Pain and an infection have kept me from sleeping well for several days, so I am a bit fuzzy and bleary-eyed lately, but I can't blame that for last night's lack of shut eye. No, I have to 'fess up. It was a book that would not allow me to close my eyes until 2 a.m.
Fitting then, to learn that today is Family Literacy Day. According to ABC Life Literacy Canada's website, Family Literacy Day is a national awareness initiative created to raise
awareness of the importance of reading and engaging in other
literacy-related activities as a family. To mark the day, we are encouraged to engage in some kind of literacy activity with people we love today, whether that is learning something new together, playing a game, or simply reading time.
Reading our respective books has provided beautiful quiet time together in our home over the years, but reading aloud has been provided some of our best family moments: tears in my eyes and choking out the words while reading the battle of Molly Weasley and Bellatrix Lestrange; not being able to get through the passage where Beth dies; the look on my son's face when we learned the meaning of Ender's final battle scene; feeling compelled to stop and re-read parts of alarming beauty between Atticus, Scout, and Jem.
To mark Family Literacy Day, I offer my top 10 list of beautiful books to read out loud:
1. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
2. Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
3. Silverwing by Kenneth Oppel
4. The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
5. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
6. Charlotte's Web by E.B. White
7. The Magic Tree House books by Mary Pope Osbourne
8. Junie B. Jones series by Barbara Park
9. Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren
10. Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume
This list, of course, could be a lot longer. What are your favourites?
wishing you a beautiful day of celebrating literacy in your own way,
hk
Monday, 27 January 2014
Tuesday, 21 January 2014
How are you?
Everyone in the part of the world I live in asks it: "How are you?"
This question is so much a part of our culture that most of us ask this several times a day without even thinking. Around here, even the faceless voice taking my coffee order in the drive-through asks it. And we don't normally answer honestly. We say something like, "Fine. You?"
This essay is not going to delve into the origins of "How are you?" nor will it offer a cultural explanation for why this question is such a systemic part of our language, but I have to say that of all the things that could and should bug me, "How are you?" nears the top of my list. Perhaps this is because most days, due to the reality that I live with a complicated body which then tends to complicate my life, I can't answer in an honest way. No one really wants to know, or so I tend to believe, how I *really* am. Certainly not the person taking my coffee order. I realize that we don't intend to be insincere. We don't mean to be superficial. Of course we don't. People are generally beautiful beings, after all.
My pragmatic husband would say that we do not have room in our day for every single conversation and expression to be deep and meaningful. He's probably right. We're busy. There is always a lot going on. Furthermore, I am not saying that we should stop saying it. What I am suggesting is that we pay more attention to these words that so easily roll off our tongues, that we ask with genuine concern more often, and that when we do, we lean in and listen. That's when I believe something beautiful might just happen.
wishing you the beauty of meaningful interaction...at least some of the time,
hk
This question is so much a part of our culture that most of us ask this several times a day without even thinking. Around here, even the faceless voice taking my coffee order in the drive-through asks it. And we don't normally answer honestly. We say something like, "Fine. You?"
This essay is not going to delve into the origins of "How are you?" nor will it offer a cultural explanation for why this question is such a systemic part of our language, but I have to say that of all the things that could and should bug me, "How are you?" nears the top of my list. Perhaps this is because most days, due to the reality that I live with a complicated body which then tends to complicate my life, I can't answer in an honest way. No one really wants to know, or so I tend to believe, how I *really* am. Certainly not the person taking my coffee order. I realize that we don't intend to be insincere. We don't mean to be superficial. Of course we don't. People are generally beautiful beings, after all.
My pragmatic husband would say that we do not have room in our day for every single conversation and expression to be deep and meaningful. He's probably right. We're busy. There is always a lot going on. Furthermore, I am not saying that we should stop saying it. What I am suggesting is that we pay more attention to these words that so easily roll off our tongues, that we ask with genuine concern more often, and that when we do, we lean in and listen. That's when I believe something beautiful might just happen.
wishing you the beauty of meaningful interaction...at least some of the time,
hk
Thursday, 16 January 2014
The Beauty of Slowing Down
Time is the coin of your life.
It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent.
