Category Archives: Depth

Magic happens

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Kg2 Today I had the honor of witnessing the Teacher of the Year ceremony at Denver Academy. It was particularly poignant since the award is now named in honor of a long time Denver Academy teacher and one of my all-time best friends, Kevin Gregier. He passed away last November (2008) from cancer at the age of 64.  I miss him every day.

The afternoon summed up so well the wonder of Kevin Gregier as a teacher and the magic of Denver Academy as a place for learning.  Wonder and magic together provide enchanting elixirs to enliven our educational quandaries:


•Learning that is centered more on the varied needs of the student than in the confines of a curriculum.

•Teaching that is liberated so educators can bring their own whimsy to their subject matter.

•A commaraderie that goes beyond selfishness, looks to the betterment of everyone, and exhibits a genuine joy to be in the company of each other.

•An awareness of a spiritual transcendence that resides not only in the hearts and minds of students but is embedded in the very nature of education itself.

•Leadership that realizes life is messy and in a constant state of flux. They are not afraid to take a risk for the sake of the contemporary student or for the enhancement of a teacher's well-being.

•An extended community of parents who take an active role in sparking the perpetual potential of every child they come in contact with.

Thank you Denver Academy and all the places like you who provide an educational environment where wonder is taught and magic happens everyday.

Quoted hope

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The following are recent, hopeful contributions that were spoken into my life from a variety of sources. I'm pondering them now because I didn't have the best of weeks.  Since I explore quandaries that arise from accelerated, discontinuous change, and the subsequent angst they can sometimes create, I offer these to you as well:

• "Healing is the restoration of integrity to injured tissue."  This was emailed to me by a pastor after I crashed on my bike. My flesh was wounded, my ego was bruised, but after this timely contribution my spirit was restored. 

• "A stronghold is a mindset that is pregnant with hopelessness." This twittered statement resonated deeply within me because I was again struggling with the depression that has marked most of my life.  I am earnestly exploring the thought processes and patterns that keep me straight-jacketed in despair.

• "You can't think your way into good acting, but you can act your way into good thinking"  I over heard this in a bar and grill in North Carolina. I instantly interfaced it with the previous stated contribution on strongholds.  One of the more powerful molding factors for our thoughts is the simple child-like ability to pretend.

• "You never get a second chance to make a first impression" This was spoken into my life from a friend who was a Disney Imagineer.  It has ramifications across so many disciplines and vocations, but particularly for me now as I ponder the radiance of an authentic, creative life from a joyful core that is constantly nurtured.

• "In the end, the only thing you really own is your story" This was a line spoken by the character played by Hugh Jackman in the movie "Australia".  We're connected to the human race by the stories that arise among us.  In a commodified day and age where we are seen more as consumers than human beings, remember to develop a story for your life where love is truly exemplary.