Random musings

Have you ever spoken to someone about a problem only to receive a truckload of advice on how to fix the issue, all of which left you more confused? Or, spoken about something that was close to your heart, only to have the person brush it off or treat it flippantly?  Or, have someone zone in and out of the conversation waiting for the next chance to escape the conversation or want to chime in with their two cents? Or, have the person listen intently for the time being, but completely forget about it after the conversation is done. Such folks are called  " poor listeners " . I should know because I'm one of them. I tune out people and conversations much more than I would care to admit.  I've heard someone say that, most people listen with the intent to reply rather than the intent to understand. This would be very true for me.  When my sister would speak about things that upset her, my immediate reaction was to offer advice and fix things for her. I ...

Sometimes, when you look at people - they seem perfectly normal on the outside. But, when you scratch the surface or dig deeper, almost everyone has some story to tell. Some wounds to hide.  Because, we look at the outside - we don't understand people. Maybe, we don't want to. People who are broken on the inside, struggling to make meaning and sense of things. People trying to do their day to day tasks but not able to function adequately, for reasons that they cannot fix by themselves - no matter how hard they try. “You never really know a man until you understand things from his point of view, until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” - Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird.    - The child so fidgety, that he has been labeled hyper and careless. - The man with the physical ailment, who has been called lazy. - The kid who can't stop spinning around, but has to, because it's not right. - The lady who has everything she needs in life, but is dep...

I have never really thought about teachers, until my kids started school. I take what they do for granted. Admittedly, not all teachers are shining superstars. But, the " good " teachers are priceless and precious miracles. I think that very few professions have as much influence in molding and shaping lives, as much as teachers do.  The teachers, who make sense of complicated concepts.  The teachers, who believe in the students even when they don't believe in themselves.  The teachers, who day after day, come back to the same bunch of students with a passion for teaching and imparting knowledge.  In return, many of them hardly get a word of acknowledgement. They are underpaid and under-appreciated. Yet, they selflessly do what they do, because they love and accept the kids, and they love their jobs. To those teachers, a big Thank you from the bottom of my heart. What I remember from Daniel's early years is a child who found it very hard to cop...