heathercphipps Balance, Education, Gratitude, Happiness, Uncategorized

The Wrong Room

I’ve long been a fan of the expression (credited to many going all the way back to Confucius) that if you are the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room. (I also like the one that says the smartest person in the room is the room.)

Today I was reminded that this applies to almost anything. Smart. Funny. Creative. Interesting.

I saw an advertisement in my social media feed that said, “become the most interesting woman in the room.” It was an ad for one of the many apps that reduce books to fifteen minutes or ten key nuggets of wisdom.

Two thoughts.

The first is that if I am ever the most interesting woman in the room, I am most certainly in the wrong room. How incredibly boring would that be? I am lucky enough to spend my life with women who are smart and funny and creative and kind. They are wise and witty. They are mothers and teachers and friends and daughters. They are powerful, and they are humble.

And they are way more interesting than I am. That’s why I love to be in the room with them.

The second thought I had when I saw the ad was that we may have become too busy as a society if we need apps that reduce thoughtful books to a few nuggets we can knock out on a treadmill.

No judgement if these are helpful tools for any of you. I just know that SparkNotes might get you through a test over To Kill a Mockingbird, but it will never move you to tears.

Books are meant to be savored.

Whether it’s a fiction book meant to entertain you or a self help book meant to help you grow, snippets will never provide the breadth of what the author was trying to convey.

We get ourselves in trouble when we take a sentence out of context or reference only a piece of the whole. Use the apps if they work for you, but never stop reaching for the full meaning of things.

heathercphipps Uncategorized

What brings You JOY?

I was in a meeting this week at our Educational Services Unit. After about 30 minutes, I noticed the basket of supplies in the center of the table. I was immediately reminded of what I like best about being in that building.

Scented Markers!

Don’t get me wrong, I also appreciate all of the learning and relationships and connections I’ve made over the years when I’ve been there. I hope all of that goes without saying. But never underestimate the power of small things that bring you great joy.

Grape is my favorite. In case you were wondering. But blueberry is a close second.

A few years ago I read an article on finding small things that bring you joy. I wish I could remember who wrote it, so I could give them credit. It talked about how our physical spaces can be either sources of stress or sources of joy. Are there piles everywhere that serve as stressful reminders of tasks not yet accomplished? Is there clutter that makes you feel like you should be cleaning instead of reading a book?

Stress!

Or are your physical spaces filled with things that make you happy? Stacks of books by your bed that you’re excited to read. Candles or other things that smell good. Colorful notebooks and pens. Framed baseball cards. Books arranged in order by color.

I love the smile that crosses someone’s face when they realize that the books on my office bookshelf are in order by color.

Every one of is different in what brings us joy. For you, those stacks of papers may be comforting. They may make you feel like you have everything you need right at your fingertips. For some, a good smelling candle may be distracting.

We are unique. I challenge you to take some time this week to assess your physical spaces. How you feel about the places where you spend your time matters.

heathercphipps Family, Gratitude, Kindness, Optimism, Positivity, Uncategorized

7305 Extra Days

Today is the 20th anniversary of a day that didn’t change my life…but could’ve.

I was a teacher, and it was the last day of spring break.  Kelsey had just turned nine, and Hunter was almost seven.  The girls and I decided we’d spend our last vacation day going to the mall to Build a Bear.  I can’t honestly remember what animals they made.  Hunter would know.  She remembers all of it.

As we were checking out, I had a sudden and painful feeling in my throat.  I felt dizzy and nauseous.  The girl checking us out offered me a mint.  In hindsight her gesture of kindness has provided us plenty of laughs.  “Like a mint was going to save your life.”  How could she have known?

I have a connective tissue disorder called Marfan Syndrome.  It causes parts of my body to weaken over time, the most significant of which is my aorta.  And on that day I was having something called an aortic dissection.  There was a tear between the layers of my aorta, but I did not know it at the time.

We paid, left Build a Bear, and headed to the food court where thankfully a friend of mine was eating.  We call her my Guardian Angel.  I knew something was wrong, but I was insistent that this could not possibly be an aortic dissection.  She took over in that moment and drove my children and me to the hospital.

The story gets long and complicated from there. I’ve always believed I would write it all at some point. I’m less sure of that now. Suffice it to say that several hours later I finally had a CT Scan, was diagnosed, and was taken in to surgery.  The surgery lasted five hours, but the recovery took months.  Those five hours were so much harder for my family and friends than they were for me.  I honestly only know the details of the next few days from the things people have told me.

So many people.  A friend prayed over me before I went in to surgery. Friends and family spent time in the waiting room and countless hours sitting with me over the next days, weeks, and months.  People cleaned our house and brought us food.  One friend who lives out of town sent me a card and a package of some kind every day, every single day, for weeks.  My students wrote letters, and one even recorded her piano music to soothe me.  People are good beyond measure.

I also learned to be patient.  I dissected a week before my Master’s Degree comps and a week before my first interview for an administrative job. Obviously neither of those thing happened then.  But they did happen.  Eventually.  I have learned that for me things work out eventually, just not always in the way I envisioned or on the timeline I chose.

I also tell people that the most powerful lesson for me was to enjoy every day.  Every single day is a gift. We say that, and it is true.  Twenty years ago today I almost died, but I didn’t.  I have had 7305 extra days to learn and love and laugh.  I have had 7305 extra days to make mistakes, to fall down, and to get back up.

I have had 20 extra years to love my children and my husband and to meet my son-in-law and his precious, precious triplets.

