tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-207447332024-03-07T02:07:10.018-06:00I'm Mollie.I'm Mollie.
I like to make things.iMolliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03160207814587936875noreply@blogger.comBlogger1456125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20744733.post-49900029623272641742020-06-16T08:58:00.000-05:002020-06-16T08:58:34.913-05:00Behind the Scenes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-mtEt7HdybZdKnqLlkq63l7HgwZSQplXCrwcYx_zrND3fOMSeDPKyfXpXupg9cib7bq23ZWUT9CG6mmfSEtwA9cuuSgtAJDkhccXVtCTASFCrdXKP5EiruMTksGqymmUG__3M/s1600/IMG_0877.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-mtEt7HdybZdKnqLlkq63l7HgwZSQplXCrwcYx_zrND3fOMSeDPKyfXpXupg9cib7bq23ZWUT9CG6mmfSEtwA9cuuSgtAJDkhccXVtCTASFCrdXKP5EiruMTksGqymmUG__3M/s320/IMG_0877.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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It can't be just ANY bedtime story.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
This is behind the scenes.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWbjrJsXbVQmNWS6ja7GjvNidRCYScrFWABpvcNkPxPWUBe6VVMSZojKpKFJT0HWpOVCVlVRE3Y5EJMx3lhO7TRZwB-u9gNHzRee3rckhpAaI4PFiLf6HNG96SEIiUIrHngEDy/s1600/IMG_0874.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWbjrJsXbVQmNWS6ja7GjvNidRCYScrFWABpvcNkPxPWUBe6VVMSZojKpKFJT0HWpOVCVlVRE3Y5EJMx3lhO7TRZwB-u9gNHzRee3rckhpAaI4PFiLf6HNG96SEIiUIrHngEDy/s320/IMG_0874.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Community on the Rise. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Church of the Reconciler.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">One Roof. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Americorps Volunteers. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">John Brown. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">The Homeless.</span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">There are STILL community members who don't know the symptoms of the Corona Virus and are still hungry.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I gloved up, then double gloved, and made sandwiches and delivered around town today, joining with the above mentioned organizations. I felt guilty and liberated - at the same time.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I did not wear a mask, and felt guilty and liberated.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I met new people, hugged no one and sorted rotten apples. I felt guilty and liberated.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I thought, if we are all going to get this virus, I want to go down with a fever...not with fear.</span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDf-ut12hJ8GXCqVm0FiytNO5RLCc4gw1D0RgxYjWbgIwddcGtssLOx9doE1xqubwkDvSLdiqk9VsJWkCygdNjUz1t80nHPLvHjJy7konbTVLwYWnHbYwDyRKBTfNVQ5daws3h/s1600/IMG_0857.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDf-ut12hJ8GXCqVm0FiytNO5RLCc4gw1D0RgxYjWbgIwddcGtssLOx9doE1xqubwkDvSLdiqk9VsJWkCygdNjUz1t80nHPLvHjJy7konbTVLwYWnHbYwDyRKBTfNVQ5daws3h/s320/IMG_0857.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Successful picnic.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Henry strums the acoustic.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Svea and her book.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Corinne roller blades.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">I watch the clouds move slowly. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Breathe in and breathe out.</span></div>
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Dear Mama J, <div>
<br /></div>
<div>
You can't have any visitors right now at Fair Haven. Thank heavens you are out of rehab and can have a phone in your room. I want to call you every day.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm0Vy0_MzZYbZxy3KANY8lWvOcTjqiiw9OIhRHF9KykvS7IUHplrP_SqBbp1UdsONqE0twnyeBYjj3WYS1UPTrBGBMO0M-I3gzRcptWZKfqIZ8kricK_WpWQUCKo39zry2am8Q/s1600/IMG_0865.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm0Vy0_MzZYbZxy3KANY8lWvOcTjqiiw9OIhRHF9KykvS7IUHplrP_SqBbp1UdsONqE0twnyeBYjj3WYS1UPTrBGBMO0M-I3gzRcptWZKfqIZ8kricK_WpWQUCKo39zry2am8Q/s320/IMG_0865.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I hate this pandemic so much. </div>
<div>
I wonder if you could die faster from this virus, or from this isolation? The phone and people and relationships and laughter are your entire life. Now you have a TV and a phone. A few visits from a nurse. What if you fall? What if you sit in your diaper too long?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
You are almost 95yo - all these years, did you live so fully only to die alone? You rely on all things social. Now you are by yourself.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So we made signs. And stood out side your third storey window. I called you and asked you to walk to the window so we could wave and I could see your face. I thought it was such a good idea...</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdss1AAbly90aqaV-8er8yJrV-F1Ny5iFJV-zNGOUPjg223Cbali0nsd24uTNtK8hMqicvV2FTwNRgcCDRUTn6IQJuTvi4vi-oTwKI11s9Sgx6fJHtgaixb-82OiMegVuseVTQ/s1600/IMG_0863.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdss1AAbly90aqaV-8er8yJrV-F1Ny5iFJV-zNGOUPjg223Cbali0nsd24uTNtK8hMqicvV2FTwNRgcCDRUTn6IQJuTvi4vi-oTwKI11s9Sgx6fJHtgaixb-82OiMegVuseVTQ/s320/IMG_0863.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div>
...but I didn't think about the fact that the path from your chair to the window might not be clear. That your phone might not reach that far. That you would remember to use your walker and remember that your life-line button was around your neck. I didn't think about all that in my frantic need to see you.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
And as I write this, everything is fine and all is well. You are laughing that when I called, you forgot your lunch was on your lap and you stood up to come to the window and your butterbeans went all over the floor. You said you didn't like those butterbeans anyway. And you laughed your old familiar laugh - it didn't sound dry or make you cough.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGNXTqK0aQfMqKPLms1jeSP76efshCRuG7QfsFnL8YLWHwMyGLkDViok3SKKMzip92bTVwAprbbyIhOqYmITWpWn0kiuvHs-4Zju0Gce7it1-CfypkOqy3TGi_pWZWjumV0kjy/s1600/IMG_0868.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGNXTqK0aQfMqKPLms1jeSP76efshCRuG7QfsFnL8YLWHwMyGLkDViok3SKKMzip92bTVwAprbbyIhOqYmITWpWn0kiuvHs-4Zju0Gce7it1-CfypkOqy3TGi_pWZWjumV0kjy/s320/IMG_0868.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div>
(that's your hand waving)</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
But there was a scary moment when you wanted to get back to your chair and couldn't figure out how to balance yourself. You couldn't think through putting the phone down so you could use both hands. I was watching through the window and was horrified that maybe I had walked you straight into your next fall...and possibly the situation that would end your life. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The staff in the parking lot promised they would send someone to check on you and we waited 5 breathless minutes and called you again. You were back in your chair, watching TV, and Gloria had already come to check on you. You were laughing at all the butterbeans on your floor.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I am so grateful you are alive. I am so sorry it has to be so far away from others.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO9B3uONO5RHoVbr71BpLG3c0bVkBVeBdAR2f-zRPh6I1S833R_domCZK_9CcQOKPUTtuXhgKlYknCuPCdfhyphenhyphenv6BfuVAd2oAy2Bu9kYWAnHEm3yWZoiK41rmGUnKdz2nfLBUKj/s1600/IMG_0869.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO9B3uONO5RHoVbr71BpLG3c0bVkBVeBdAR2f-zRPh6I1S833R_domCZK_9CcQOKPUTtuXhgKlYknCuPCdfhyphenhyphenv6BfuVAd2oAy2Bu9kYWAnHEm3yWZoiK41rmGUnKdz2nfLBUKj/s320/IMG_0869.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div>
(your face)</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I love you, Mama J, </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Mollie Lane</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
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<br />
I did not hug anyone all day.<div>
I cleaned and washed and organized.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHih2l2q-gAjknTF2ddoN4x5NdO5QpiZvbokNMz3aviZeGjDKfYvcgaVu8eZqGZzJyfqVYYrsQZRklmSF-PjQSyn7cMrPbUEWBClOMhnExACp34ubdl0YRtGqxtXAVKf4RH38P/s1600/IMG_0847.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHih2l2q-gAjknTF2ddoN4x5NdO5QpiZvbokNMz3aviZeGjDKfYvcgaVu8eZqGZzJyfqVYYrsQZRklmSF-PjQSyn7cMrPbUEWBClOMhnExACp34ubdl0YRtGqxtXAVKf4RH38P/s320/IMG_0847.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I asked my newly 16yo child to drive me to a gym where we could arrange food donations into piles.</div>
<div>
We wore gloves and did not get near people.</div>
<div>
We left before food distribution to families experiencing food insecurity.</div>
<div>
This feels so horrible.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
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Dear Children,</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
This week has been a lot of church.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
And this weekend is the most important part of the story.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXhDtZLZJSBO1hCXothKnUOZ-m4dRi43EwkqbnCmSguXpitdyfXp64wnwmJQRkGVWFlqSPaIhh-mIopFLa4V41yzSQimDAoraoTgBzihN30KbEdLtzCt5nVpCHCk-s67HmECbt/s1600/Svea+Easter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="976" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXhDtZLZJSBO1hCXothKnUOZ-m4dRi43EwkqbnCmSguXpitdyfXp64wnwmJQRkGVWFlqSPaIhh-mIopFLa4V41yzSQimDAoraoTgBzihN30KbEdLtzCt5nVpCHCk-s67HmECbt/s320/Svea+Easter.jpg" width="305" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Your dad and I have chosen this story, at our own paces, and believe in it so much that we plan our seasons, our family time, and our relationship with the world around it. It is <i><b>that</b></i> powerful, <b><i>that</i></b> important.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik-DSRx-BdwJEZFPHN2JLk9FiFsRwcqbgYNB6XU41NM4nbhnNLAiEaoyg-0a38RhNScJbZE1rpbJ0tY3l-RTOzkGEU9Yt8A-KuVvdM2usBmAxb4QkHxLjIEPPpoTqlPZSeHjsp/s1600/IMG_4122.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1186" data-original-width="1599" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik-DSRx-BdwJEZFPHN2JLk9FiFsRwcqbgYNB6XU41NM4nbhnNLAiEaoyg-0a38RhNScJbZE1rpbJ0tY3l-RTOzkGEU9Yt8A-KuVvdM2usBmAxb4QkHxLjIEPPpoTqlPZSeHjsp/s320/IMG_4122.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
To tell the story, to write it, to read it - it is quite ridiculous sounding. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
But to <b>believe</b> it...will change every inch of your life.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSIKlEhymVGe7qzBOoYVNGRgmRTHPd_2oi7rV-V6Fn81QWEy5b52Cx-I5ktR384i9pT_J21ZRLBvTk395g9w-_XUdaSrWwF5L8HL1Y9CZ9BhYyna0sGI7NdpJLf-62T2IBfkkR/s1600/IMG_4117.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSIKlEhymVGe7qzBOoYVNGRgmRTHPd_2oi7rV-V6Fn81QWEy5b52Cx-I5ktR384i9pT_J21ZRLBvTk395g9w-_XUdaSrWwF5L8HL1Y9CZ9BhYyna0sGI7NdpJLf-62T2IBfkkR/s320/IMG_4117.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
You know what else is ridiculous?</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
All the bunnies, the baskets and butterflies.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Is the cocoon the empty tomb that could no longer hold the butterfly?</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Are the plastic eggs cracked open - to give you treats - also a reminder of the empty tomb?</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
And the fuzzy bunnies...my mind was too fuzzy when you were babies that I never made you an Easter Basket (admitted).</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
We would go to church and old ladies would ask y'all, "What did the Easter Bunny bring you?" and you would stare like they were asking a creepy question. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Did I ruin you? I'm sorry...and you are welcome.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtF5iUi0gqpFQKr4EACeURsXkkQnicdpQ0ziFTn3cJJQQW8B-89rXjNPGhZmqg6R7YKnrIHZbm8I1GQA1xuQ5QFkvRxiFUNLfL4qoGM2E6m230MfhHvEFoI4EGbKOV9nZlxvb7/s1600/easter+photo+2008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1225" data-original-width="1225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtF5iUi0gqpFQKr4EACeURsXkkQnicdpQ0ziFTn3cJJQQW8B-89rXjNPGhZmqg6R7YKnrIHZbm8I1GQA1xuQ5QFkvRxiFUNLfL4qoGM2E6m230MfhHvEFoI4EGbKOV9nZlxvb7/s320/easter+photo+2008.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I went to Target yesterday and there was a sign that read:</div>
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THE TOMB IS EMPTY...LET'S FILL IT WITH TINY LITTLE THINGS! HECHO IN CHINA!</div>
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Not really. But I would have loved that sign.</div>
