” I…
Today is my dad’s 91st birthday. My wish for him—what all of us would desperately love to give him, is the gift of peace and comfort. I think he knows he is loved by his family and friends, but it still falls short of what he really needs. In this case, love just isn’t enough. This weekend marks the third anniversary of my mother’s death. She’d had dementia, and in her final years she slept a lot and showed little…
Some years back my husband and I were making our way through a megastore checkout lane when I spotted Jasmine, a girl I recognized from detention. I hate to admit it, but I cringed when I saw her. She was several lanes away, and I didn’t figure she would notice me—I actually hoped she wouldn’t. I had nothing to say to her. I really do like people, and I can get along with almost anyone. However, in my memories of…
BY NANCY KIDD All people have a profound need to belong, to know they have a place in this world and that they matter. Unfortunately, however, there are untold numbers of souls, broken and suffering, because that need has never been fulfilled in their lives. I met Ashley many years ago when she appeared in the classroom at the juvenile detention center. A 15-year-old who appeared to have significant emotional issues, she was unable to remain attentive in the group….
There was an extra spark of enthusiasm in class one year as the detention center kids and I began a poetry unit. The students appeared eager to write and share their own poetry, so we set aside every Friday for open mic time. The day before the first performance, one of the students suggested I should also write a poem. BY NANCY KIDD “I don’t know,” I said reluctantly. Truthfully, I was thinking of the short time I would have…
For as long as I can remember, music has played an important role in my life. I have enjoyed listening to it as well as performing from time to time. BY NANCY KIDD At JDC I frequently turned to music to supplement our other activities. In addition to our morning “Birdie Song,” we rapped about the bones in the body, Gandhi, and Martin Luther King, Jr. “Schoolhouse Rock” helped us memorize the preamble to the Constitution. And sometimes we sang…
Until a few years ago, I knew little about the practice of mindfulness, the conscious effort to live in the present moment. As I began to study and practice it, I began to recognize many benefits it offers. I sensed a stronger layer of contentment developing within myself. BY NANCY KIDD I now realize I have wasted a great deal of energy worrying about the future and replaying past events unceasingly. Because of this, I am quite certain I have…