Last week Bentley asked me about my scar. Maybe someday I’ll tell her the story.

For my birthday this year, I asked my family to go with me back to Build a Bear. It had, after all, been 20 years. It was a blast. And cathartic. And more emotional than my children and I could explain to the poor girl stitching Brooks’s dinosaur.

I guess I just want to say thank you to all of you who made that day, and the 7305 days that followed, a blessing.

heathercphipps Uncategorized

Standing on the Shoulders of Giants

In a 1675 letter, Isaac Newton said , “If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” He recognized that while he is remembered as one of the greatest thinkers, not just of his time, but in history, he only built on the thinking and discoveries of those who came before him.

None of us are starting from scratch.

I certainly didn’t.

We lost a giant this week, a woman who fundamentally changed the way our school district supports teaching and learning. When I was transitioning into my current position in the district, it was sitting in her seat, taking on her role, that was the most daunting piece for me.

Penny was in this role during the 80s and 90s and early 2000s when we were growing by leaps and bounds. We had multiple classrooms in gyms as new buildings were getting finished, and we had a curriculum management audit that revealed the dangers of losing control of the guaranteed and viable curriculum (before that was even a term we used) as we grew.

She led the writing of policies and the development of procedures that ensured what a student experienced in one school mirrored what they experiences in another.

We lean on those same policies and procedures today.

I can’t even begin to imagine what that work entailed. The knowledge and skill and vision required overwhelms me. Of course Penny was not alone in that journey, but she was a guiding force in the work. So many others led the way and served as leaders to grow our district into what it is today. We owe them a great debt.

As I transitioned and started this work, Penny and I had lunch many times. She would tell me about what it was like then. She would encourage me. She would talk to me about the coaching she was doing now, and she would most definitely coach me.

We lost a giant this week, and I am filled with gratitude for the legacy she leaves behind.

heathercphipps Balance, Gratitude, Grief, Happiness, Positivity, Uncategorized

Protect Your Joy

Life is short and unpredictable. As I watch my perfect little grandbabies grow up so much faster than any of us want, I am reminded of this. When I watch the news, I am reminded of this. In the ups and downs of any given day, week, season, I am reminded of this.

I had the chance to spend a little time with a phenomenal woman this week who reminded me of it as well. She shared a story from her past that taught her, at much too young an age, that life is short and unpredictable. But instead of choosing to live a life full of fear and apprehension and anger as a result, she chose to live a life full of joy. The lesson she chose to take from her earliest experience with loss was that because we don’t know what any moment will bring, we should learn to find as much joy as we can. And then protect it.

Protect your joy!

What a life lesson for us all. Find our joy. Then protect it with everything we have.

What does that look like? How do we do that?

Life is full of decisions. We have to decide if we want to accept that invitation to a social gathering or decline in order to spend the night at home. We have to decide if we want to take a class or apply for a new job or move to a new city. Sometimes the decision is as small as whether or not ask a friend to lunch; sometimes the decision is as big as whether or not to end a long-term relationship. There are so many lenses through which we can look at things when making decisions. I like this new one. What will protect my joy?

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not proposing we abandon logic and reason, compassion for others, care and service to our fellow travelers on this planet. There is always a lot to consider when making decisions of importance. But I’m adding this new thing to my thinking. I’ve spent a lifetime trying to find my joy. It’s worth protecting.

heathercphipps Uncategorized

Phenomenon

People say the days go slow, but the years go fast. Anyone with children can attest to this. Most of you know that my husband watches our triplet 2 year old grandchildren. This week he tried the first day at our house without pack-n-plays for nap.

It was a long day.

In a short week.

I can’t tell you how many people talked to me this week about a strange phenomenon. It was a short week. Many people had Monday off for Labor Day. In our district, students had Monday and Tuesday off. Short week.

But it felt so long.

Over and over people kept telling me how long the week felt. I reflected on why that might be.

I think some people have to pack 5 days of work into 4 days. That’s a challenge.

I think some people start the week with a mindset that it’ll go quickly. And that mindset gets in their way.

And, I think it’s just a strange phenomenon.

I guess what I’m saying is, “Enjoy your regular week.” It will probably be Friday you know it.

I’ll leave the blog about enjoying your Mondays for another time.

heathercphipps Uncategorized

Ode to 53

I like my eggs scrambled. I know this. It’s taken me years of trying them many ways, but now I know. I like them scrambled.

There’s a scene in the movie Runway Bride where Richard Gere’s character points out to Julia Roberts’s character that with every man she’s dated (or in her case run away from at the altar), she’s liked her eggs however they liked them. It wasn’t really about the eggs of course. The eggs were a metaphor. She didn’t really know who she was. Only after a year of spending time alone, and trying eggs in all of the different ways, does she learn how she likes them and who she is. And only then did she truly find happiness.

I was reminded of that movie this week. Music often inspires me, and this week I was listening to the song Country Again by Thomas Rhett. In it he celebrates finding his way back to who he is…who he has always been. He talks about trading Nashville for LA and reflects that he had stopped fishing and wearing his boots. His friends all thought he was too busy to talk, and he was spending too much time on his phone. He doesn’t regret those decisions. Each of them led him to the life he’s leading now. But the song is a celebration of finding his way back to who is really is.

“I saw the light. I found my way home.”

I have in many ways been a chameleon throughout my life. I feel comfortable in many environments, and I can fit myself into a variety of situations. I can be whoever I think I need to be in any give situation.