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I claim that I am not a Fun Parent - does claiming it make it okay? Either way, I'm sorry...and you are welcome.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqmqmglpAAMs3uIKzAoDhDii3ZkxHzW2R5VAq0BDtHTs3vVCPuPy5IDs2iP8lqybObTfpHYOeST91sksUiBZO8WhwV0Hy1Id7BDeU10l1Fx3r5yekpfaorYbJjOnSobmAG3GD3/s1600/Easter+2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="615" data-original-width="615" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqmqmglpAAMs3uIKzAoDhDii3ZkxHzW2R5VAq0BDtHTs3vVCPuPy5IDs2iP8lqybObTfpHYOeST91sksUiBZO8WhwV0Hy1Id7BDeU10l1Fx3r5yekpfaorYbJjOnSobmAG3GD3/s320/Easter+2013.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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All of these things, do they tell the story that shapes our calendar, our clothes, our culture?</div>
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I don't know. But if I am ruining your childhood, I'm sorry...and you are welcome.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUdJs6IMPrERZI3GDQ6NVgBDlY59LgrO7sR8cooBgTdTe9iBeIC5CggYaJOqu02dSmBArkQbZjzlOMZFLpeqqJqO-wCM4SUbahS7BF-5MbYcp1xcJTDDS5KNI35DdBQ7tNQV9h/s1600/DSCF1439.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUdJs6IMPrERZI3GDQ6NVgBDlY59LgrO7sR8cooBgTdTe9iBeIC5CggYaJOqu02dSmBArkQbZjzlOMZFLpeqqJqO-wCM4SUbahS7BF-5MbYcp1xcJTDDS5KNI35DdBQ7tNQV9h/s1600/DSCF1439.JPG" /></a></div>
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Back to the story - it sounds ridiculous...so maybe we have permission to act ridiculous. Bounce like bunnies! Hunt for eggs! Carry around baskets! Take silly pictures!</div>
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Today is the happiest day in the Christian calendar - it's the REASON we are Christians. If I don't show it the way Target does, I'm sorry...and you're welcome.<br />
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Dear S,</div>
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Welcome to the world!</div>
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I made you this measly blanket.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK2g0v5JhhkM6CPuhX4zyMfUhV4YAuZA02LkTskoj8pQQL9NavVr_QEqMijHorXN3GBUdAZMxftTF2SGVg6Ey3LfOTPG-QP1LBdJspRrIVCGqXVQWtqjxse_1Tui9577G0SX7P/s1600/IMG-4584.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK2g0v5JhhkM6CPuhX4zyMfUhV4YAuZA02LkTskoj8pQQL9NavVr_QEqMijHorXN3GBUdAZMxftTF2SGVg6Ey3LfOTPG-QP1LBdJspRrIVCGqXVQWtqjxse_1Tui9577G0SX7P/s320/IMG-4584.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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I wanted to finish it before you were born, but it took longer than I planned. Which is a good lesson for us to share: some things take longer and it’s best to let them grow at their own pace. Also, attachment to completion dates and deadlines can crush your soul.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2SHI1IVwoH31H8eVovxVAliFtucas4_QMkQCChbvZi0V3T8xKYa-9Kn_ReLZ0xNhTSAPuspv7yCFg3UpR2dAlh1qH94ZxFUqeUVx5XP14o04G-GORBIIE2u8785qAx-MzohM7/s1600/IMG-4583.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2SHI1IVwoH31H8eVovxVAliFtucas4_QMkQCChbvZi0V3T8xKYa-9Kn_ReLZ0xNhTSAPuspv7yCFg3UpR2dAlh1qH94ZxFUqeUVx5XP14o04G-GORBIIE2u8785qAx-MzohM7/s320/IMG-4583.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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This blanket is crocheted with two skeins of yarn that were dyed different colors. Which means I did not plan when the colors would change, they just did. Sometimes that happens in life: colors change and we keep going.</div>
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When you “keep going” in crochet, that means you keep loop-ty looping over and over in whatever pattern until we are all loopy and land on a soft blanket for a big family hug.</div>
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There was no telling which color would be the end of the skein.</div>
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I worried I wouldn’t have enough and the final row wouldn’t be smooth…but wouldn’t you know it? (No you wouldn’t because you are an infant) but you will learn that sometimes rows and loops and numbers just work out and you find out that from the very beginning YOU ALWAYS HAD ENOUGH.</div>
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No matter how much you worry in the meantime, you always had enough.</div>
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That’s my wish for you: end in a family hug, trust that you are enough, feel welcomed in this world.</div>
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I can’t believe how much I already love you,</div>
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Mollie</div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Pacifico; font-size: 24pt; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>This is Elijah's 4th entry. The <a href="https://imollie.blogspot.com/2018/11/plastic-project-1-of-5-elijahs-four.html" target="_blank">first is here</a>, the <a href="https://imollie.blogspot.com/2018/11/plastic-project-2-of-5-involving.html" target="_blank">second here</a>, and the <a href="https://imollie.blogspot.com/2018/11/plastic-project-3-of-5-sup.html" target="_blank">third here</a>.</i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Pacifico; font-size: 24pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><u>Scrapyard Adventure’s (Brother’s recycling)</u></span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-05b2eff3-7fff-67c6-2c47-576e78704aeb" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Saturday morning, I woke up and got ready to spend time with my mentor, Mr. Cliff. Little did I know he and I were going to the scrapyard, in search of a new motor with a gearbox already attached. </span></b><br />
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When Mr. Cliff told me to look for a motor with a shaft that was ⅞ inch diameter, I thought... I was just overwhelmed.</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img height="282" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/adHrlOCezz950PyFoKmqotL4y13YbJ3CeVZPJdw4j6_a4iBMM7DISYm10NliXFyOc06xnxS8OS6vFgxLO1Y-LWN2c5dUTcE6yzk-wBm7ryJxtoZll9uOvxoS-p3TThv7nXzpv178" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="293" /></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></b><br />
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></b>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But at the same time I was happy just to experience something like this. After we found the right motor we walked back into the front office to ask David (the eldest brother) how much we owed him. That's when he said, “Take it”. I said, “Thanks” and shook his hand.</span></b><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">David let us drive into the scrapyard. We passed heaps of everything, car parts, trashed appliances, a lot of S.U.P. and a scrapyard dog. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;"><img height="436" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/BP5A5Nk38cLcbs2FkvPsbeLRx3yHPItbBw2osSf27BvpwuSMYo50xmm3GeSy1577lMuAAaVjHC9tv_vxbvCjLyzI1w8WxlKMiAhcxfQFDDhcvXdDgZcH2sAn-XqDlvR7Ml1lD1zP" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="625" /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Above: Large pile of Single Use Plastics (S.U.P.)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">After visiting this scrap yard, I was overwhelmed by the heaps of waste. I’m more open minded when it come to the way we consume single use plastics.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18pt; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>(From iMollie: This is 4 of 5 entries)</i></span></div>
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</script></div>iMolliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03160207814587936875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20744733.post-38428437436469449332018-11-26T09:09:00.002-06:002018-11-26T09:09:28.866-06:00Plastic Project 3 of 5: S.U.P.?<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 32px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>This is Elijah's third installment for his English project. You can read the <a href="https://imollie.blogspot.com/2018/11/plastic-project-1-of-5-elijahs-four.html" target="_blank">first one here</a> and the <a href="https://imollie.blogspot.com/2018/11/plastic-project-2-of-5-involving.html" target="_blank">second one here</a>.</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 32px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 24pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 24pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Meeting Mollie: What S.U.P? </span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-c5a6f8b2-7fff-69ef-2cc7-8ba7c4083cdb" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><br /></b><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">When I met Mrs. Mollie the first thing she did was gave me a hug & A cup of hot chocolate in a styrofoam cup. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">She showed me her binder full of ideas & images of a </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">larger scale model of what she wanted to accomplish.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;"><img height="343" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/fwdAXxz4Es7ZmELOeQYJuOmkKCmjdMO7hV7r5rwZU4j5z6qXKEYRfliMFN4M-UNAGQ-5sJOTVrEoRU3t-UC5el59MmVyTGYGaWXAxJyv_Li8_pciDvqEV3jYDBDXyDyY4ZlbfTD8" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="256" /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">(Image is Mrs. Mollie’s Drawing her concept)</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">What</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;"> is</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;"> S.U.P?</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Mollie explained that S.U.P stands for Single Use Plastic. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Single</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">-</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">use plastics</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">, or disposable </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">plastics</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">, are used only once before they are thrown away or recycled. Examples include things such as milk cartons, water bottles, spoons, straws, egg cartons, this is just a short list but the list goes on.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;"><img height="145" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/JK2eN4RQEd_qtrpAOOoXBNN8GnFZyjzqPM114OaKblkRe2RgU0ZX_tGl4cjQfuJX6Z3MDRc4xQa4jghw_uNTNcGTsxaa00AuiWqeka7KQ2jbarNkyxXpzmm58aL8nvFKaYEQTYwG" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="319" /></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">When Mollie asked me what i was going to do with the styrofoam cup that held the hot chocolate & I said i was going to throw it away. Then she told me that styrofoam was usually a type 6 plastic.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;"><img height="317" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/txS9wyDGRcjHU3Fqea6j9PEDOvUihnLF8Pra2yKpOoOAlfmdgSX4li3dC5KhwUpzwRVsxb-2v5p_T2T5REpRb9xzp7uMCIFQwH809By6yV908yhTbi26tdp3eBgyJucyOpKF2-13" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;"> </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">What I learned from Mollie is that i don’t normally think about this type of thing and i made a connection with the breakfast bowls in the lunchroom. And how we just throw them away. </span></div>
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<img height="663" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/eMspMgs3HBVpav1kPxv86sedB7XyKh1NSbY4O7b9aim99hYydOYeRlS_Gphtunp4c728dMPj5_0U3fp-7zH_6mnbb1MGkx-Pp5nyiWU_X1Ryu40qLUP72htXyPp0DQbi43uekf8j" style="border: none; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18pt; transform: rotate(0rad); white-space: pre-wrap;" width="498" /></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Why do we just throw them away ?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How does that make you feel ?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18pt; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18pt; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>(From iMollie: This is 3 of 5...)</i></span></div>
