Thursday, October 25, 2012Tonight's picture was taken in October of 2006. We took Mattie to a Fall festival and he was very eager to climb up this wall to see what was inside. As you can see right behind Mattie was Peter, spotting him as he climbed up the wall. Mattie loved being outside, adventure, exploration, and he loved having Peter home to do things with him on the weekends.
Quote of the day: Don't let your character change color with your environment. Find out who you are and let it stay its true color. ~ Rachel Joy Scott
The quote I posted tonight I heard during the Rachel's Challenge presentation I attended on Tuesday. It is almost hard to believe that Rachel was only 17 years old, and yet even at that tender age, she just understood what mattered in this world. In a way, she was much more mature than her biological age. Her level of empathy, care, and compassion for others around her, are attributes that are not always associated with her age group. So many teens, clearly NOT all, are self focused, are concerned about their own best interest, and well-being. Some of this is just part of the developmental stage of adolescence, and yet I truly believe that our society, in so many ways, rewards this behavior. Which is why hearing a program like Rachel's Challenge is so refreshing. It is so human and real, which is why I suspect it resonates with teens. It is not the typical rhetoric! It was not an educational lesson, citing research, and stating facts about bullying. It was far more hands on and told through a real life story and tragedy. A story which must be told in order to honor those precious lives lost.
Teens are craving the opportunity to talk about feelings, to share their hurts, and to learn that others around them understand. Yet, so many teens these days can't verbalize feelings. They can't verbalize feelings because the adults in their lives can't do this either. I am sure some of you think I am joking, but there is a significant component of our population who can't describe feelings beyond.... happy, sad, mad, and angry! Yet emoting feelings is just, if NOT, as important as stating a thought. Feelings are what makes us human, it is what connects us with others, and feelings are what sustain us during challenging times. It is Thursday and yet I continue to reflect on Tuesday's presentation. The presentation is so meaningful because it captures your heart, it got you to reflect on feelings, and to evaluate what each of us can do at the most simplistic level to make a difference in the lives of others.
Rachel's quote is so meaningful because what she was saying is that one's character is unique and important. It is also special because it belongs to us, and as such it shouldn't change depending on where and who we are with. Being true to one's character takes courage, but at the end of the day, people might not always agree with us, but they will respect us for having convictions and being consistent. Needless to say, I am happy to hear that so many of you enjoyed hearing about the presentation I went to, and I am thrilled some of you decided to take Rachel's Challenge. A challenge I posed to you last night.
I would like to end tonight's posting with a message from my friend and colleague, Nancy. Nancy wrote, "The last few days on the blog featured two different themes for me. One was Mattie's love of Halloween and a change of seasons along with the creative way that you kept him warm and safe for trick or treating. The other is a deeper learning experience through your selection of the quote of the night and the message that it inspires. Even those days when much of the blog is focused on daily activities for yourself and the Foundation, it is filled with a beautiful message. Your way of expressing yourself is much like Craig's. It is compassionate and genuine and it resonates with many different groups of people. Isabel's call to you signifies the power of transference for me. She was able to take the messages that she heard earlier in the day and took Craig's challenge to let you know how special you are to her. I'm glad that Heidi invited you to the lecture. It appeared to give you another avenue for sharing your story and relating to another human being's extreme loss. Rachel had to have been very unusual for a High Schooler for her brother to take up this cause. I think that is what meant so much to the students is that this young man was discussing a time and space that is easily identified with as these high school students either know someone like "Eric and Dylan" or may even feel like them."
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