It’s a gift.

But like Julia Roberts’s character in the movie, if you fit yourself in too tightly, you can forget who you really are.

I don’t do that anymore.

I’ve embraced being 53, and one of the things that I’ve learned as I’ve rounded half a century on this earth is who I am. It’s been a bit of a journey, but I’m there. I’m lucky to work in a profession with such great intrinsic motivation. My job, my obligations, my commitments are all important to me. I take great pride in doing them well. For a long time they have defined me. But with age comes wisdom. I know now that my family and my friends in and outside of work and my well-rounded life define who I am. My triplet grandchildren help me remember what’s important.

“I saw the light. I found my way home.”

heathercphipps Back to School, Education, Teachers, Uncategorized

Seasons

Typically it is about this time of year when I wax poetic about the changing of the seasons. Fall is my favorite time of the year. But this isn’t about marching band or high school football or the changing of the leaves. There is plenty of time for that. This is about the seasons of life.

In his back-to-school welcome to staff, our superintendent shared a quote.

“Life is a series of seasons, and what works in one season may not work in the next.  What season are you in right now?  What does this season require?”  James Clear

It got me thinking about the seasons of my career. I’m starting year 32 in education.

In the 90s, I was a new teacher. I really had no idea what I was doing. (I have often thought that I need to reach out to those students who had me in my first few years and apologize.) I remember being surprised when I asked students to turn in their assignment and some did not have it done. What? Is that a thing? (Apparently I had forgotten any of the times I handed my own work in late.) I remember the first student who asked me if he could leave class because he “just needed to.” I told him no, and he proceeded to blurt out a profanity. He taught me that our students will often tell us what they need, if we will listen. And if we don’t, they will find a way to get it anyway.

And I remember Barb Lacey taking me under her wing and helping me learn the really important things. Engaging lessons, yes. Formative assessment, yes. But really she taught me that our relationships with students and with each other are what matter the most.

Somehow new teachers today seem so much more ready than I was.

In the early 2000s, I was a veteran teacher and an aspiring administrator. Just when I felt like I had my footing in the teaching realm, I was right back at the beginning in administration. I remember the day in my first year as an AP when I stood in our principal’s office and cried. He had told me before I took the job that a perk of administration was that I could go to the bathroom anytime I needed to. He lied, and I told him so. There was never time for a break.

I remember Jim Sutfin and Beth Fink and Marshall Smith helping me learn the ins and outs of this new world. Engaging professional learning, yes. Data-driven decision making, yes. But really they taught me that our relationships with students and with each other are what matter the most.

Now I guess I am a veteran administrator. And while I continue to learn from old and new mentors, it’s my turn to share what I know with others. I know a thing or two about good instruction, about systems leadership, about facilitating change. (I even know a thing or two about leading through a global pandemic now.)

But what I know most is what John Schwartz reminded us of at our kick off. Our relationships with students and with each other are what matter the most.

heathercphipps Gratitude, Happiness, Positivity, Traditions, Uncategorized

End of an Era

I’m sad about something silly. I fully acknowledge it’s silly, but I am genuinely melancholy about it.

We started our vacation with our usual bonus stop in Lincoln to get DaVincis. It’s been one of my favorite places since 1988 when I first tried their hot roast beef sandwich and cheese bread. If you know, you know.

I went to Wesleyan for my undergrad, and I didn’t have a car until senior year. You could really only get two things delivered to Wesleyan in the late 80s and early 90s. (Yes, I am dating myself.)

DaVincis. And Dominoes.

I have never been a fan of what we not-so-affectionately referred to as death disks, so DaVincis got my business. From freshman and sophomore years in Johnson Hall through junior year in the apartment we shared to senior year when we lived on the top floor of the scary house, it was a constant.

I love DaVincis hot roast beef sandwiches.

When we were first married, Justin and I would drive back down to Lincoln on weekends to get them. For a brief, shining moment, there was one at 132nd and Dodge in Omaha. It was always packed. It took forever to get through to them to place a take-out order. But it closed almost as soon as it opened.

Over the years, when we would head west for any reason, we’d stop in Lincoln to eat there. During Covid, we’d drive down for carry out and stop at the park near campus to eat. We picked up sandwiches when we met my parents outside Old Main for a Covid-friendly, outdoor play on the green.

It’s been part of my life for 35 years.

This time when we made it a point to stop by for lunch on our way out of town, I noticed something missing from the menu. You guessed it. No more roast beef sandwiches.

What?!?!

I know it’s just a sandwich, mind you the best hot roast beef sandwich on the planet. I know it’s silly to be genuinely sad about it being gone. But I am.

I also know that mostly I’m sad that I won’t bite into it and remember. Remember freshman year when I would hide out in the garden level lounge until Pam and Missy would rescue me and let me crash in their room. Remember Picture Man and a crazy photo shoot at a hotel. Remember dressing up and taking pictures with Santa at the mall. Remember stealing Easy Cheese from the guys who lived above us. Remember when we realized that the house we were renting only had a bathtub and not a shower.

Those were good times. And somehow as long as I could drive to Lincoln and enjoy a little DaVincis, it still felt like yesterday.