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</script></div>iMolliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03160207814587936875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20744733.post-42879736375047162202018-11-26T09:05:00.002-06:002018-11-26T09:05:13.800-06:00Plastic Project 2 of 5: Involving Reconciler<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18pt; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Here is the second essay Elijah wrote about us working together to get plastic off the street and turn it into something usable!</i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Consideration of Reconciliation (Week 2)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Greetings readers! I’m Elijah and for my English class this year, I’m creating an 20% project based on an idea from Google Corporation's practice of offering their employees 20% of their work time to work on a project which started in 2012. Every Friday, I get to work on a project of my choice.</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><img height="178" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/3D4uaJJDcQ_rw6EUNlgimVa9XO3r4mtSuYZ9m1uPVY5N_FIFBOS4FEVMp-oPTTQR0GyBkB4KYMdswWdSyX1jNmJ8uLiVZ7WUS4-tsITPBu6H12g6li5ujZlMR2VXjbpzi_t295aQ" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="178" /><br /></b><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">“</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">There is no such thing as 'away'. When we throw anything away it must go somewhere</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">.” - Annie Leonard</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">For my project this semester, my mentor and I will be helping a pastor's wife (Mrs. Mollie) at Church of Reconciler in downtown Birmingham. Mrs. Mollie started a homemade recycle system that shreds and melts plastic, so we will be able to mold and shape different thing to sell or give. A lot of homeless women mostly live by the church. And the reason behind this project is to better this community, and to give those homeless women another chance by giving them a job.</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">In the picture in the last blog post I was cutting a pipe with a hand grinder to attach it to the motor </span><img height="302" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/LU515xywxPQzQfXq-gXjumxzE2SwXladuv43sejTIrIVOzU7lQ4hVNp8N7dvdyNYkorYo75n_CF_DI_Bwl37P2-4jL75ir37bgJS_gZmNDPx9g-Aa8jjelM0aLL3xi6BRdtrMM66" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="227" /></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">to be able to run the shredder shown here..</span></div>
<br /><i><br />(From iMollie: This is 2 of 5 installments...)</i><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18pt; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>I can't get over how much I love to recycle. </i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18pt; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>I can't even have a conversation with someone without referencing it.</i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18pt; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>As busy as I make myself recycling things, I haven't known how to tell the story or teach others what I'm doing. I was blocked.</i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18pt; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Then I met Elijah! Elijah is a 15yo high school student procrastinator, and friend of Cliff, who is a scattered brilliant engineer with a lot of fancy tools and knowledge of dangerous things. Cliff is still 15yo on the inside, though his body hovers in the 30yo decade.</i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18pt; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>With Elijah and Cliff's help, we have successfully powered up the Shredder and Compressor using <a href="https://preciousplastic.com/" target="_blank">Precious Plastics </a>designs and ideas (hooray for community-based business models!!)</i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18pt; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Elijah wrote this for his first assignment:</i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><u>The Four-Hour Vegan (Week 1)</u></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">, by Elijah</span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-8409751a-7fff-2c0b-a224-c16624cc2127" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">I had good intentions. I tried. It all started when I was told I would have 15 weeks to work on any project of my choice. My friend wanted me to become a vegan with her. I never wanted to do it. I realized that I’m a young man, I need meat!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;"> </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;"> </span><img height="266" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/NbJgC7kgCRvpcRm3w2EvdktQslfpOW009-SSp9wFWKO2FhP--POO3Vq39XNHrkQEIdUg_N87eL-6TplyxuwtQM-ht2mpyrcdnZB1gfWB43VmPWl3jzycN6Vkd4fXI8B-EeYeW3ge" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="183" /></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: lime; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">veg·an</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: lime; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">/ˈvēɡən/</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: lime; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">noun</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: lime; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; margin-left: 15pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: lime; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">a person who does not eat or use animal products.</span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Shortly after deciding not to go vegan, my mentor (Mr. Cliff) said he needed help designing and making machines for a homemade recycling system. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">I decided that this was the project I wanted to work on. I didn’t quite understand the concept of this project, but </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">jumped right into it literally, with a saw.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;"><img height="442" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_-Iwbkp8jX29q50p3ieIKxyLQ-uMah2Ly8j5oJlwJfksIfKqyN0RqA-dumWA_0xwkOv41iI31ghatDWy0QXD3q_IayT6xvJuEiK0zqIPxFF8tqcPM4TVKxX7YD7NZx0cku5Rsx5e" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="332" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;"> </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">(This is a picture of me cutting a piece of pipe to attach to the machine)</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">“To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Winston Churchill</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18pt; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>From iMollie:</i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18pt; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>(This is post 1 of 5)...</i></span></div>
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</script></div>iMolliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03160207814587936875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20744733.post-226445808055599982018-07-31T10:14:00.001-05:002018-07-31T10:14:44.196-05:00EJI: I Didn't Know<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Dear Alison, </div>
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I didn't know.</div>
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I didn't know that your office at <a href="https://eji.org/" target="_blank">Equal Justice Initiative (EJI)</a> is in the same building in which slaves were once held. Like where you type and read and learn and advocate for clients in prison every day.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRq449-lc6zv1Agsj3-U_pTfED0oSs5m4MmUr7azUgVHBf3Te2CQlzZf1C8shctp7cjbsDXV41QfPJ5OcRZk2v2XfjSlHRT-sHYzblNyvah8KyqotTpYiJkhinY_tm4oEtj__2/s1600/IMG_2010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRq449-lc6zv1Agsj3-U_pTfED0oSs5m4MmUr7azUgVHBf3Te2CQlzZf1C8shctp7cjbsDXV41QfPJ5OcRZk2v2XfjSlHRT-sHYzblNyvah8KyqotTpYiJkhinY_tm4oEtj__2/s320/IMG_2010.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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When we emailed you to see if we could come by, I didn't know that you would meet with us personally, look us each in the eye, and tell us stories about your work. You treated my children like they mattered too. You showed us the labelled jar where your hands had dug up dirt at a site where a lynching had occurred.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEWt0Ep0hYI1WxbsRa-CVw3LUUKkvx7kEoX1E2gWehpQbrHCGdTlHusH1HGB7GLpxUNLYTOdL1Int-5FlbyFcwsrbVdbyWf5EeuXtdz4G74iJj0KaeAcEhJgT_U5lWgt-Ft0t5/s1600/IMG_2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEWt0Ep0hYI1WxbsRa-CVw3LUUKkvx7kEoX1E2gWehpQbrHCGdTlHusH1HGB7GLpxUNLYTOdL1Int-5FlbyFcwsrbVdbyWf5EeuXtdz4G74iJj0KaeAcEhJgT_U5lWgt-Ft0t5/s320/IMG_2011.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I thought "lynching" was hanging someone. That seemed awful enough. I didn't know that lynching is terrorism. It changed where people could call home, where you could work, live, have a family.<br />
Lynching is about unlawfully punishing a group of people, or one representative of a group, without due process or a shred of human dignity. And it was celebrated for so many decades. I didn't know it could be so horrible...and covered up, not taught and eventually forgotten. Thank you for helping us Not Forget.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOXbxLkmM0K-yJ7VY-cfMXfy5YQAFFLY1V63o09WU2Re0BnK8b_8wDIwnTFrdpfTGlwDnABjC6AjhFgl3uuoWJKi69xm3npFGtZ7_-UZ0BNfZJvaWSHTIt5qTcqQJVWEo0tNtz/s1600/IMG_2017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOXbxLkmM0K-yJ7VY-cfMXfy5YQAFFLY1V63o09WU2Re0BnK8b_8wDIwnTFrdpfTGlwDnABjC6AjhFgl3uuoWJKi69xm3npFGtZ7_-UZ0BNfZJvaWSHTIt5qTcqQJVWEo0tNtz/s320/IMG_2017.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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I didn't know that <a href="https://museumandmemorial.eji.org/" target="_blank">The Legacy Museum</a> was within walking distance of the offices at EJI, and that I would need 719 more hours to explore and learn. The museum appeals to all of the senses, to all learning types, to all ages and races. I didn't know how much I would need to sit when faced with the facts of our history. My own body weight was too much, so thank you for all of the benches and chairs.</div>
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When we drove to the <a href="https://museumandmemorial.eji.org/" target="_blank">Memorial of Peace and Justice</a>, I didn't know it would be so hot...even if it is Montgomery, AL. We started our journey into the Memorial in the scorching afternoon sun, then found our path circled into the shade of hanging tombs, labelled by state, county, person, year.</div>
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Even the fence was symbolic: from an angle the wooden planks look like a simple fence, saving you from falling off the shaded path...or maybe protecting your yard from your neighbor's. When facing the wooden planks, they are lined up like bars on a prison cell - you can see through them, but not move past them.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgKCTZnyXhzuvhCvr87cH3mthG3-xUJWkbvSmz6Hyu0aK9IftxKcaOH778Hwp6HzDdrxT5ujOq3vLVHV2oq8DkbqI1cF57mvacSaXo3CA1UH_4ExzEKfNC6EG94_VpKbge7pKQ/s1600/IMG_2019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgKCTZnyXhzuvhCvr87cH3mthG3-xUJWkbvSmz6Hyu0aK9IftxKcaOH778Hwp6HzDdrxT5ujOq3vLVHV2oq8DkbqI1cF57mvacSaXo3CA1UH_4ExzEKfNC6EG94_VpKbge7pKQ/s320/IMG_2019.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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As the path continued, the floor descended so the tombs hung over our head. I didn't know how powerful it would be to walk forward as the tombs rose. I watched my fourteen year old son walk ahead of me, noticing the length of his body matched the size of the tombs. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5QTodHwqoR4n8J_gTtf_i6Znppa7TATnCRc9OyRB5mubbWzhSAqziw22NMQFRA6eKQkiMWEpRKlHDPkU7_Ga7j2Eba6_I4p9JMiVkWejk3-2w2uz4nZ2xJQnk9PVf-Of_TpGc/s1600/IMG_2022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5QTodHwqoR4n8J_gTtf_i6Znppa7TATnCRc9OyRB5mubbWzhSAqziw22NMQFRA6eKQkiMWEpRKlHDPkU7_Ga7j2Eba6_I4p9JMiVkWejk3-2w2uz4nZ2xJQnk9PVf-Of_TpGc/s320/IMG_2022.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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I didn't know that this is my story too...and now his.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLW-gNRalzxpxE2dzivlGhYl-sdxWqaxqf35aI4uc75ZwQkh3cxVTUNgEtmi0mn_2tA0QmWiez_MsQmhfCw6D95gJtB4T7lJDfRBfrRqmnGfo8rCCgLdA6oprWcirBwJl8NTZ7/s1600/IMG_2024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLW-gNRalzxpxE2dzivlGhYl-sdxWqaxqf35aI4uc75ZwQkh3cxVTUNgEtmi0mn_2tA0QmWiez_MsQmhfCw6D95gJtB4T7lJDfRBfrRqmnGfo8rCCgLdA6oprWcirBwJl8NTZ7/s320/IMG_2024.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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I didn't know the air would be so cool in the deepest corner of the path, and that there would be a wall covered with a waterfall. The sound of the waterfall hid the sounds of weeping, the water itself represented cleansing, the continual flow reminded us of grace. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTrmyCCbiWdgqdOW0ompK7jA9mdveHLVetyXi5F1EG0Y-6S4AbRQ-W3g7phs3c42Gi4-YJeDWeHFuyP6PO-3KcIDESO9j1GsNTOKjjY8xOaEzmWjfIWMEIeGgU6a1cTCfD8uQJ/s1600/IMG_2026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTrmyCCbiWdgqdOW0ompK7jA9mdveHLVetyXi5F1EG0Y-6S4AbRQ-W3g7phs3c42Gi4-YJeDWeHFuyP6PO-3KcIDESO9j1GsNTOKjjY8xOaEzmWjfIWMEIeGgU6a1cTCfD8uQJ/s320/IMG_2026.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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I didn't know my seven year old daughter would understand so deeply. At the entrance, she had many questions about the sculpture of life-sized humans, slaves with chains around necks and ankles - all connected so if one fell, all moved.<br />
