Al Amanecer...At Sunrise

Al amanecer.

(At dawn.)

Sounds so beautiful in Spanish, doesn't it?

In any language, though, sunrise is a beautiful sight to behold. I have had my fair share of incredible sunrises on my way to work since the start of this school year - they are especially breathtaking when the clouds do their magic, causing purples and golds and scarlets to dance across the sky.

While I love my daily commute sunrises, what I love even more is getting to the lakefront just as the sun breaks over the horizon during my weekly long runs. Last week's in particular caught me by surprise, and it made me believe I was like Bert (the chimneysweep) and Mary Poppins jumping into one of their sidewalk art pieces...

Kind of takes your breath away, doesn't it?

Getting up a few minutes earlier than is reasonable for a weekend to see something like that is well worth it. But I guess I have always been an early riser - who can sleep in when such beauty and potential awaits for those ready to begin the day?

Speaking of beauty, I ended up going to the Chicago Botanical Gardens with my sister and brother-in-law last weekend, and many flowers were still in bloom. Here are some photos from the day...and from the trip directly after to Graeter's --> 

The weather was beautiful this weekend for yet another run, but the winds are blowing in now, and it looks like it will be a chilly adventure to meet up with my sister and some friends downtown in just a little bit. Our days can't always be picture-perfect, but our hearts can always be full of gratitude for the gifts we receive every day and the people we share our days and time with along this journey of life.

We are all connected

A forwarded email from my mom: "Mitch Albom is coming to Chicago."

Exciting news, yes, but I left it alone for awhile. There were already too many things on my plate this week...

And then Facebook invited me to an event with Mitch Albom in Chicago.

I decided I couldn't ignore it anymore. My heart told me I should sign up.

I didn't know who of my friends was a Mitch Albom fan, so I did something slightly uncharacteristic - I bought a single ticket to the event, and I took myself. (Maybe I'm getting a tad more adventurous in my old age.)

I'm glad I bought that ticket. What a night...

Not only is Mitch Album an incredibly gifted storyteller on paper; he is a very engaging speaker. The audience was laughing, crying, and everything in between. This event was part of his book tour for his latest release, The Next Person You Meet in Heaven (sequel to The Five People You Meet in Heaven), yet he only spent a fraction of his time (about an hour and a half) actually talking about the book. He spent most of his time just telling us his story, sharing the people and the interactions (however seemingly small) that brought him to how he was standing in front of us that evening.

And we are all where we are right now due to the people and interactions we experienced in our own lives. For myself, a few easily come to mind (as I am sure some easily come to mind for you)...

*My high school was run by the Salesian priests and brothers. During my time there, they helped me develop my spirituality and relationship with God. In college, I ended up working at a Salesian summer camp, and during ACE I worked at a Salesian school. Their charism helped shape the teacher and leader I have become.

*At my parish growing up, an ACE teacher joined our choir because we sang the same "Our Father" as the Notre Dame Folk Choir. Through her (and ACE teachers at my high school), my sister and I learned about the ACE program, and we ended up applying and completing the program after college. The friends I met through the program are some of the greatest people I know, and they have taught me many things over the past 10 years. I don't know where I would be right now if I didn't do the ACE teaching program.

*In college, my sister and I took a class with a girl who was part of a morning running group. When she learned that we ran occasionally with our family, she invited us to join. The runners in that group were the ones who encouraged us to keep at the distance running and to run our first marathon, Disney. Since then I have run 6 other marathons (and my sister has run 7 other ones). How fortunate to have crossed paths with that college classmate during freshman year.

There are plenty of other examples - it's truly incredible, and I don't believe there is one string of cause and effect in one's life. (It's way too complicated for that!) But Mitch Albom's lesson to us was that we are all connected. Sometimes we affect another person's life, and we may not even realize it (or it happens way down the road/we never meet the person). It's a beautiful, beautiful thing.

I love Mitch Albom for a number of reasons, but I think my number one reason is because he teaches such profound (yet, at the same time, simple) lessons through his books and articles about human relationships, loving others, and living a meaningful life.

Do yourself a favor and pick up one of his books if you haven't read one before. And, if you have read some/all of them, go back and re-read. I guarantee there's another layer of lessons to be uncovered. His books are those which you simultaneously want to devour and read slowly so as to absorb every word.

Happy reading!

Bonus: a few photos --> 

Little Reminders...and Little Lessons

It was getting to be that point of the school year that I was starting to question a few things - whether I am right for my new position, if I'm being most efficient and effective with my time at school, whether I'm making a difference...

The list goes on, as it often does.

And then came a few reminders that I'm right where I need to be (granted, there is always room for improvement):

- a note from ACE Advocates with a mustard seed reminder about having faith to move mountains:

- a card (and gift card) from my principal about working together:

- a beautiful bracelet with the word "inspire" and an accompanying thank you note from a friend in the Remick Leadership program thanking me for encouraging her (and for passing on some textbooks):

The people who sent/gave these things probably didn't realize just how much they meant to me, especially at this moment in my life. But I am so grateful for these little reminders...and the reminder to be that reminder (if you can follow that one - haha) for others too.

We are in the business of Catholic education - our students (and faculty) are gifts to us each and every day, as they give us a chance to interact with Jesus. They teach us lessons in forgiveness, love, compassion, hope, faith, and courage. It helps to press the pause button and reflect on these little lessons along the way.

I owe so much to the Salesians...

The Salesian sisters are some of the most amazing women I have ever met. Through their summer camps, work in schools, prayers, and more they have touched so many lives.

 A few weeks ago I was flipping through their monthly magazine publication and came across a page asking people to “adopt a sister,” and, though it wasn’t asking for a lot, I knew I wanted to help and give back in a small way. Today, I received news (a letter, certificate, bio, and Blessed Mother picture) that I had adopted Sr. Liz - what a blessing and honor to support and pray for her (and to have her pray for me too).