~ Carl Sandberg
If you are a regular reader of this blog (and I thank you if you are), then you might have noticed that I have not written in a few weeks. The reason is not writer's block or depression or that I have given up on finding beauty every day. It is, very simply, that I have been busy. There was Christmas, a notable anniversary in my family, projects with strict deadlines to finish, health concerns that needed my attention, and kid's activities. You know, busy stuff.
At first I was anxious when I realized so much time was passing where I was not writing any blog posts, but I also realized that feeling anxious about it did not serve me well at all and I then decided to just give myself a break. After all, I wrote 80 + essays last year.
Those 80+ essays have reached so many people and helped me remember why I love the Internet. I love having readers from every continent and I enjoy Facebook for keeping the relationships I would otherwise have difficulty maintaining. Sometimes though, the Internet moves too fast for me. I have yet to "get" Twitter - the play by play action makes me weary. It just seems to yell at me to hurry up! catch up! go faster!
I think many people with mobility disabilities have issues with time and the "normal" pace of life. It takes us longer to get things done and we use more energy in the extra time to get those things done. It is often tough for us to hurry up, catch up, and go faster in many daily activities, from getting in and out of a vehicle to using the bathroom.
It is probably no coincidence then, how I tend to appreciate show things. Like bread that takes the better part of a day to properly rise twice and braised ribs that require hours to become fall apart tender. Like writing and receiving a hand written letter instead of a text to the time it takes to think about a response to a question instead of answering right away. Like sitting around a table with friends and sharing a leisurely meal and listening to an entire LP - an actual concept album that tells a story.
Thank you for being patient with me while I took a little time out.
wishing you the discovery of finding beauty while slowing down,
hk
Tuesday, 10 December 2013
Beautiful Human Rights
Happy Human Rights Day.
The UN General Assembly proclaims December 10th as Human Rights Day. It is a day to reflect on and celebrate the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a standard of achievement for all citizens of the world. It is a day for remembering what the Declaration is all about: dignity, freedom, justice, and peace, and for supporting those same citizens who continue to fight for human rights. Defenders of all stripes, from activists, teachers, advocates, writers, and journalists, work to uphold the rights that we often take for granted. It is not an easy job and it will not win you many popularity contests. My hat goes off to those who continue to educate about human rights and to those who continue to work towards a just and fair world. Ask any one of them and they will tell you that while there is much success that deserves celebrating, there is much more work that still needs to be done.
wishing you all the beautiful rights and freedoms that you so richly deserve,
hk
http://www.amnesty.ca/write-for-rights
http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/index.shtml
The UN General Assembly proclaims December 10th as Human Rights Day. It is a day to reflect on and celebrate the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a standard of achievement for all citizens of the world. It is a day for remembering what the Declaration is all about: dignity, freedom, justice, and peace, and for supporting those same citizens who continue to fight for human rights. Defenders of all stripes, from activists, teachers, advocates, writers, and journalists, work to uphold the rights that we often take for granted. It is not an easy job and it will not win you many popularity contests. My hat goes off to those who continue to educate about human rights and to those who continue to work towards a just and fair world. Ask any one of them and they will tell you that while there is much success that deserves celebrating, there is much more work that still needs to be done.
wishing you all the beautiful rights and freedoms that you so richly deserve,
hk
http://www.amnesty.ca/write-for-rights
http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/index.shtml
Friday, 6 December 2013
Beautiful Peace
It seems like everyone is talking about Nelson Mandela today, his strength, resilience, sacrifices, successes, awards, character, and his magnificent legacy. I remember the day he walked free from jail, how huge of a step for humanity that day was, and how he chose to move forward in peace and love rather than in resentment and hate. I am sure that I do not have any more words on this extraordinary man than has already been said about him.
But something I heard on the radio this morning gave me pause. The announcer I was listening to wondered that since more than two decades have passed since Mandela walked free, does our current generation really and truly understand that history, who Mandela was, and what he stood for? Without a role model like Mandela for our youth, how will they be able to move the world along in a peaceful, positive, and productive way?