The sculpture toward the exit of heroines from the Civil Rights movement - faces she recognized from the videos and posters in the Museum we just left - and then there, right next to Rosa Parks was an iron circle with two feet impressions. My daughter put her feet into those slots and she became part of the sculpture. She was part of the story, part of the history, and now part of the healing too.<br />
I just didn't know.<br />
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The county where I live everyday is marked on these tombs. No more hiding, no more Not Knowing.<br />
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Thank you Alison, for all of the hard work, seen and unseen, that you do. Thank you for investigating, filing, listening, writing, reading, briefing - all of the things. I didn't know...now I do. And now is different for the knowing.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrMkGAlvWbEmeo2RaqT2VZWJskDMwaMZJpGBh-LarTJHxSfIec9nF-Que2RN2_sETZiTxIkSVCw7SoQKqKBd3gTAONLMD-Niy1Du0Ysu4VQdBG8GtnblYbxYpPMmeA6HPLRC4c/s1600/IMG_2025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrMkGAlvWbEmeo2RaqT2VZWJskDMwaMZJpGBh-LarTJHxSfIec9nF-Que2RN2_sETZiTxIkSVCw7SoQKqKBd3gTAONLMD-Niy1Du0Ysu4VQdBG8GtnblYbxYpPMmeA6HPLRC4c/s320/IMG_2025.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
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Namaste,<br />
Mollie<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I have many gifts, but looking at a person's body and translating their size and shape into numbers or small-medium-large is not one of them. It’s not the yoga way really...but that’s another letter to you...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqOAktVW-wl446NTqtcSuAfOijhRMfIEpUqC0_f5l_pILkbInnNunLMwLvIGJoZvLXNmfZm5mSCQ7h_PRF2ZMZbYpXxS8TcoFojH0IFt95YzW_Sz_34V_0xhzQYCBDWr1qSc_M/s1600/IMG_4571+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="804" data-original-width="1280" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqOAktVW-wl446NTqtcSuAfOijhRMfIEpUqC0_f5l_pILkbInnNunLMwLvIGJoZvLXNmfZm5mSCQ7h_PRF2ZMZbYpXxS8TcoFojH0IFt95YzW_Sz_34V_0xhzQYCBDWr1qSc_M/s320/IMG_4571+%25281%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The hardest volunteer shift for me at the Catholic Respite Center (CRC) in McAllen, TX was in the clothes closet.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Typically here is how the system went:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Donations come in bags and boxes.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Volunteers sort clothes and shoes into Men’s and Women’s, Children and Infants.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">After one-half to one-third of the items are sorted, volunteers leave.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Clothes and shoes sit in piles.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">New volunteers come in, see the chaos, and begin sorting.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">New rules applied: no tank tops or spaghetti straps, no inappropriate logos, no used underwear, no holes or stains (Restoring Dignity, y’all).</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Volunteers leave.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Traveling families arrive and stand in line for clothes before taking a shower.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Volunteers arrive and ask, “How can we help?”</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Staff directs volunteers to clothes closet. Everything is in piles that made sense to the <b>previous</b> shift of volunteers.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">New volunteers have 2.5 minutes per family to determine size and fit and send them to the showers.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Volunteers are taught the words: Pronto! Pronto! Eso o eso? Más largo? Más peque<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">ñ</span>o?</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">From the families we learn the word for “belt” and “hat” and “sports bra” and “boxers not briefs.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Dignity, Se<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">ñ</span>ora. Where is it? It was not in the last load of donations.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYvqgvrvMStrk5Q3v4V9OzZBg02vIGdYfwLdkzXw4VVLlYexIt9fJ25WcK5H7RsyMUpd-SLVUpXYeQCcTPOg3g2l7PwLL0Kqjwan0DBr745WDAL-EgH9mFnYuAgPR58NViUu1U/s1600/IMG_1971.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1199" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYvqgvrvMStrk5Q3v4V9OzZBg02vIGdYfwLdkzXw4VVLlYexIt9fJ25WcK5H7RsyMUpd-SLVUpXYeQCcTPOg3g2l7PwLL0Kqjwan0DBr745WDAL-EgH9mFnYuAgPR58NViUu1U/s320/IMG_1971.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">It was hot and stuffy in the clothes closet. Boxes and bins were brought in and shoved out. Twice on Saturday, some amazing volunteers brought already-sorted-by-size, brand new clothes in labeled bins. These volunteers had been at the CRC the day before and recognized the wasted time in sorting dirty donations. They had raised thousands of dollars on social media and then shopped for appropriate clothing.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">One (of the many) hard things was when a volunteer wanted pictures of the children’s faces as they received their new clothes so they could thank the donors. AWKWARD. That’s "torpe" in Spanish.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">My first sorting-clothes shift was with Maria and Chema, a mother and son team who lived in the area. Maria spoke only Spanish and Chema, both English and Spanish. They taught us to weed out the XL and XXL since the current group of families were petite sizes. We were throwing clothes into boxes to refold and in a bag to go to the Salvation Army. I held up one shirt to Maria and asked her which category this shirt went into? She said, "UGLY."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I had a good giggle over the only English word she said. I think she understood the Restoring Dignity part the best.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Senora, do you remember how big the marching band was at the high school in the '90's? My son will be a freshman there this year, and the band is still big. He and I went to size his band shoes the day before I flew to McAllen. When he tried on those huge-looking, white patent leather lace-ups with thick white soles, my eyes got teary with excitement and pride, and my mouth grinned at how ugly they were. Out of context without the whole uniform, Maria would have put them in the Ugly Box.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Saturday night, after working at the CRC all day and preparing to do the same on Sunday, I had a dream.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I dreamt I hired a babysitter to play with my kids, then I took my minivan to an empty parking lot to sort all of the donations in the back. Someone had donated multiple bags of shoes and I needed some time and space to sort them. A friend arrived on a bicycle with her two children and they crashed into a tree, then stood up unharmed. They walked over to my bags of shoes. Together we brainstormed how to quickly organize and label them so we could pass them out to those in need. We decided to rubber band the shoes together with the soles facing out, then we would write with chalk "M" for mujeres and "H" for hombres, then the number size of the shoe. We could line them up numerically and distribute. We high-fived each other at our brilliant plan!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">We leaned over to open the bags of shoes and out poured only huge-looking, white patent leather lace-ups with thick white soles. My friend and I looked at each other, looked at the white shoes, then looked at our hands which were holding only white chalk. Plans thwarted, all to the Ugly Box.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqjZU9r6_FTbUfEPNVR125vnFukis-TUJNIBSmiuG3aEC-KFq2EuHKcVlFXXvPUSIETVa-n2kJWu0F-DuU6-RmGkV8qBHvmR7opUc1megGbHo9W1CQLdDwF0xBo1XkDiQvnla0/s1600/IMG_1976.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqjZU9r6_FTbUfEPNVR125vnFukis-TUJNIBSmiuG3aEC-KFq2EuHKcVlFXXvPUSIETVa-n2kJWu0F-DuU6-RmGkV8qBHvmR7opUc1megGbHo9W1CQLdDwF0xBo1XkDiQvnla0/s320/IMG_1976.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The first time a woman came in the clothes closet with an ankle bracelet strapped above her foot, I couldn't stop staring. I had heard about them, seen pictures of them, knew in my head they were real, but my heart, mi corazón, could not make sense of seeing it in person. My brain kept saying, "This is real. This is real."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">If you are wearing skinny jeans, or tightly tapered jeans before getting an ankle bracelet to track you, how do you change your pants? You cut your jeans.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">If the only available pants in your size are skinny jeans or tapered, how do you get them over the new ankle bracelet? I don't know. I couldn't watch.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjBDxb3z9K1HWFuEd-QhPXYsCwC3eoh8oCY7L1GhWuRbDxpMn4drWGQBvdeEzNp2NSSCK9ytZwpxXW7_5W5A-NDwt2D3PAKLVEJffIRQWAm_0qHyCphSxT_l5mESxF_Cn2B8dZ/s1600/IMG_4570.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1250" data-original-width="1280" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjBDxb3z9K1HWFuEd-QhPXYsCwC3eoh8oCY7L1GhWuRbDxpMn4drWGQBvdeEzNp2NSSCK9ytZwpxXW7_5W5A-NDwt2D3PAKLVEJffIRQWAm_0qHyCphSxT_l5mESxF_Cn2B8dZ/s320/IMG_4570.JPEG" width="320" /></a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Se<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">ñ</span>ora, this is real.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The fevers, the crying, the coop-ed up children, the mischievous tweens, the bored and tragic teens, the worried mamas, the vigilant dads - it's all real. And in my dreams I only have band shoes and white chalk.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I miss you, Se<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">ñ</span>ora.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Con amor,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Mollie</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">***A list of items to send to the Catholic Respite Center coming soon. They need a bigger facility and are currently </span><a href="http://sacredheartchurch-mcallen.org/immigrant-assistance/donate-now/" style="background-color: white; color: #7d181e; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">accepting donations</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"> towards the building so they can serve more people in need:</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">http://sacredheartchurch-mcallen.org/immigrant-assistance/donate-now/</span></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I sat in your classroom decades ago, yet I am still learning from you. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Thank you for teaching me Spanish in high school.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My friend Rachel and I are moms...and sometimes our insides get scratchy...like a baby bird tapping to get out of its eggshell. We couldn't sit still in front of the information about the families separated at the Texas border. So through friends of friends of friends, we found the Catholic Respite Center (CRC) in McAllen, TX.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Rachel wrote to them, offering our services as "mama birds" just wanting to help. She asked if we could come help and learn, or if it would be better if we sent the price of our plane ticket as a monetary donation to their cause. They invited us to come.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We worried about draining resources, being in the way, contributing to "volun-tourism." </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">They said we could come.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkKwlOLd9B4T5gAsPHsSScDBkNmTu9aTRYEir6_MNPWcXcFCnXCWY4q22odpKOxDSaL_6SvJM3P2uVozrBvFStTNrmiuz9R-RtP2WRbvbxvGW0LEctHmPn_XP57e3smEF46DJr/s1600/IMG_1968.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="916" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkKwlOLd9B4T5gAsPHsSScDBkNmTu9aTRYEir6_MNPWcXcFCnXCWY4q22odpKOxDSaL_6SvJM3P2uVozrBvFStTNrmiuz9R-RtP2WRbvbxvGW0LEctHmPn_XP57e3smEF46DJr/s320/IMG_1968.jpg" width="229" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Rachel and I followed <a href="https://www.ministrymatters.com/all/author/hannah_bonner" target="_blank">Hannah Adair Bonner</a> on Facebook, who was advocating for the migrant families on the other side of Texas. She suggested that migration is a very normal pattern for humans. I began to imagine the shapes and patterns - ovals, ellipses, figure eights - what do migration patterns look like for birds?