So I’m going to let myself be sad that my favorite sandwich is no more. And I’m going to be grateful for all of those relationships that are still so dear to me.

heathercphipps Gratitude, Happiness, Positivity, Purpose, Uncategorized

We Don’t Always Know

I just finished watching the most recent episode of this season’s Ted Lasso. Say what you will about Jason Sudeikis, Ted Lasso is the real deal. Every episode brings me almost to tears and affirms for me the goodness of people. The end of this one, filled with grace and forgiveness, was especially heart-warming. The episode though left me wondering something, so I did a quick IMDB search. Yep, as I suspected, next week’s episode is the last of the season.

Worse, I learned upon further research, it’s the last of the series.

No sooner did I figure out that Ted Lasso is coming to an end than my husband tells me that this weekend’s episode of Succession is the last one of the… you guessed it… series.

What is happening?

I want to know when I am starting the final season of a show. I want to know that I should savor every moment of each episode. I want to slow down and enjoy the moments, the characters I’ve grown to care about. The sudden jolt shook me. Not real world shook me. I get it’s just television. But I was genuinely sad.

We should know when the end is coming, so we can prepare. There should be time to get our mind around what comes next. We should recognize the need to fully appreciate the experience.

But we don’t always know.

All too often significant things change in an instant. The unexpected can rock our world with absolutely no warning. Even when things happen slowly, the end of elementary school comes to mind, the moment often feels sudden. There’s a lesson in the end of Ted Lasso, and it isn’t even a subtle one.

We should always slow down and savor the moment. We should always pause to notice the sunset over the baseball field on a spring night or the clouds that roll in before a thunderstorm. We should always take the call even though we are busy.

Ultimately it is people who make a life. Our family, our friends, the woman at McDonalds who knows I like oatmeal in the morning. We should relish the time we have with our people.

Because we don’t always know.

heathercphipps Kindness, Uncategorized

Courteous


Polite. Respectful.  Considerate in manner.

I work with someone who is very courteous.  I work with many courteous people, but one in particular inspires me to be more polite.  I was in a meeting with him this week, and he got up in the middle of it to close the blinds in the room.  The sun was shining in someone’s eyes.  Not his eyes.  Someone else’s eyes.  He didn’t close the blinds to help himself.  He closed the blinds to help someone else.  He didn’t comment on it.  He didn’t make it a big deal.  He simply got up and did it.  I’m not even sure anyone else noticed it.

It shouldn’t be old fashioned to be polite.

It shouldn’t be unusual to go out of your way to hold a door.

It should be commonplace.  It should be the way we all behave.  Polite and respectful should be the norm.

I am not venturing into conversations about politics or social media or any of the many other things around which we could discuss civility.  I am truly just talking about the way I want to behave on a day to day basis with the real people I know and with whom I spend my time.  I want to be more polite, more respectful, more considerate in manner.  I want to do small things without being asked, without expecting thanks.

There is great strength in quiet graciousness.

 

heathercphipps Autumn, Fall, Halloween, Happiness, Optimism, Uncategorized

October Again

October has returned, and unlike my usual post about things feeling hard this time of year, it feels lighter. There is beautiful weather, and there are trips to the pumpkin patch and football and concerts and plays. There are vanilla-flavored candles and fun decorations on the mantle. I love October!

But I know October can also be hard. We’ve moved past the beginning of the year honeymoon phase. Students and teachers are ready for a break. But first there is the end of the quarter and conferences and professional leaning and report cards.

This can be a challenging time.

Something I have learned through the years though is that spending too much time focused on the negative serves no value.

October has returned, and I am thrilled.

This has always been my favorite time of the year.

Halloween is big in my family. What’s not to love? Costumes and candy and pumpkin-spiced everything. This year we are taking our daughter to Disneyland to experience Halloween Disney style! We are picking out costumes for the triplets. I’ve got pumpkins in the entryway and gourds at work. It’s beginning to look a lot like Halloween.

You can feel a change in the weather. The leaves are on the cusp of turning. It is finally sweatshirt weather. There is comfort in thick socks and a soft sweater. There is comfort in wrapping up on the couch in a blanket reading a book. I spent hours doing that this weekend.

In the sweltering heat of July and in the frigid cold of January, I sometimes wonder why we live here. October reminds me! Autumn in the Midwest is spectacular. Nebraska is at her best when the rustic colors fill the trees and the gentle rain coats the streets. (It will rain again someday, right?) This is my favorite time of the year, and I know I am not alone.

I encourage you to pause in the midst of the crazy this week and savor the season. It goes by much too fast.

Focus less on the negative and more on the positive.

When someone says, “How are you?”  Answer, “Fantastic!”

Positivity is contagious.  Spread it around.

October has returned, and I am thrilled.

heathercphipps Community, Leadership, Positivity, Uncategorized

Nurture the Relationship

Every interaction you have matters!  Every interaction you have builds or damages the relationship.

Schools have not traditionally thought of themselves as organizations with customers or brands.  But of course we are.  Today more than ever we are the topic of conversation in the neighborhood, on Facebook, on Twitter.  Our students, our staff, our parents, and our community have a broad platform from which to share their experiences in our schools.  We are telling our stories, and they are telling our stories.

Each time we answer the phone or greet someone at the door of our school, we make an impression.  Each time we say hello in the drop-off lane or greet a student by name in the hallway, we make an impression.  We nurture the relationship, or we damage the relationship.

We know that we are able to do more positive things for our students when we have positive relationships with them.  The same is true for our staff and for our families.  Are we focusing enough on building those relationships?

It’s a busy time.  As we roll into October, it gets even busier.  Fall sports are in full swing.  Parent teacher conferences are right around the corner.  The end of the quarter means assessment and grading and report cards.  It can get overwhelming.

