may 2

You finished your beautiful new bag at sewing today…

I cannot even BEGIN to tell you how wonderful your sewing teacher is! Ms Christina is an “educator” in the truest sense of the term – gently assessing where her learners are, making safe places to take risks, nurturing next steps so gradually that you hardly even know you’re developing expertise, managing the “stuff” so that you can focus on your work, introducing you slowly and naturally to the formal language of sewing… you look forward to every class, and you have been doing this for about 2 years now.

I was so impressed with Ms. Christina’s teaching that I invited her to teach in my class at UR. Rock star. That’s all I have to say.

She sent this picture tonight after your class:

Last Saturday was your first communion…

True to Spiritus Christi form, it was a BEAUTIFUL time!
– you sang an amazing song – everyone really meant the words, the hand motions were touching
– you brought something that was very special to you to the alter – you chose “Purple B” – you explained – “she reminds me of God – because they have both always been with me.”
– Mama, Daddy Jim, Madeline, Dan, Daddy, Jen, Dan and Julie were ALL there to hug you and love on you!!
– Father Jim’s sermon was so precious – really connected with you as kids – He told a Hindu story about a god of the forest that took care of a little boy, and the teacher demanded to see this god of the forest but he wouldn’t appear. Later the god of the forest told the boy that your master can see me only when he has a child-like faith and spirit like you.
– Madeline gave you a special purple cross necklace that matches hers.
– We had ice cream cake and a very special dinner with you Madeline, Daniel, Julie, Daddy, Daddy Jim and me.
– That same day, you and I and Madeline and Julie sewed felt bird houses – we did a cool stitch called “needle felting.” I’ll put some pictures of that up here too.

You and I have had the most FASCINATING conversations about testing and poverty and rich people…

After our first conversation, I came across this cartoon – which inspired more conversations…

Tonight I came into your room (when you were supposed to be putting on your jammies) and heard you talking to yourself. You looked up at me and said, “I’m just trying to explain this cartoon about testing to myself.”

I was fascinated, so I said “Let’s hear it.”

So you started talking and we ended up talking for another long time – you were thinking deeply – “So you really don’t mean poor… (you remembered from yesterday or the day before), “you mean different. It’s about being different.”

Then we talked about rich people wanting to stay rich and therefor poor people needing to stay poor as an explanation of privilege. “I don’t like rich people,” you said.

“We are rich people” I reminded you. “What we can do as rich people is to think deeply about these things and not participate in things that hurt others.” You nodded… thoughtfully.

We talked about what the test would have looked like if the fish would have written it….

I love being your Mom.