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My friend Carrie recommended <a href="http://revisionisthistory.com/episodes/25-general-chapman's-last-stand" target="_blank">a podcast by Malcolm Gladwell about migration patterns</a>...which made me wonder: if migration is allowed to be cyclical, then can we believe that Latinos want to come to the US, not to steal jobs or rape our sisters, but to work and visit and then return home? Is it possible that migrants do not want to miss the abuela's funeral or the cousin's wedding?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />Señora, I do not know.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEjlSUKP1_O41aRCjjojpvvAKVnG7ScUbyN_90VuqQ23K51judu9Mkrp_Ltm3kXp2HFVHqRBjcggV7BzbKpkPTdfzTyvWecilTlMNKPKFPZDK4mLDLlPOYr91k7NtwMvMC5QZy/s1600/IMG_4569.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: Times; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEjlSUKP1_O41aRCjjojpvvAKVnG7ScUbyN_90VuqQ23K51judu9Mkrp_Ltm3kXp2HFVHqRBjcggV7BzbKpkPTdfzTyvWecilTlMNKPKFPZDK4mLDLlPOYr91k7NtwMvMC5QZy/s320/IMG_4569.jpg" width="240" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">(this is the padded tortilla holder that keeps them warm)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When I was working the lunch shift on Saturday at the CRC in McAllen, filling water cups, my eyes brimming on the regular, a young boy - maybe he was ten years old - tapped me on the shoulder, grinning. I couldn't figure out what he was pointing to until we walked to the door together. He pointed up to the corner, outside, where there was a speaker mounted, covered in a bird's nest. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A bird family had made its home there.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTsBvN1t08xIqK9rO8fHW9YZkRN2_FLSaQ3hkPMIvcryObHwCObBvKBoAZ0PLI-e9madEBj6Mon9BUgINPyyVVGm8YeB2AmVm9FQVJr8ycNd03dVFeScZLiASqKQwF-pUrltTz/s1600/IMG_1969.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: Times; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="844" data-original-width="1099" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTsBvN1t08xIqK9rO8fHW9YZkRN2_FLSaQ3hkPMIvcryObHwCObBvKBoAZ0PLI-e9madEBj6Mon9BUgINPyyVVGm8YeB2AmVm9FQVJr8ycNd03dVFeScZLiASqKQwF-pUrltTz/s320/IMG_1969.jpg" width="320" /></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Leaves and straw wrapped around the speaker, clinging. The mama bird's wings were flapping and you could see movement in the nest.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTC4jBKTLHfER5mrr9ue4WcPuDFUmV3XfqEVhsbsf7J8Qs0IwcepQyuNKnuwRg6PUfxypsdB8sv0Y3tLvGP4fnIPtvJ7Cg8gcjRuuPLTcbDbwn7b0InLLMSyzZLzvyIMn8gN4/s1600/IMG_1967.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: Times; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="829" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTC4jBKTLHfER5mrr9ue4WcPuDFUmV3XfqEVhsbsf7J8Qs0IwcepQyuNKnuwRg6PUfxypsdB8sv0Y3tLvGP4fnIPtvJ7Cg8gcjRuuPLTcbDbwn7b0InLLMSyzZLzvyIMn8gN4/s320/IMG_1967.jpg" width="175" /></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">How did that little boy see the nest?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What did that nest mean to him in the corner of the scary outside hot world, and the fumbling efforts of the volunteers inside the building?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What nest had he fled?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What nest would he build?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When pushed to spread his wings, would he fly? Was he ready?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK4ziLvHAV-ha4HtN_efOnT-8z2Ahrutig-PbLxTkqch_ziEuywkyDV8mqqul5ffMkxjxjd20M4NHqwJPNO1BUmtR-Grv301hu-FfUrH-4H_JSAJB8A08pSZnIOcKTM7cEqk_z/s1600/IMG_1972.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: Times; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="896" data-original-width="636" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK4ziLvHAV-ha4HtN_efOnT-8z2Ahrutig-PbLxTkqch_ziEuywkyDV8mqqul5ffMkxjxjd20M4NHqwJPNO1BUmtR-Grv301hu-FfUrH-4H_JSAJB8A08pSZnIOcKTM7cEqk_z/s320/IMG_1972.jpg" width="227" /></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I grinned at him. He grinned at me. No words. Only depth of understanding.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I never saw him again, Señora. But I'm still learning from him.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Con cariño,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Mollie</span><br />
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<br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />***A list of items to send to the Catholic Respite Center coming soon. They need a bigger facility and are currently </span><a href="http://sacredheartchurch-mcallen.org/immigrant-assistance/donate-now/" style="background-color: white; color: #7d181e; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">accepting donations</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> towards the building so they can serve more people in need:</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">http://sacredheartchurch-mcallen.org/immigrant-assistance/donate-now/</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></span>
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</script></div>iMolliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03160207814587936875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20744733.post-27180413115901067372018-07-24T14:28:00.003-05:002018-07-24T14:28:45.212-05:00Serving Lunch<div class="gE iv gt" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; cursor: auto; padding: 20px 0px 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dear Se<span style="background-color: transparent;">ñ</span>ora,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />At the Catholic Respite Center (CRC), whose goal is Restoring Human Dignity, there is a room with four tables, each with six chairs. It is crowded and a little stuffy, but perfect for a little soup and tortillas.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After traveling and maybe not eating for days, maybe having access to drinkable water, maybe not...little tummies and big ones are not quite ready for heavy foods. To heal the gut and ease into whole foods, the CRC serves broth, eventually adding in chicken and vegetables and noodles. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMVhr5SmSmjC4W9qJ1hyfRHuCGZxyhIZtNbnXoK9e-4oSsZPpzJIVf6wUJHONczEm6Y4ibzuIR0mLn_BC3O22gg6chGg0tHzOy6zb_aC5uvNrDmb4NZ5GakUNQub_pMIT6KbTV/s1600/IMG_4564.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMVhr5SmSmjC4W9qJ1hyfRHuCGZxyhIZtNbnXoK9e-4oSsZPpzJIVf6wUJHONczEm6Y4ibzuIR0mLn_BC3O22gg6chGg0tHzOy6zb_aC5uvNrDmb4NZ5GakUNQub_pMIT6KbTV/s320/IMG_4564.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A warm corn tortilla flat on your palm can be rolled up from wrist to fingertips into a tight roll, perfect for dipping.<br /><br />Volunteers had been stirring soup and warming tortillas all morning, in between shower duty shifts and clothes sorting shifts. I was on water duty.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There was a large water cooler towards the corner of the room where a doctor was seeing patients, making his closet into a clinic. Waiting families could sit by the water cooler until the doctor was ready for them. As I prepared cups of water from the cooler, I could offer them a water. Maybe they would get some Advil or an allergy pill from the doctor when it was their turn, and some water could wash it down.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc7Slz53k_hfz_2hLmd7Z_P0N5FJj6Xo3Y1rFqDILJde9IVmCI6Ql_NBuRCjl7DciVf3FQdyviliJ9hMhIeP7VqdobCIJZP3eQ1zpGQsiwLL7jqpWIoS3rbFYsgJPLTa4MN7uV/s1600/IMG_4568.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc7Slz53k_hfz_2hLmd7Z_P0N5FJj6Xo3Y1rFqDILJde9IVmCI6Ql_NBuRCjl7DciVf3FQdyviliJ9hMhIeP7VqdobCIJZP3eQ1zpGQsiwLL7jqpWIoS3rbFYsgJPLTa4MN7uV/s320/IMG_4568.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I set the tables with paper towels and spoons, trying to make this makeshift lunch area a little more hospitable. Families came in and out, eating quietly. The whole room could feel their exhaustion. One little boy fell asleep sitting up, back not even touching the chair, and a little drool left the corner of his mouth.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Señora, remember when you would stand and lecture from the front of the room and if you didn't move around a lot, your lower back would ache? One day you missed school to rest your back. I remembered to keep moving: refilling water cups, sweeping up crumbs, asking simple questions, "Mas agua? Sopa? Una cuchara?" </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />Three small boys came into the lunch room and sat in the chairs. A volunteer had guided them in and announced they needed sopa. We jumped to serve them; they were tiny in those huge adult chairs. After our persistent cajoling, one confessed that he did not like carrots and did not want them in his soup. Then another picked up a green bean and made a stank face. The other boy said he did not like soup AT ALL. He asked if I had any milk? No, only water.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I asked they boy, "What do you need? How can I help? Are you hungry?"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He just stared at me. Maybe he was four years old.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Again I asked, "What do you need?"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He said, "Mi mama."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She was in the next room. Later, he ate with her. Señora, I can't even.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkAthqaUt7P3gECwKTTsPb6AY8FqEufp7muYOy38aSJdv4sOBBh75vIJYljxyiTCBJFNuVMNKePUaDPe6JQop1JOTvzE2pQyM7_GmGVc14CZPXCV4VvFzPUVv5ERSZnRpYsKqp/s1600/IMG_1965.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkAthqaUt7P3gECwKTTsPb6AY8FqEufp7muYOy38aSJdv4sOBBh75vIJYljxyiTCBJFNuVMNKePUaDPe6JQop1JOTvzE2pQyM7_GmGVc14CZPXCV4VvFzPUVv5ERSZnRpYsKqp/s320/IMG_1965.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I had to face the water cooler and fill up extra cups to keep my hands busy and hide my tears.</span></div>
<div class="a3s aXjCH " id=":2h9" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 1.5; overflow: hidden;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This stop at the CRC is a blip on their journey. I will never understand the fullness of their stories: the deciding to leave, the fear, the persistence, the not-being-welcomed, the not knowing...the choosing of the Unknown ahead because the Known behind will kill them.<br /><br />Is there dignity in taking that risk? Or is that also left behind with their homes, their clothes, their pictures, the landmarks of their memories?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On Sunday, I had lunch duty for part of a shift. I was focused and frazzled, serving, wiping, spilling, refilling, mixing Spanish and English.</span></div>
<div class="a3s aXjCH " id=":2h9" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 1.5; overflow: hidden;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another volunteer walked by and said to herself, "okay...so..." as she figured out her next task. My English ear heard, "Okay...so..."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My Spanish ear heard, "Oh queso..."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you had been there Señora, we could have grinned together.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I asked the families while eating, "Do you need anything?"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A boy about five years old stood up and said, "Necesito una cama."</span></div>
<div class="a3s aXjCH " id=":2h9" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 1.5; overflow: hidden;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I didn't understand. Confused, I held up three fingers and said, "1. Sopa 2. Agua 3. Pizza."</span></div>
<div class="a3s aXjCH " id=":2h9" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 1.5; overflow: hidden;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He looked at my fingers and calmly said, "Uuuunnnnaaaaa Caaaaammmmmmaaaaa. Tengo sue</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ñ</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">o."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="a3s aXjCH " id=":2h9" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 1.5; overflow: hidden;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spanish II from 1991 regrew in my brain: He wanted a bed. He was sleepy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That sweet child...I will never know where his shoes have traveled. It doesn't matter right now. Soup, water and pizza are not a bed. He needs to rest so then he can rise, he can almanecer bien.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="a3s aXjCH " id=":2h9" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 1.5; overflow: hidden;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Señora, I wish you were here. Thank you for teaching me to look for the words, to not stop trying even when I'm afraid I will conjugate a verb wrong, for reminding your students to laugh at themselves and to always, always, always help others.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Con Cariño,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mollie</span></div>