I know that for me, the busier I get, the more likely I am to rush my interactions with people.  I get focused on my tasks and forget my relationships.  I am setting a goal for October to stay focused on people, to nurture the relationship in all of my interactions.  I hope you’ll join me.

heathercphipps Back to School, Community, Positivity, Purpose, Uncategorized

You Love Your Students

I had the opportunity to listen to some of our students this week talk about what makes our school district special. Without exception, they all said the same thing. You.

They talked about their teachers making them feel like school was more than just school. They talked about it being a community. They talked about it being a family. They talked about the connections they have with the adults in the building.

You show up. You go to their games. You go to their performances. You read their writing. They said it over and over again.

You engage with them. You ask how their lives are going. You ask about their family. You notice things about their friends. You engage with them on a personal level. They notice.

You push them. You encourage them to be more than they thought they could be. You challenge them to learn more, try more, do more than they thought they could. They appreciate that.

You care. Beyond whether or not they learn the facts, the information. You care about them as people. And they know it.

Our schools are a community. Together our district is a community. Our students said it beautifully. They recognize how much more than reading, writing, and math is happening in our buildings. And they appreciate it. They know what makes this district special. You.

Thank you!

heathercphipps Leadership, Queen Elizabeth, Uncategorized

We All Need a Queen

The world is grieving this week. We’ve lost an icon, a leader most of us have been following our entire lives.

Through the good and the bad.

She was painted as the villain at times. The death of Princess Diana comes to mind.

But mostly she’s been the hero.

Her picture is on money and in classrooms. She has captivated the world for almost a century with her unfailing ability to stay steady.

Queen Elizabeth II was the rock. She was the poised and polished person who told the world things would be okay. She eased our grief. She calmed our nerves. She inspired us.

She saw her people through war and depression and pandemic. She worked with countless Prime Ministers and Presidents and other world leaders. She lived and led though the history we study in books. She is that history.

The world’s grandmother.

Much can, and will, be said about the constitutional monarchy. I’m a child of democracy. Much can, and will, will be said about modernizing. This is an opportunity.

But for now, we grieve and mourn and pay our respects.

We all need that person in our life who is steady and calm. A port in the storm. We need someone who we can count on to respond as predicted. There is something comforting about knowing how how a person will be.

Regardless of the political party in power, she stayed consistent. Through good times and bad, she stayed solid. Unflappable.

We need those people in our lives. We need those leaders in our lives. Gallup tells us that we need leaders to provide trust, stability, compassion, and hope. The Queen was the embodiment of stability.

She was a model of steadfastness for any of us who aspire to be effective leaders.

We all need a Queen.

heathercphipps Activities and Athletics, Back to School, Community, Uncategorized

Community (week two)

It happened again. Every year, like clockwork. You’d think I’d be over it by now, but I’m not.

Friday night was our first high school football game. Better, it was Millard verses Millard, always a great night. It might have been the biggest crowd I’ve seen in the stadium. Red out on one side- neon on the other. Fabulous band. Fabulous dance team. Fabulous football on the field.

And our community.

There were students broadcasting the game. There were students cheering. There were coaches and sponsors and people from our tech team supporting everything our students were doing.

And our community.

There is something about this gathering on Q Street under the lights that gets me every time. In the middle of the third largest school district in the state, we suddenly feel like a small town again.

Last night I got to see it all through new eyes. We have a new superintendent, and it was fun to watch him be part of it.

Don’t get me wrong, I know we are not unique. I know that in hundreds of schools across our state and thousands across the county the same thing happened Friday night. Individual communities coming together as one, in a stadium, connected.

In a time when it can feel like we are more divided than united, it felt good. I took a moment on the field to just pause and take it all in.

As we kick off this new school year, let’s look for those moments. Let’s pause and look around and notice all the good in the world. Adults who give of their time to support students and students who risk and take on challenges and push themselves outside of their comfort zone to write and speak and sing and compete and perform.

And the community of friends and parents and grandparents and neighbors and retired teachers and total strangers who show up to support them.

Our community.

heathercphipps Back to School, Community, Education, Positivity, Team, Uncategorized

Community

I spent Saturday morning with an amazing community. Actually, I spent it with a community of communities. We had the annual fun run for our mentoring program, and our staff showed up in huge numbers. School sprit was on full display.

I’ve written before about the power of showing up. For your family. For your friends. For your community.

What struck me yesterday was the shared community of people that has been created, has grown, exists (I can’t put my finger on the right verb) within each school and district office. And then how each of those comes together to form the larger community of our district.

People are our greatest resource is one of our district’s belief statements. Nothing truer was ever said. People showed up to support a great cause, but more, they showed up to be part of their community.

As leaders, our job is to help foster community. Each of us plays a role in building the culture and climate of our school or office.

Together we are stronger, smarter, better. We need each other. If the last few years have taught us anything, it’s how much we need each other.

It was powerful to see teams of people from each of our schools come together to compete, yes, but also to show that they are committed to their students, their families, their community.

Our community.

This week pay attention to the many different communities in your life. Your family and friends, your neighborhood, your school or workplace, your place of worship. How are you showing up for them?

heathercphipps Back to School, Education, Leadership, Perseverence, Uncategorized

Be Ironman

In The Martian, the Oscar nominated film based on a book by Andy Weir, astronaut Mark Watney is stranded alone on Mars for almost 18 months. He endures hardships and hunger the likes of which we could only imagine.