This irked me because it is an example of messages I keep hearing about how "kids these days" are lazy, unmotivated, and selfish, and how they do not know how to communicate other than through texting. When these huge generalizations blanket an entire population, there is also another message going on: that we, the older generation (s) are so much better, that we have done so much better. Do we really know this to be true? I think we do know that generalizing and judging gets us nowhere. We need to do less complaining about our young people and do more - much more - towards building them up so that they know their greatness.
Let me step up and say this: I have faith in our youth. We do not have to look far for examples on the beautiful work today's young people: Youth Challenge International is a global development organization that promotes youth innovation to drive positive change; Operation Beautiful is a group that organizes the posting of anonymous notes of encouragement and strength in public places for other people to find; Free the Children is an international charity and educational partner, working both domestically and internationally to empower and enable youth to be agents of change; and there are dozens of peace organizations for youth.
Some of my faith is anecdotal because a lot of young people traipse through my house and spend time here. I have found that when they are given respect and attention, they demonstrate their articulate thoughts about social issues, politics, and environmental issues. They have good ideas. While volunteering for the Salvation Army Kettle Campaign a few weeks ago, I can safely say that at least half of our donors were young people, some of whom looked liked the kind of "punk" we like to dismiss as respectable because of their clothes, slang, tattoos, piercings, and how their cell phones are always in their hands. And they were often generous, beautifully generous.
Of course there are failings and weaknesses in today's youth, but my generation, and those generations before me have them too. We must stop considering ourselves as superior and open our eyes to our youth's tremendous potential for compassion, innovation, hard work, creativity, peace, love, and leadership.
We must let go of how we think our youth should be and start, as Mandela believed, leading from the back. It may look like a contradiction of what we have come to believe good leadership is, but leading from the back requires us to be patient and to have faith in those in front of us. Leading from the back means we need to feel so sure of ourselves that we can let some of our power go and not feel threatened. When we are confident enough to lead from the back, we will be knocked out by the beauty in front of us. And I bet we will know peace.
This is a longer post than usual. Thank you for your patience for my many words and thank you for reading.
wishing you the kind of beautiful day of peace that Nelson Mandela worked so hard towards,
hk
But something I heard on the radio this morning gave me pause. The announcer I was listening to wondered that since more than two decades have passed since Mandela walked free, does our current generation really and truly understand that history, who Mandela was, and what he stood for? Without a role model like Mandela for our youth, how will they be able to move the world along in a peaceful, positive, and productive way?
This irked me because it is an example of messages I keep hearing about how "kids these days" are lazy, unmotivated, and selfish, and how they do not know how to communicate other than through texting. When these huge generalizations blanket an entire population, there is also another message going on: that we, the older generation (s) are so much better, that we have done so much better. Do we really know this to be true? I think we do know that generalizing and judging gets us nowhere. We need to do less complaining about our young people and do more - much more - towards building them up so that they know their greatness.
Mandela said: "Sometimes it falls on a generation to be great. YOU can be that great
generation. Let your greatness blossom.”
Let me step up and say this: I have faith in our youth. We do not have to look far for examples on the beautiful work today's young people: Youth Challenge International is a global development organization that promotes youth innovation to drive positive change; Operation Beautiful is a group that organizes the posting of anonymous notes of encouragement and strength in public places for other people to find; Free the Children is an international charity and educational partner, working both domestically and internationally to empower and enable youth to be agents of change; and there are dozens of peace organizations for youth.
Some of my faith is anecdotal because a lot of young people traipse through my house and spend time here. I have found that when they are given respect and attention, they demonstrate their articulate thoughts about social issues, politics, and environmental issues. They have good ideas. While volunteering for the Salvation Army Kettle Campaign a few weeks ago, I can safely say that at least half of our donors were young people, some of whom looked liked the kind of "punk" we like to dismiss as respectable because of their clothes, slang, tattoos, piercings, and how their cell phones are always in their hands. And they were often generous, beautifully generous.
Of course there are failings and weaknesses in today's youth, but my generation, and those generations before me have them too. We must stop considering ourselves as superior and open our eyes to our youth's tremendous potential for compassion, innovation, hard work, creativity, peace, love, and leadership.
Mandela said: “Lead from the back.”