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span><div class="a3s aXjCH " id=":2h9" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 1.5; overflow: hidden;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #333333;">***A list of items to send to the Catholic Respite Center coming soon. They need a bigger facility and are currently </span><a href="http://sacredheartchurch-mcallen.org/immigrant-assistance/donate-now/" style="color: #7d181e; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">accepting donations</a><span style="color: #333333;"> towards the building so they can serve more people in need:</span><br /><br />http://sacredheartchurch-mcallen.org/immigrant-assistance/donate-now/</span></div>
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</script></div>iMolliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03160207814587936875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20744733.post-42040818023776404362018-07-23T22:12:00.000-05:002018-07-23T22:16:32.039-05:00The Process: Luck of the Draw<br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Luck of the Draw, from dictionary.com:</span></div>
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<header class="css-1y60q53 e10vl5dg1" style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 11px;"><span class="css-1pomevn e10vl5dg2" style="font-size: 20px;">noun</span></header><br />
<ol class="css-zw8qdz e10vl5dg3" style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px auto; padding: 0px 0px 0px 20px;">
<li class="css-2oywg7 e10vl5dg5" style="margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 12px; padding-left: 8px;" value="1"><span class="css-9sn2pa e10vl5dg6" style="line-height: 24px;"><span class="one-click" data-term="the">the</span> <span class="one-click" data-term="force">force</span> <span class="one-click" data-term="that">that</span> <span class="one-click" data-term="seems">seems</span> to <span class="one-click" data-term="operate">operate</span> <span class="one-click" data-term="for">for</span> <span class="one-click" data-term="good">good</span> or <span class="one-click" data-term="ill">ill</span> in a <span class="one-click" data-term="persons">person's</span> <span class="one-click" data-term="life">life,</span>as in <span class="one-click" data-term="shaping">shaping</span> <span class="one-click" data-term="circumstances">circumstances,</span> <span class="one-click" data-term="events">events,</span> or <span class="one-click" data-term="opportunities">opportunities:</span><span class="luna-example italic" style="color: #c0b5b5; display: block; font-style: italic;"><span class="one-click" data-term="with">With</span> my <span class="one-click" data-term="luck">luck</span> <span class="one-click" data-term="ill">I'll</span> <span class="one-click" data-term="probably">probably</span> <span class="one-click" data-term="get">get</span> <span class="one-click" data-term="pneumonia">pneumonia.</span></span></span></li>
<li class="css-2oywg7 e10vl5dg5" style="margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 12px; padding-left: 8px;" value="2"><span class="css-9sn2pa e10vl5dg6" style="line-height: 24px;"><span class="one-click" data-term="good">good</span> <span class="one-click" data-term="fortune">fortune;</span> <span class="one-click" data-term="advantage">advantage</span> or <span class="one-click" data-term="success">success,</span> <span class="one-click" data-term="considered">considered</span> as <span class="one-click" data-term="the">the</span> <span class="one-click" data-term="result">result</span> of <span class="one-click" data-term="chance">chance:</span><span class="luna-example italic" style="color: #c0b5b5; display: block; font-style: italic;">He <span class="one-click" data-term="had">had</span> no <span class="one-click" data-term="luck">luck</span> <span class="one-click" data-term="finding">finding</span> <span class="one-click" data-term="work">work.</span></span></span></li>
<li class="css-2oywg7 e10vl5dg5" style="margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 12px; padding-left: 8px;" value="3"><span class="css-9sn2pa e10vl5dg6" style="line-height: 24px;">a <span class="one-click" data-term="combination">combination</span> of <span class="one-click" data-term="circumstances">circumstances,</span> <span class="one-click" data-term="events">events,</span> <span class="one-click" data-term="etc">etc.,</span> <span class="one-click" data-term="operating">operating</span> by <span class="one-click" data-term="chance">chance</span> to <span class="one-click" data-term="bring">bring</span> <span class="one-click" data-term="good">good</span> or <span class="one-click" data-term="ill">ill</span> to a <span class="one-click" data-term="person">person:</span><span class="luna-example italic" style="color: #c0b5b5; display: block; font-style: italic;"><span class="one-click" data-term="shes">She's</span> <span class="one-click" data-term="had">had</span> <span class="one-click" data-term="nothing">nothing</span> <span class="one-click" data-term="but">but</span> <span class="one-click" data-term="bad">bad</span> <span class="one-click" data-term="luck">luck</span> <span class="one-click" data-term="all">all</span> <span class="one-click" data-term="year">year.</span></span></span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">#LOTD</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Dear Senora,<br /><br />We arrived at the Catholic Respite Mission (CRC) this morning, maybe a little too eager to get started helping. The logo under the main sign read “Restoring Human Dignity” (scroll in to see).</span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYJFHt2JBCQjwJ35urUDKVgtYQNZOL8NVQkJkUzjOSrAF0o7Xip6q9hKqfBdaAHkHwsZEe5v1oa35I8KXV3KkswM0adESS3c1zhHfv8rwJERvmYQD-hk4CT6HTjiarzWWlIl2f/s1600/IMG_4571.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="804" data-original-width="1280" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYJFHt2JBCQjwJ35urUDKVgtYQNZOL8NVQkJkUzjOSrAF0o7Xip6q9hKqfBdaAHkHwsZEe5v1oa35I8KXV3KkswM0adESS3c1zhHfv8rwJERvmYQD-hk4CT6HTjiarzWWlIl2f/s320/IMG_4571.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />Indeed. <span style="background-color: transparent;">We were in the right place. (Also, Alabama there, third from the left Jesus.)</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtPmXcjzLAJnXywtGdorOUo7Autbqj9RzKe2T1lV3hWPhvAdN45jV8msimowYZpyA7TMJb_vs8pDSlC9rVq89npS4kg0A5n8M7G50b3KofRCjJ5b5I_gv6Jxkq1zhH_qfLcvui/s1600/IMG_1932.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1451" data-original-width="1030" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtPmXcjzLAJnXywtGdorOUo7Autbqj9RzKe2T1lV3hWPhvAdN45jV8msimowYZpyA7TMJb_vs8pDSlC9rVq89npS4kg0A5n8M7G50b3KofRCjJ5b5I_gv6Jxkq1zhH_qfLcvui/s320/IMG_1932.jpg" width="227" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When we walked in, the waiting room smelled like laundry detergent and air conditioning. I didn’t realize air conditioning had a smell until I walked the Texas heat.<br />There was another group volunteering that morning, so we met in the kitchen for a quick orientation with Eli, the jefe.<br /><br />We mostly had questions about the paperwork and processing - what had these families been through before arriving at the CRC?<br />Eli calmly shook his head, explaining the parts he did know and did understand, and the rest falling into “it's just the luck of the draw.” #LOTD<br /><br />When families walk across the border into the Border Patrol office, legally seeking asylum, which ones are fitted with ankle bracelets?<br />#LOTD?<br />Which ones are separated and sent to detention centers then back home?<br />#LOTD?<br />Which ones sent to jail (mostly those with priors?)?<br /><br />Eli was born and raised in the US, fluent in Spanish and English. He advises the families to not try and represent themselves and instead, to get and trust a lawyer. The system is hard to understand. He warns them not to assume they will get through easily. He has a daily, amicable communication with ICE. Even in this heat (ha ha puh-lease we all need to laugh.)<br /><br />Some families show up with newspaper articles describing the crime and danger in their home communities. Some arrive with papers and proof (as in photographs) of killings and fear - anything that will help them find safety for a time. Still, LOTD. They try 40 families at a time at immigration hearings.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /><br />Eli explains that within the CRC are closets for clothing donations, tables for feeding, showers separated in an outdoor 18-wheeler container that used to be attached to a truck cab. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">He says it’s time to get to work, Se<span style="background-color: transparent;">ñ</span><span style="background-color: transparent;">ora.</span><span style="background-color: transparent;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I took you with me to try and restore dignity, theirs as well as my own.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6tyFHjxRSTH-EPuKz0ZuHYM7a91LADjQuMZZwElp9LfDqhXS_QgfXjSZsRxkjc471Jpo4PbWShdMwDo3PYawRvXhpD-NekTSjiWPTEMvweOF5C6rN7tSOBtd_0WbPEeWTjYyY/s1600/IMG_1933.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6tyFHjxRSTH-EPuKz0ZuHYM7a91LADjQuMZZwElp9LfDqhXS_QgfXjSZsRxkjc471Jpo4PbWShdMwDo3PYawRvXhpD-NekTSjiWPTEMvweOF5C6rN7tSOBtd_0WbPEeWTjYyY/s320/IMG_1933.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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(these are the showers)</div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Con cari</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ñ</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">o, mi profesora. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I don't know how to do this.</span></div>
<div class="a3s aXjCH " id=":2cd" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 1.5; overflow: hidden;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;">Mollie</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">***A list of items to send to the Catholic Respite Center coming soon. They need a bigger facility and are currently </span><a href="http://sacredheartchurch-mcallen.org/immigrant-assistance/donate-now/" style="color: #7d181e; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">accepting donations</a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> towards the building so they can serve more people in need:</span></div>
<div class="a3s aXjCH " id=":2cd" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 1.5; overflow: hidden;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">http://sacredheartchurch-mcallen.org/immigrant-assistance/donate-now/</span></div>
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</script></div>iMolliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03160207814587936875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20744733.post-43546577056824406812018-07-23T19:01:00.001-05:002018-07-23T22:10:52.726-05:00In McAllen, The Night Before<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">21 julio 2018</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Dear Se</span>ñ<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">ora,</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">We made it to McAllen, TX...after a few hiccups.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Remember that year, Spring Break in 1994, when we went to Cu</span>é<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">rnavaca and stayed with host families? Then the kids from those families came to Birmingham the next week to stay with us? And their flights landed in Birmingham before ours left M</span>é<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">xico? </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Today was a little like that.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">We had a flight delay, then cancel, then rebook, then delay again. Our housing arrangements fell through.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">I couldn’t rent the rental car with a debit card, so Rachel rented it with a credit card. Then we couldn't find the car. Then I couldn't find Rachel.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Then it all worked out.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">We are safe and weary, and still laughing and hopeful for tomorrow.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">I have been here two hours and already heard so much casual Spanish. It’s as if a sleeping rhythm inside me is creeping awake. I love this feeling.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">What stories will we hear tomorrow?</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Who will we meet?</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"></span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Will we actually help or will we be in the way?</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Will I understand when someone speaks to me?</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Mas despacio, por favor...C</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ó</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">mo se dice...Otra vez...</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">I will sleep now. Thank you, Se</span>ñ<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">ora.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Con cari</span>ño<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">,</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Mollie</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br /><br /><br /><br />***A list of items to send to the Catholic Respite Center coming soon. They need a bigger facility and are currently <a href="http://sacredheartchurch-mcallen.org/immigrant-assistance/donate-now/" target="_blank">accepting donations</a> towards the building so they can serve more people in need:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222;">http://sacredheartchurch-mcallen.org/immigrant-assistance/donate-now/</span></span></span><br />