When his crew mounts a rescue mission, he launches himself off planet in an attempt to re-connect with them. When the first attempt fails, and they miss catching him, he is faced with a choice.

In order to get enough propulsion to be saved, he has to cut a hole in his space suit. His suit that is the only thing standing between him and the perils of space. It’s a risk, a life-threatening risk.

As he slices open his glove, he muses that he is going to fly like Ironman.

As we launch into a new school year, I’ve been reminded how many times we ask our students to take risks. We ask them as freshman to sign up for an AP course. We ask them as first graders to try to read a passage out loud. We ask them as 7th graders to step on to a stage and try out for a play.

And we promise to catch them.

I’ve been watching carefully as my one year old grandchildren (triplets in case you didn’t know) take risk after risk as they learn to walk and talk and tackle this world.

Fearless.

As adults, it can be just as hard to take risks. Retiring from a lifelong career and stepping into something new is a challenge. Taking on a new leadership role is daunting. Picking up a new hobby, forging new relationships, trying something new is a risk.

But with risk comes reward.

Playing it safe might be easier, but as we kick off a new year, consider what you could gain by taking a risk.

Is there something you’ve always wanted to do but were afraid to try?

Is there a place you want to visit? A person you want to get to know? Something you want to learn?

Take to risk. Punch the hole in your space suit.

Be Ironman.

heathercphipps Back to School, Education, Gratitude, Happiness, Positivity, Uncategorized

A Welcome Lightness

It’s back to school time, with the exception of Halloween, my favorite time of the year. Teachers are moving back into their classrooms. Students are getting their schedules and learning how to open their lockers (no small feat). Administrators are unveiling fun new themes for the year meant to inspire. We are gathering together to meet new people and reconnect with ones we haven’t seen for awhile. There is a buzz in the air that cannot be replicated any other time in a school year.

And this year, a lightness.

The past three years have been heavy. There have been plenty of amazing and joyful and happy times, but there has also been an undercurrent of heaviness. We have all lived through the unprecedented. We have endured things both physically and emotionally that we could not previously have imagined. I’m not saying things are back to normal. I’m not saying we don’t still have plenty of things that are heavy. But this week I felt a lightness.

I couldn’t put my finger on exactly what felt different. We’ve had a back to school week for all 30 years of my career in education. There has always been a kick-off of some kind. There have always been students practicing on the fields and marching in the band. Teachers have always been hanging bulletin boards and setting up libraries and making lesson plans. But this week felt different.

This week felt like stepping out of something heavy and into something light. Someone who has always been so supportive of this journey to blog and tell my stories asked me when I would start publishing again. It was the push I needed, the gentle nudge to return to the lightness. I’m grateful for his words.

I know that many of you may still be in the midst of hard things. I know that there are many hard things to come. But my wish for you as we start this year is to seek out the lightness.

It feels amazing!

heathercphipps Gratitude, Happiness, Positivity, Uncategorized

We’re Getting Them Ready

I’ve set some goals for 2022. I’m not calling  them resolutions, too much pressure, but I’ve set some goals. They relate to my own health, specifically around what I eat and how and how often I move. I know I’m not alone. Diet and exercise are common resolutions as we start a new year.

This week though I was reminded that as I work toward a me that feels healthier, I should not forget to appreciate the me that is now. We all know that tomorrow is not guaranteed. I want to plan for a future where I am a better version of myself, but I also want to enjoy the me I am today.

Many times you will hear a 5th grade teacher or an 8th grade teacher or a 12th grade teacher talk about getting students ready for next year. The focus is on building the skills they will need at the next level.

Is our goal to help students be successful middle schoolers, high schoolers, and adults?

Yes.

And.

Our goal is also to help students love the year they are in right now. You only get one chance to be the top dog in the school. You only one chance to enjoy being the older one, the mentor, the leader. I hope our students are about to embark on the most amazing semester of their lives. I hope they get to do things for the first time, and for the last time. I hope they are learning what they need to be ready for next fall, but I also hope they are embracing who they are today. I hope they are seen for the remarkable humans they are today, not only for the spectacular people they will become some day.

I want that for you too. And for myself.

Will I become a better version of myself in 2022? That is the goal. But I will also strive each and every day to appreciate the person I am right now. I hope you will do the same.

heathercphipps Blogging, Purpose, Uncategorized

Narrate the Story Well


I put off reading Where the Crawdads Sing for far too long. I’m not sure why. Everyone said I would love it. Everyone was reading it. But I put it off and put it off. When I finally did read it, I loved it. Just like everyone said I would.

It appears I have done it again. I started reading The Book Thief this week. It’s hardly new. In fact the movie based on it came out in 2013. (I haven’t seen that either.) And I am smitten. It is beautiful.

I will likely watch the movie once I finish the book, but I cannot imagine the story without the narrator. To me, the beauty in the story lies completely and totally with the narrator. His skill with language. His ability to talk right to me. His recognition that “the people left behind” have stories worth telling. And his love for the girl.

Did I mention that the narrator is Death? And again I am smitten.

There is something about a really good story that moves me. But there is something about a really good narrator, the ability to share someone else’s story, that moves me even more.

It got me thinking about our own stories.

I am a passionate advocate for telling your story. It’s hard to imagine someone who blogs who isn’t. Each of us has experiences and perspectives and stories that need to be told. Sometimes we share our stories ourself, but sometimes we get the joy and the honor and the responsibility to tell someone else’s story.

Tell it well.