We must let go of how we think our youth should be and start, as Mandela believed, leading from the back. It may look like a contradiction of what we have come to believe good leadership is, but leading from the back requires us to be patient and to have faith in those in front of us. Leading from the back means we need to feel so sure of ourselves that we can let some of our power go and not feel threatened. When we are confident enough to lead from the back, we will be knocked out by the beauty in front of us. And I bet we will know peace.
This is a longer post than usual. Thank you for your patience for my many words and thank you for reading.
wishing you the kind of beautiful day of peace that Nelson Mandela worked so hard towards,
hk
Thursday, 5 December 2013
5 Beautiful Reasons to Enjoy Winter
It is easy to be happy in the summer with all it's sunshine and warmth and easy living. I live in a part of the world where in the winter it is not unusual to wake up to -29 degrees Celsius (that's about -20 Fahrenheit to my American readers) that is actually -42 when one factors in the windchill. Finding beauty takes effort on days like this.
1. Snow. It's a barrier for wheelchairs and other devices people use for mobility and it's cold. However, a few blog posts ago I wrote about the incredible photography of Alexey Kljatov, (ChaoticMind75) whose pictures of individual snowflakes will not only take your breath away, but make you never look the same way at snow again. Furthermore, on the right evening, when the sky is clear, a particular shade of dark-denim blue, and sprinkled with stars, I will think of my friend, Kara, and how when we once lived together, we made an adventure out of shoveling snow together. And I always smile.
2. Lights. They may be one of the things that most people, despite their religious or non-religious backgrounds. Lights shining out on dark, cold nights reflect hope and generally just make people feel better.
3. Sledding. Not my thing, but it is for my kid. She lives to sled.
4. Soup. And hot chocolate, hot apple cider, stews, pans of lasagne, mandarin (when I was a kid we called them "zipper" oranges, and cookies.
5. People. It is just a personal theory but I think winter may bring out the best in us. Many people try to be happier and more generous during this time of year. It is as though winter, in it's challenging weather, reminds us of all the things we are thankful for and this gratitude encourages reaching out to others who have less to appreciate. Because for some, it doesn't matter whether it is Christmas or Kwanza or Chanukah or Winter Solstice, they are still hungry or depressed or poor - or all 3. Winter can help us remember that we are all in this life together and that we need to take care of each other.
I'm sure there are a lot more reasons, but like I said, beauty takes effort on days like this.
wishing you your own beautiful reasons to enjoy winter,
hk
1. Snow. It's a barrier for wheelchairs and other devices people use for mobility and it's cold. However, a few blog posts ago I wrote about the incredible photography of Alexey Kljatov, (ChaoticMind75) whose pictures of individual snowflakes will not only take your breath away, but make you never look the same way at snow again. Furthermore, on the right evening, when the sky is clear, a particular shade of dark-denim blue, and sprinkled with stars, I will think of my friend, Kara, and how when we once lived together, we made an adventure out of shoveling snow together. And I always smile.
2. Lights. They may be one of the things that most people, despite their religious or non-religious backgrounds. Lights shining out on dark, cold nights reflect hope and generally just make people feel better.
3. Sledding. Not my thing, but it is for my kid. She lives to sled.
4. Soup. And hot chocolate, hot apple cider, stews, pans of lasagne, mandarin (when I was a kid we called them "zipper" oranges, and cookies.
5. People. It is just a personal theory but I think winter may bring out the best in us. Many people try to be happier and more generous during this time of year. It is as though winter, in it's challenging weather, reminds us of all the things we are thankful for and this gratitude encourages reaching out to others who have less to appreciate. Because for some, it doesn't matter whether it is Christmas or Kwanza or Chanukah or Winter Solstice, they are still hungry or depressed or poor - or all 3. Winter can help us remember that we are all in this life together and that we need to take care of each other.
I'm sure there are a lot more reasons, but like I said, beauty takes effort on days like this.
wishing you your own beautiful reasons to enjoy winter,
hk
Wednesday, 4 December 2013
Magical Books
"She was fascinated with words.
To her, words were things of beauty,
each like a magical powder or potion
that could be combined with other words to create powerful spells."
~ Dean Koontz
hk
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)