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</script></div>iMolliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03160207814587936875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20744733.post-56441772076235661012018-07-18T13:22:00.001-05:002018-07-18T13:22:32.508-05:00Dear Señora...<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Dear Señora Maria Elena,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I want to call you right now, but I can't.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">You taught me how to pronounce words in Spanish, decorate vocabulary lists, start conversations, and order food at restaurants in another language. You guided me and classmates through writing a children's book - mine was about una mariposa named Pilar. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">You taught me the importance of word choice in communicating well.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">You took me to México - twice.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">You modeled a deep love for language and culture and prepared me to speak in this amazing and confusing world.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I want to call you right now and ask, "What words now? What words do I choose and use?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">People are in crisis all over the world. Children of tender age are separated from their parents on our watch.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">No puedo más, Señora.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I'm going to the border this weekend to learn the words, to study the intake procedures, meet families, help the helpers who are fatigued and still going. I hope to learn the words and the system to come home and help in my immediate community.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">When you passed away, your husband gave me this necklace of yours. You would wear it when you taught us about the Mayan culture. I will wear this necklace and take you with me to meet these families in crisis.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNzWW9dqs86MkaCDx7uYMM0pnMQykSXzkVCFDLGnIgGHZo-IOOd6qTxu5pgh2G-4b_SIYlTdh1_IXXw-JIQ8PXq6IlBBBc1ZOVoGdZ7RSQrpq5WXGGxfbzvbxEFIjv2AvlAMhd/s1600/IMG_1914.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1204" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNzWW9dqs86MkaCDx7uYMM0pnMQykSXzkVCFDLGnIgGHZo-IOOd6qTxu5pgh2G-4b_SIYlTdh1_IXXw-JIQ8PXq6IlBBBc1ZOVoGdZ7RSQrpq5WXGGxfbzvbxEFIjv2AvlAMhd/s320/IMG_1914.jpg" width="301" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />When we were in México together, you taught us to say Good Morning to our host mamas: Buenos días. In English we often follow that greeting with, "How did you sleep?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">In this Mexican community, after Buenos días, the custom was to ask, "Almaneciste bién?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">How did you dawn?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Did you rise well?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Señ</span><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">ora, we have all been sleeping. Some of us are sleeping too well.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">It is time for the dawn; it is time for us to rise well.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Almaneciste bién?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Si, señora. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Voy a almanecer.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Con mucho cariño,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Mollie</span><br />
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</script></div>iMolliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03160207814587936875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20744733.post-3675470498161413312018-07-15T20:21:00.003-05:002018-07-15T20:21:47.565-05:00Dear Donna at the TrakShakDear Donna at the <a href="http://www.trakshak.com/" target="_blank">TrakShak</a>,<br />
<br />
I walked in with a gift card to buy new running shoes.<br />
You asked what kind of shoe was I looking for.<br />
I said cute ones.<br />
You said, that's not how this works. Take off your shoes and walk across the room, let me look at your feet.<br />
<br />
So I did. You suggested three shoes, went and got them, and I tried them on.<br />
One pair felt like I was walking on clouds, another felt like I was walking on pillows, and the third felt like little angels rubbing my feet while they sang encouraging running songs.<br />
I picked the angels.<br />
<br />
All of that was awesome, but here is the real magical part:<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
I was born with flat, narrow feet leading to a tendency to pronate (ankles sinking inward) when standing, walking or running. I was also born with no desire to run fast.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixcXxuaMN4RBYRoRLHqZkrEtEu7gfPLHT4owHWFdMTbagDF1LrIkpcQLdYRXlCcfa4LmzZK1oXpO59dvg9Mfo_w1Y9uXIfSvLv5wzS6jG3jr5fq-KKpodRvZ9rnd5Dlz1NWHca/s1600/IMG_1868.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixcXxuaMN4RBYRoRLHqZkrEtEu7gfPLHT4owHWFdMTbagDF1LrIkpcQLdYRXlCcfa4LmzZK1oXpO59dvg9Mfo_w1Y9uXIfSvLv5wzS6jG3jr5fq-KKpodRvZ9rnd5Dlz1NWHca/s320/IMG_1868.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
I took some ballet classes in college and learned to slowly strengthen the muscles in my feet. Then I started studying yoga, and learned about the Deep Front Line (DFL) which starts at the arch of the foot.<br />
The DFL is in inner network of muscles and connective tissue that moves from the arches of the feet up the inside of the legs, through the inside of the torso, middle of the neck and out the tip of the tongue. Learning how to activate, energize and strengthen the middle of the body invites symmetry and balance to the arms, legs and head. It truly is magical.<br />
(More info here: <a href="http://benbenjamin.com/webinars/Anatomy%20Trains%206%20Color%20Notes.pdf" target="_blank">Anatomy Trains</a>, and <a href="http://robertsontrainingsystems.com/blog/The-Deep-Front-Line/" target="_blank">here</a>, along with training under <a href="http://www.melissascottyoga.com/about/" target="_blank">Melissa Scott</a> and classes with <a href="http://consciousbodyhealingarts.com/" target="_blank">Jasper Elliott Wolf</a>.)<br />
<br />
Back to the shoes. I have never worn the style of shoes I bought from you, Donna, because I was always a flat-footed-over-pronator. Now I am a flat footed, semi-strong arch, non-pronator. My feet changed through strengthening the DFL!<br />
<br />
Of course I didn't tell you all of this at the time because you were so nice selling me shoes and I was an easy customer who did not care to shop around.<br />
<br />
You said I was the easiest customer of the day.<br />
I say you are the nicest employee at the TrakShak.<br />
<br />
Also, thank you for putting my new box of angel shoes in a reusable tote bag. Now that my feet are stronger, I join you in saving the world with fewer plastic bags.<br />
<br />
Thanks again, Donna.<br />
<br />
Namaste,<br />
Mollie<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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<br />
More than 20 years ago, I was a dancer in your studio class. I was the awkward, overly-eager one.<br />
<br />
One day, you rolled out a skeleton on wheels and taught our class about connection, balance, and standing tall. You taught us how to stand before we moved. Then we moved, danced, leapt, stretched. Then you brought us back to standing: <a href="https://www.yogajournal.com/poses/mountain-pose" target="_blank">Tadasana</a>.<br />
The first time you said <a href="https://www.yogajournal.com/poses/mountain-pose" target="_blank">Tadasana</a>, something inside me shifted into a more familiar place and I was at once home in my body. Thank you for that.<br />
<br />
I am now a yoga teacher and every time I re-stack my bones - remembering to connect, to balance and to stand tall - I remember you and send you gratitude, love and light.<br />
<br />
I googled you recently and found your faculty picture: your body poised in <a href="https://www.yogajournal.com/practice/learn-crane-pose" target="_blank">Crane Pose.</a><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2eDhbnZVi5aOsoz-mSw1CAEJ1TJqjJGPcppOP6TM5lhMs-H8NGG4t31SW3prkeYhDx-viW4NFcb6W-4CxS3ilXKAgFcemtrfJac1MOPU7LAon3C06V0nqllLDYmIlDdreisf0/s1600/Anna-yoga-color.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="281" data-original-width="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2eDhbnZVi5aOsoz-mSw1CAEJ1TJqjJGPcppOP6TM5lhMs-H8NGG4t31SW3prkeYhDx-viW4NFcb6W-4CxS3ilXKAgFcemtrfJac1MOPU7LAon3C06V0nqllLDYmIlDdreisf0/s1600/Anna-yoga-color.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Something inside me celebrated and my brains said, "Of course!"<br />
The Crane is a bird that mates for life and has become a symbol of loyalty, love, and dedication. Just like you! For decades you have remained loyal to the art of dance, the power of yoga and sharing that with others...like me.<br />
You are a Crane, a beautiful Crane, and all of your students thank you for that.<br />
<br />
Namaste,<br />
Mollie<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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He was inspired by Leonardo (from Vinci) who found a basic pattern in the growth of a tree, a pattern that underlies the unique twists and turns that happen as the tree grows.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7fkMfmQQyWt6b5c0hPgNaGzlvwWkyzOufbsyTR_qxUPLR1Mf5qlOiYRUuMzvdtxhfmkBSHlmzXr6oqKJ0sXXJShUIbBxl0rx4p8lpFJ6WOfvVGQeYHCYU6hLBBLOqReCYg5CK/s1600/tree.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="271" data-original-width="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7fkMfmQQyWt6b5c0hPgNaGzlvwWkyzOufbsyTR_qxUPLR1Mf5qlOiYRUuMzvdtxhfmkBSHlmzXr6oqKJ0sXXJShUIbBxl0rx4p8lpFJ6WOfvVGQeYHCYU6hLBBLOqReCYg5CK/s1600/tree.jpeg" /></a></div>
<br />
He writes, "The tree spreads its branches and, as the years go by, its trunk gets bigger and bigger and the branches more and more numerous. <b><i>Every leaf at the top of the branches has a tube that goes through the trunk which keeps it in contact with the ground. It uses the tube to suck up its nourishment. </i></b>The trunk is where all these tubes are grouped together, which is why it is larger than the other branches...We can establish a rule of growth: the branch that follows is always more slender than the one that precedes it."<br />
<br />
I am in a Women's Group on Tuesdays. Every time we meet, we visit like trees coming together in a forest. We compare our slender branches and the strength of our "tubes to nourishment."<br />
If we were all to become one tree, in that one hour on Tuesday mornings, then we would be branches reaching out like hands, reminding each other to use the tube for nourishment, reaching down through our common trunk together, seeking God. God is our root system, our food source, our trunk.<br />
<br />
Sometimes we don't always look like trees that get along well in the forest. Sometimes our coming together is not always happy; sometimes trees can hurt and grow and be sad together.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8UHHkOp-gFRAxlLQkHz8r6Mag0O19TGr0NH9yVG3mJOS1JwSqReHjGjvz7wA5y53yeo4W6QOZ8BWZxKrTSU9Nn3GMtLxZXdkRiuwrVg_YtA1cTEhUPqDvY34IYvixnOeEJ161/s1600/tree2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="192" data-original-width="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8UHHkOp-gFRAxlLQkHz8r6Mag0O19TGr0NH9yVG3mJOS1JwSqReHjGjvz7wA5y53yeo4W6QOZ8BWZxKrTSU9Nn3GMtLxZXdkRiuwrVg_YtA1cTEhUPqDvY34IYvixnOeEJ161/s1600/tree2.jpeg" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
Lately, E. lost her kids to DHR again...T. lost her job because she couldn't find childcare or transportation...J. burned up her new apartment's kitchen...K. found out her mom has stage four cancer...B. went to the hospital with her husband who has a flesh-eating bacteria, and she forgot to pack compassion in her purse...S. is drinking again...C. went back to an abusive relationship where she is not safe because the shelters were too difficult to navigate...C. has not been to group in months and is not answering her phone...D. got a new tattoo of maybe a new boyfriend's name and lost possession of her apartment...<br />