I want to be the kind of person that shines a light on others. I want to be the kind of person who is looking for stories to be told. I want to be the kind of person who others trust with their ideas and their perspectives, and I want to put those things out there for the world to see.

I have a long way to go, but Death reminded me this week that narrating a story well is a worthy goal.

heathercphipps Uncategorized

Empower Others

I am recovering from Covid. I wish I didn’t have to say that, but there it is. Like so many people I know, I had Covid. I am grateful that it was a mild case. Two weeks ago on Friday it was decided I should get an infusion of monoclonal antibodies. It was almost 7:00pm though before the pharmacy department could submit the orders. No one would be in the infusion clinic that late, so the woman who called me gave me a number. “Heather,” she said, “no one is there to get these orders tonight, and you should give them some time tomorrow. But if you don’t hear from anyone by mid-afternoon, call this number.” She joked that whoever answered the on-call pager number would not be happy that she gave me that number, but she didn’t want me to get lost in the system. She knew it was not ideal to be starting the process late on a Friday night, and she wanted me to be equipped with what I would need to advocate for myself.

I did need the number.

On Saturday I talked to the person who answered the on call pager number. She listened to my story and made a few calls. She let me know that I would be scheduled for Monday, and that the infusion clinic would call me Sunday to give me the details. “Heather, I want to be sure you get the information you need tomorrow. If you don’t hear from anyone by mid-afternoon tomorrow, here is the direct number to the infusion clinic.”

I didn’t need the number.

On Sunday I was given incredibly helpful details and all the information I needed. But at the end of the call, you guessed it, I was given a number to call if I had any issues on Monday.

I did need the number.

As you might imagine, UNMC is very careful with Covid positive patients. I’ve been almost everywhere at the Med Center, but this was a parking lot I had never seen. I called the number, and a woman with enormous patience talked me through turn after turn until I found my way.

My experience in the clinic was extraordinary. I’ve already written UNMC about my appointment, but what made the strongest impression on me was the way in which every single person in the process empowered me. At every step, I was in possession of the necessary information to advocate for myself.

There is a sense of calm that comes with knowing you are not dependent on people or systems to work without hiccups. There will always be hiccups. Without the numbers to call, my situation would have been fraught with anger and frustration and fear. I felt none of that. The staff made sure I had what I needed; they empowered me.

We all need an assist from time to time, someone to spot us as we get stronger.  But there is no greater feeling than be able to do it yourself.

It feels good to be the one who can get things done for others, but it is far better to be the one who empowers them to get things done for themselves. 

 

heathercphipps Uncategorized

Have Fun at Work

I was scrolling through social media one night when I came across this picture. I mean I think almost anyone would stop and ask what was happening here. Then two weeks later, this. Another scroll-stopping moment. Anna and Sean are having fun at work!

Never underestimate the power of working with people you genuinely enjoy and having fun at work.

This week I was on a Zoom with a colleague, and I noticed a hand hanging from his ceiling. Just the hand, not the rest if the body. When he noticed my expression he said, “either my staff is embracing Halloween, or I am in some trouble.”

Those people know how to have fun. They once turned him into a bobble-head which they photographed in all kinds of interesting places before gifting him with both the bobble-head and the pictures. He genuinely enjoys them, and they genuinely have fun at work.

Some weeks we spend more time with our work family than our actual family. It matters that we know them, that we like them, and that we find ways to have fun at work. Our overall wellness depends on it.

heathercphipps Gratitude, Uncategorized

Practice Random Acts of Gratitude

I have a couple of friends who randomly send me candy in the school mail. Sometimes it’s Sweet Tart Ropes, other times Airhead Extreme Bites. (Yes, I eat like a 12-year-old.) Every time, it makes me happy. It is a simple gesture that serves no purpose except to make me happy.

This week one of you got flowers at work for no reason. It was simply a way for your friend (or your souse or your children or your parents) to say they were thinking about you. To say that they appreciate you. To show you that they love you. And it made you happy.

Random acts of kindness aren’t new. But this week I was reminded that random acts of gratitude are just as important.

A group of our district level leaders showered heaps of unexpected gratitude upon some of their colleagues. They “filled their bucket“ quite literally.

There was candy. There was Coke Zero. There were notes and pictures and genuine, meaningful expressions of gratitude.

It was a simple and unexpected gesture meant to convey thanks. It served no purpose other than to show the recipients that they are appreciated, and I have a sneaking suspicion it made them very happy.

My focus for this week is to emulate those random acts of gratitude. I want to find unexpected and simple ways to let the people in my life know that they are seen, that they are appreciated, and that I am unbelievably grateful for their presence in my life.

Sometimes I think we believe that in order to truly show someone we truly care, we have to do something large or expensive or time-consuming. I think we underestimate the power of small and unexpected gestures of gratitude.

So let me start by saying I am grateful for the amazing people who modeled this for me this week. I am grateful for so many people right now, and I think it’s a worthy goal for the week to find ways to let them know.

heathercphipps Back to School, Positivity, Uncategorized

Make Your Kids Feel Special

Often the first time students and families get to see the school each year is at Open House or Fall Orientation.  For some, this is the third or fourth or fifth time they’ve been to back-to-school events in a building.  For others, it is their first time.  This is our chance to set the tone for the year, to make families feel welcome and to make students feel special.  

And boy did our schools get that job done.  Teachers handed out Blow Pops that said, “thanks for popping in.”  They had remarkable door decorations.  There were balloons and music and mascots.  It was energizing.