I found a use for this frame I've had forever!

If you feel so inclined to donate too ;)

God bless the Salesian sisters and their ministry - they truly are the hands and feet of God. Mary, Help of Christians, pray for us!

Slow and steady

"How do you like your new job?"

This is one of the first questions on my family and friends' minds that they inevitably asked me this week as the school year started up and we welcomed children through our school doors.

So far so good, I think. 

But, in all honesty, I don't really know yet. The truth is, it's only been a week with the students, two weeks with the teachers. The large parts of my job - student discipline and teacher observations - haven't really started yet. Most of my time thus far has been spent in meetings, working things out with the principal, fielding questions from parents and teachers, and doing many a lunch and recess duty. (So far I have loved lunch duty because I'm getting to learn the students' names.) In terms of getting in a groove or knowing my schedule, I simply don't.

But I am learning - learning names, learning routines, learning what's been done before (and figuring out what might need some tweaking/change), learning policies... 

And then I remind myself that I was at my previous school for seven years - I didn't get to know all of the families and students overnight there either. (It's just hard to remember that in the moment.) It's going to take time and effort... And that's something I'm willing to give because I recognize what an incredible community I am now a part of and how much I can learn from my principal and colleagues and, hopefully, how much I can contribute in return.

No one said change was going to be easy. But I have faith it's going to be more than just all right.

When life hands you $5...find a good happy hour!

If you're keeping track, a lot happened since my last post: my twin sister's wedding, a family vacation, the start of a new job... You know, big (and good) things...

Here are just a few photos:

(Okay, so there were ten photos instead of "just a few" - oops.)

But this post isn't about all of that; though, it very well could be. I'll save that for another time. Instead, I thought I'd share something fun a friend and I have started doing since I got back from all that summer stuff...

I thought figuring out a 8-10 day road trip each summer was pretty brilliant on our part, but that only happens once a year. What if we could do something fun (yet strategic) on a weekly basis?

Enter rotating happy hour. Half off burgers on Monday? Awesome. Taco Tuesday? Wonderful. You get the idea - my friend and I have started meeting up once a week (a different day each week) to find some of the best happy hour deals on food and drinks in our neck of the woods.

Truth be told, we haven't been disappointed yet. Here's what we've tried so far:

Monday special: Dos Tacos (half off burgers & fries with the purchase of a beverage) - In case you were wondering, the burgers were delicious, and, perhaps surprisingly, margaritas do pair nicely with this food option.
Tuesday special: Rocks (3 for $6 tacos, 1/2 priced cocktails) - Though the tacos are small and limited to three choices (that you can mix and match or go with the same choice for all three), they were quite tasty.
Wednesday special: We had to skip Wednesday this week (and next), so the jury is still out on this one (obviously).
Thursday special: Diag Bar and Grill ($5 classic burgers & side, $5 cans and bottles) - it's hard to go wrong when you can get a hearty and yummy meal (and adult beverage) for less than $15 (including tip) in Chicago. #winning

And that's the extent of our HH adventures to date. But don't you worry, there is more to come - in a few months' time we will have found the best HH places from Lakeview to Downtown.

Sometimes, life requires you to mix it up a little. So, cheers to the adventure and fun to come!

Love Lives On

"Life has to end. Love doesn't."

(The Five People You Meet in Heaven)

"Death ends a life, not a relationship." 

(Tuesdays with Morrie)

"When someone is in your heart, they're never truly gone." 

(Tuesdays with Morrie)

There tends to be a theme (and quite a bit of wisdom) in Mitch Albom's novels...perhaps that's why I find myself drawn to them so much.

It's been hard not to think of his books recently in light of a few things...

First, I literally just finished re-reading The Five People You Meet in Heaven, and I pre-ordered the sequel coming out this fall. Without giving too much away, the main character, Eddie, goes to heaven and meets five people who help him look back on his life and make sense of it. It is such a great reminder of how each life affects so many other lives. (In that sense, it's similar to "It's a Wonderful Life," but I digress...)

Second, with my sister's wedding coming up (and with my graduation from grad school having just passed), it's hard to celebrate such momentous occasions without any of our grandparents who played such meaningful roles in our lives growing up. I know they would be beaming with pride and joy.

Third, after I got back from my roadtrip out west, my dad called with the news that my great aunt (Marg, the Great) had passed away. I took the news harder than I expected, and when her birthday card was returned in the mail unopened and with the words "no longer lives at this address" scrawled on the envelope, I realized that in all of the times I had gone to see her, I had taken it for granted that there would always be one more time...but there wasn't.

No one seems to like to talk about death. It's scary to think about one's own mortality or the mortality of people you love. But without recognizing that, I think we leave a lot of things unsaid, a lot of phone calls unmade, a lot of visits made grudgingly. And it seems that every time we may learn this lesson, we put it to the side, and we have to learn it all over again the next time. (At least, that's been the case for me.)

The good thing in all of this, though, is that my family is pretty good at telling stories - "Remember that time when grandma..." or "Your grandfather always said..." And so, they live on.

Love lives on.


---
Sorry to seem like such a downer today - it's just something that's been on my mind. To end on a happier note, though...

My sister came to see my new school (and to help me lug some boxes of books and such up the stairs to my office)...and to make her first trip to The Original Rainbow Cone.

Later in the evening, we joined up with her fiance and some other friends to see "Waitress," which is playing downtown till Sunday. Funny and full of energy, I highly enjoyed it. (It was definitely a good call to watch the movie (non-musical) and jam out to the music (Sara Bareillis!) beforehand.)

Finally, since grad school is officially over, I have had time to stop and smell the flowers. It's good to get some breathing time before the final preparations for my sister's wedding...