<br />
Sometimes the branches of a tree look disorganized and bent by the wind. Maybe they are a little scrawny and haven't produced a leaf in years. But they are still connected to the tree. There is still a tube through that trunk.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPoiAo_lELehl5ztl7MVUUxpDkseX-xPHdacEW0tXCMQ0dqTwUzHCSzRmpNzXbKNyLE2HhARqwoHJ_P1sWadTfr4j8y3tG9aX0QcMiH_THCtUWZTIXEPyuRmXnufriv3g9JFTe/s1600/tree+3.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="194" data-original-width="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPoiAo_lELehl5ztl7MVUUxpDkseX-xPHdacEW0tXCMQ0dqTwUzHCSzRmpNzXbKNyLE2HhARqwoHJ_P1sWadTfr4j8y3tG9aX0QcMiH_THCtUWZTIXEPyuRmXnufriv3g9JFTe/s1600/tree+3.jpeg" /></a><br />
<br />
That gives me hope for my beloved Group that I look forward to each week...Our branches are weird and scrawny and tatted-up, but we are connected but tubes and roots, wrapped in the sturdy trunk of God.<br />
Amen to that.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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<br />
There was, of course, the heart-squeezing-brush-with-mortality-cancer-is-so-scary part of the reflection, and then there were celebratory moments watching <a href="https://images.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search;_ylt=A0LEVvFxREhZqVIAi7UPxQt.;_ylu=X3oDMTByMjB0aG5zBGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDBHNlYwNzYw--?p=synchronous+fire+flies+cades+cove&fr=yhs-Lkry-SF01&hspart=Lkry&hsimp=yhs-SF01" target="_blank">synchronous fire flies</a>, hiking trails, runs with Leroy the Dog, and splashing in the freezing cold creek.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYB5bOnf_Lz7ND8qiX9ce4Z1zS2YxZaiQ3guxCc3rBWeV_6Wk2oCw1EsHIajUM6e1zmrn2jvjBz7bXwbdvzx-p6rI9eHcSl74PfaCic_PK48BYE7wv4YXsMa30ZmW_kOHbWUci/s1600/IMG_0031.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYB5bOnf_Lz7ND8qiX9ce4Z1zS2YxZaiQ3guxCc3rBWeV_6Wk2oCw1EsHIajUM6e1zmrn2jvjBz7bXwbdvzx-p6rI9eHcSl74PfaCic_PK48BYE7wv4YXsMa30ZmW_kOHbWUci/s320/IMG_0031.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<br />
We walked about 1/1897 of the Appalachian Trail, and I am <i style="font-weight: bold;">sure</i> there are lovely sounds along the trail...like birds singing and water rushing and wind moving things...while hiking, this is all I heard:<br />
<br />
C: Look at that! Totally poison ivy! Wo...don't fall off <b>that</b> cliff...oooooooo a ROCK! Can I throw it? 'Member that time? Wait, can I tell you something before we remember that time? OK, look. at. that. cave. Let's take a picture! please? now? here? GO!<br />
Us: On the way back we'll take a picture. Let's keep seeing things!<br />
C: (<i>reluctant</i>) Okay...I'll DOG EAR that one.<br />
(<i>and she did.</i>)<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDD2tk6s3Eh0zFFCj9UWd0suexwqQtwte7IUlBAYQn-SFgI5MFNlf2wHuz5zpuqPU00vdXQlCexyC8DUhtS6oKiFemTynhEd2E9zX7QRe4pmXRhJpC5isYVAHXxkMYNJ4VV9U_/s1600/IMG_0041.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDD2tk6s3Eh0zFFCj9UWd0suexwqQtwte7IUlBAYQn-SFgI5MFNlf2wHuz5zpuqPU00vdXQlCexyC8DUhtS6oKiFemTynhEd2E9zX7QRe4pmXRhJpC5isYVAHXxkMYNJ4VV9U_/s320/IMG_0041.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<br />
C: (<i>while hiking</i>) The Law is No Texting and Hiking.<br />
<br />
While waiting for the synchronous fireflies start, H and C:<br />
"It's just some light-up bugs...can we just GO?"<br />
"Let's go back to the camper. I'm ready to <i>snore</i>."<br />
(<i>later they thanked their Dad profusely for the cool lightning bug viewing</i>).<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNDG1k9OEdbHpPMJc5obL8BGmrxHW_M7ko7RpRvAeXwIYy8Y1z96tPnfA3a2EKh20LziAYkB3w7e6hNPznxd4brpjrjZsnCg08iYeyvXtYg2PMtUu2GFtDKO2xlbzl7s9sxJzQ/s1600/IMG_0036.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNDG1k9OEdbHpPMJc5obL8BGmrxHW_M7ko7RpRvAeXwIYy8Y1z96tPnfA3a2EKh20LziAYkB3w7e6hNPznxd4brpjrjZsnCg08iYeyvXtYg2PMtUu2GFtDKO2xlbzl7s9sxJzQ/s320/IMG_0036.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
<br />
There was also the drive to the campsite when we realized...if you have a three-legged stool and you take away one of the legs, how does the stool stand?<br />
Exactly.<br />
With one kid missing, the other two did not know how to get along. Hashtagfamilysystemstheory.<br />
<br />
In the car:<br />
"You are a giant brat."<br />
"I just saw a sign that had three sight words!!! She. Rat. On."<br />
"Don't put your gum on me!"<br />
"Seriously?? For real?"<br />
"S/he started it!"<br />
"Do you want to have my fidget spinner for life? .....PSYCH!"<br />
"You are disgusting."<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPZ53YWNv7yGuM66I4EkxqrwoaZHoVo03dBSFI-t76YhL_uPv_SBvF6SSEqvs99au8jYWumb7auhUrt4nDoG82pGo52kKn9LGtml2AFISEOtMiJg19KtB-GUoXjIDx8hyphenhyphenjpZqe/s1600/IMG_0033.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPZ53YWNv7yGuM66I4EkxqrwoaZHoVo03dBSFI-t76YhL_uPv_SBvF6SSEqvs99au8jYWumb7auhUrt4nDoG82pGo52kKn9LGtml2AFISEOtMiJg19KtB-GUoXjIDx8hyphenhyphenjpZqe/s320/IMG_0033.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
An important, necessary, fun, adventurous milestone we needed to make.<br />
The fireflies were icing and an accessory.<br />
Hashtaggratefulforeverydaywithhusband.<br />
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<br />
Thank you for for taking my tendency to be a one-dimensional thinker, and writing a two-dimensional book to remind me to stand up and get a three-dimensional view of life. Perspective is a 3D process.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Noticer-Sometimes-person-little-perspective/dp/078523232X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1497881530&sr=1-1&keywords=the+noticer+by+andy+andrews" style="text-decoration-line: underline;" target="_blank">The Noticer</a> changed my life. A friend gave me a copy and told me to read it and pass it on. I waited about 7 months, then picked it up. I was nervous. I wasn't sure I wanted to "notice" anything else in the days I already found overwhelming. I was comfortable with my discomfort.<br />
<br />
I thought of so many friends while reading the story of you and Jones, but one in particular, Sunshine, received my copy. She read it and, along with a few other resources and hope-sources, found a new perspective. She, like me, realized that it wasn't just vienna sausages and crackers in the sand. It was surf and turf by the sea!<br />
Sunshine found a spot in a women's shelter, then secured an apartment and is on her way to getting her daughter back at home to live with her - no more sleeping on the streets.<br />
<br />
Another friend, moved by Sunshine's story and her insistence that our entire Women's Group read your book, bought copies for the <span style="text-align: center;">whole group.</span><br />
I can't wait to see what these ladies do with the fresh three-dimensional perspective you write about.<br />
<br />
Thank you so much, Mr. Andrews.<br />
<br />
Love,<br />
Mollie<br />
<br />
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<br />
I'm in a Women's Group that meets weekly, trying to bridge gaps across party lines, skin tan lines, money lines, chip/dip preferences lines, and smelly lines. Every. Single. Week.<br />
<br />
Last week was hard. It was a whole lot of fun with our first road trip together across state lines! It was also tiring to do the hard work of showing up to difficult questions.<br />
<br />
So I slammed on the brakes.<br />
I wrote down my tough questions.<br />
I showed up. Invited some friends.<br />
It was mostly awesome, but kinda sucked.<br />
<br />
Here are the questions:<br />
<br />
1. Why do I go to Women's Group every week?<br />
<br />
2. Why volunteer time anywhere?<br />
(<i>TBC, I am not a volunteer at Group. I am a member and participant. Sometimes the building that houses Group needs volunteers and then we take turns stepping up and in.)</i><br />
<br />
3. How much am I motivated by Guilt? by Goodness?<br />
<i>Wisely noted by another member of Group: Guilt is not always a bad thing. It can offer a moral and ethical boundary.</i><br />
<br />
4. What are the instructions in the Gospel for generosity?<br />
<i>My feeble understanding is to give away 100%; there is little-to-no mention of how to manage the continuum of enabling and empowering.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
5. How counter-cultural can we behave (as the New Testament encourages) and still function in our culture?<br />
<br />
6. Why continue...when it will never be enough?<br />
<br />
7. How do you keep Groups everywhere that cross racial, economic, religious barriers from becoming "crutches" for the underserved and instead make them "launching pads" <b>for all</b> to areas and situations with sufficient resources?<br />
<br />
8. What is it about being human that encourages us to focus on what is different about our neighbor, rather than what is similar...and is that a learned behavior?<br />
<i><a href="http://www.iamsecond.com/seconds/propaganda/" target="_blank">Propaganda</a> touched on this at a Catalyst conference, naming it the <b>Deficit Model</b>: when you approach a problem or a person concentrating <b>first</b> on what they <b><u>lack</u></b>. With this model there is always an <b>implied inequality</b>.</i><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Those were the magic slam-on-the-brakes questions I showed up to hear. Even with thoughtful friends and a two-hour lunch, we have no answers.<br />
<br />
We agreed that the point of Group was that all in the circle would be Seen and feel Heard. That's all we can do on this day.<br />
Seen and Heard may look like listening, crying, laughing, writing, sharing money, passing around essential oils, creating new oil blends to share, praying, arranging rides, or finding more aluminum foil to wrap around leftovers and send home with a sister.<br />
<br />
Part of the hard work of showing up is allowing the rules to form and change over what Seen and Heard looks like and feels like.<br />
<br />
I will continue to sit with these questions.<br />
As I'm ready, I'll ease off the brake and slowly roll forward...<br />
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</script></div>iMolliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03160207814587936875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20744733.post-76493984496950139902017-06-19T08:53:00.000-05:002017-06-19T08:53:17.218-05:00Dear Mrs. Roberts...<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">Dear Mrs. Roberts,</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">It's Mollie - we ran into each other the other day at Books A Million? You have been on my mind since then and I wanted to tell you something. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">I first met you when I was in sixth grade (1987). I was new to HMS and you were on the stage in the old gym and I was in the crowd on that red rubber floor. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">You taught us how to Pas de Bourree: Step in place with the Right foot. Step the Left foot out to the side, transfer weight into Left foot, lightly lift Right foot. Step Right foot back down and bring Left foot next to it. Sixth grade was my first year in Homewood and I was nervous and tragic, like all other 6th grade girls. I did not take dance lessons like the others...but I would fall asleep every night to the radio hoping "my song" would come on so I could dance one more time before sleeping. I loved it so much. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">You said step in place first: know your space and claim it before stepping out. That was my morning in the safety of my room. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">You said step the other foot out to the side - take a risk, try something new, put your weight there. That was my school day. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">You said come back to the center, bring your feet next to each other and stand strong. That was me safely back home at the end of the day. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">You blew my mind with that Pas de Bourree. You were patient and repetitive. You taught us all despite levels of experience. I felt important learning from you. It was my first invitation to dance and it felt like a glass ceiling breaking and disco balls spinning and everyone smiling. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">I went on to Cheerleading for 3 years (in order to dance more) then danced with the Star Spangled Girls. I took classes at BSC then Emory University, as well as dancing with 3 student-run dance companies while at Emory. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">Now I teach yoga and I regularly lift you up with gratitude for that first dance breakthrough that helped convince me I COULD DO IT. All I have to do is first step in place, then out to the side, then come back to my center and stand strong, feet side by side. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">Thank you, Mrs. Roberts.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">Love, </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mollie</span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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