BY NANCY KIDD I suppose we all have periods in our lives when we feel defeated and overwhelmed, times when the weight of the world holds us pinned motionless to the mat. As much as I have tried to resist, I find myself in that position right now. I strive to live a joy-filled life, and much of the time, by focusing on gratitude and positivity, I float through my days feeling lighthearted and at peace. At this moment, however,…
BY NANCY KIDD I am not a person who likes to debate controversial issues. I tend to stick to the rule of polite conversation that recommends avoiding religion and politics. On top of that, I started this blog to highlight the good in our midst, particularly the unexpected goodness I experienced in my years of teaching at a juvenile detention center. Despite my intentions, I now find myself unable to ignore issues repeatedly finding their way to the forefront of…
BY NANCY KIDD Detention is a cold institution where kids have little privacy and where they don’t make a move without getting permission from a staff member. Kids have no access to cell phones, the internet, or any type of social media. Television viewing is limited and closely monitored. Their meals, prepared by inmates at the nearby county jail, consist of a lot of white bread, beans, and rice. Knowing all this, it is unbelievable anyone would ever deliberately want…
BY NANCY KIDD Like many of the kids I taught in detention, before I first walked through the door, I never, ever dreamed I’d end up there. And once inside, just as many of them did, I found myself wondering, “What in the world have I gotten myself into? Is this a dream?” It’s funny how life sometimes unfolds in unexpected ways. After college, I taught for two years but then moved back to Champaign-Urbana to be near family and…
BY NANCY KIDD What do you do … when you’ve been hired to teach 10- to 16-year-olds with a wide range of backgrounds and abilities at a juvenile detention center? When you don’t know until you walk in how many students you’ll have based on who was arrested or brought from court since the day before? When none of them are happy to be where they are? When they appear lethargic and unmotivated—likely focused on their own personal, serious situations?…
BY NANCY KIDD Shortly after my parents lost their beloved dog, Molly, Dad announced his plan to get a new dog. Although we were all sad and missed Molly terribly, none of us six kids—or our spouses—or even the grandkids thought Dad’s decision seemed like a good idea. My parents were, after all, in their 80s. My mom had dementia, and we were all working to keep them at home on the family farm. It was not ideal, and we…
BY NANCY KIDD No need to judge others or to compare myself to anyone else. All I need to do is walk my own path and be ready to take the hand of those I encounter and to walk a bit with them. Sometimes that togetherness happens because I need a little support, so I work on asking for help and continue learning to accept it more graciously. Other times we walk together because I am there to assist someone…
BY NANCY KIDD One of the lessons I’ve learned with age and experience is we are given spiritual gifts on a regular basis. Just as I became open to witnessing miracles regularly—and then I actually began to experience them—I believe that if I can open my eyes a little wider, I will be able to see more of the wonderful gifts that have been offered to me. After I retired from teaching at the Juvenile Detention Center, I began volunteering…
BY NANCY KIDD A miracle, to me, is something awesome that happens, something with a connection to divine power. It can be when someone who was expected to die is healed, or when unforgiving family members offer forgiveness. It might be a personal achievement for one with significantly limited abilities, or maybe it is love being shown by the most unlikely person you could imagine. I strongly believe that whatever we choose to focus on will grow. If my attention…