Then on Wednesday we had what is, for me, the most exciting day of the year, the first day of school.  One of the things I like most about working in education is that we get a fresh start every year.  The quote below is one of my favorites.  It is an excellent reminder for me some nights. 

“Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.” Ralph Waldo Emmerson

I think it is also important in education.  Finish each year and be done with it.  You did what you could.  The first day of school is a new day, a new start.  We shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with our old nonsense.  That’s what I want for our students too, a new year, and I want more than anything for them to feel special.

And boy did our schools and our families get that done too.  

Beadle Middle School clapped students in as they arrived for the first day.  Sandoz laid out a literal red carpet.  At Hitchcock the students worked together to develop the rules and expectations for the year.  Disney had a community partner who provided school supplies for their students.  Every single student has what they need for the year.  At Central Middle School a teacher was playing piano and entertaining the students outside as they arrived.  Our administrators dressed in matching school gear.  There were giant yard signs where parents could snap creative first day pictures.  

At the end of the day, when I logged on to social media, I was showered with post after post of those first day of pictures.  Collages of the first day of kindergarten compared to the first day of senior year.  Shots of moms and dads ready for their first day of teaching posing with their children ready for their first day of learning.  You flooded my feeds with pictures of your own children and pictures of your school children being loved and being nurtured and being made to feel special.

And that is what the first week of school is all about!

 

heathercphipps Gratitude, Happiness, Kindness, Optimism, Positivity, Uncategorized

Shine a Light on Others

It’s been a lifechanging summer for me, no exaggeration. You all know this. My daughter had triplets, my first grandchildren. I underestimated the impact this would have on my life and the joy it would bring me. I mean I knew it would be amazing. But until I saw them, held them, I didn’t really KNOW.

I want so much for them. I want them to be healthy, of course, but I want as much for them to be happy. I want them to spend their life in a world that is good and loving and kind.

I want that for you too. And for me.

I have been reflecting this summer on what I want this blog to be. As hard as it is for me to believe, it has been almost 7 years since I started this. When I first launched it, I called it Educator Insights. It was a way for me to share my ideas and my thoughts as an educator.

But I have changed. The world has changed.

I’m not really sure if that’s true or not, but it feels that way at times. The last few years have been heavy. We all know the reasons. It feels all too often that media (traditional, alternative, and social) is feeding a culture of negativity instead of fostering positive discourse and uplifting stories.

I have always believed that Steve Hartman has the greatest job in the world. I still do. He has spent his career telling other people’s stories. Stories of kindness and grace, of love and compassion. I don’t know if it has helped him have a happier life, but I know his stories have helped me have a happier life.

I am starting my 30th year in education. I have had the chance to teach and to learn, to grow and to grow others, to lead and to be led. This summer has been a time of renewal, and I’ve been pondering what I want the next 30 years to be.

And I think I have it figured out.

I want to tell your stories. I want to share the countless examples of selflessness and courage and kindness that I see everyday. I want my voice and this blog to be a place where our faith in humanity is affirmed and uplifted.

The name of the blog has changed. The intent of the blog has changed. I’ve spent the summer watching you all do amazing things, big and small. Next week I start sharing them.

* photo behind the scenes at Joey Winn Photography

 

heathercphipps Uncategorized

Our Tribes

I have been blessed in my life. I have family and friends who would and have done anything for me. They’ve shown up each and every time I’ve needed them. They have fed my family when we’ve been in crisis. They have loaned us cars when we’ve had the occasional accident. They have cleaned our house, driven the children places, taken them so we could get a break. You name it, they’ve done it.

Of course it’s the intangible ways they’ve shown up that have meant the most. It’s the phone call after a bad day, the text to ask how we’re doing, the flowers that show up for no reason at all.

They have been there for every single thing we’ve ever needed.

But this week I am reminded of just how big our tribe has been. Besides our family and friends there have been teachers and pastors and neighbors. Such great neighbors.

My children had Ed & Linda, Brian & Brenda, the Savages, the Barbers, the Geigers, now Eric & Stacy and Paul and Terry and June. People who watched out for them. People who would step in and help if needed.

We’ve been blessed.

Our tribes come in many forms. Some are filled with people we see everyday. Some are filled with those we only hear from once and awhile. All are important to us.

Pay attention this week. And maybe reach out to a few those in your tribe who you haven’t talked to in awhile. Life is fragile, and every day is a chance to let the people you love know it!

heathercphipps Uncategorized

Silver Linings

A year ago I wrote this blog with a friend. We made the decision that the time was not right to post it. There was too much trauma, too much to absorb to share it at the time. But I found it again this week, and I felt like the time was right. I’m not updating it. I’m not making the verbs past tense. We are still in this. But I am asking that we reflect on a year ago. I showed more grace to others and to myself a year ago. I took more walks a year ago. I found more intentional ways to connect with the people I love a year ago. I think it would be a mistake not to learn from the last year, not to reflect on what matters most, and not to continue living our lives with that in mind.

There is no silver lining to the Coronavirus. There is no silver lining to people gasping for breath or dying alone. There is no silver lining to overwhelmed hospitals or lack of ventilators or health care workers being forced to choose who lives and who dies. No silver lining to any of that. COVID-19 is a global pandemic, and there is no silver lining to a global pandemic.

But in order to fight the spread of the virus, we have come together and made significant changes to our way of life.  Closing bars and restaurants and gyms and even schools has forced us into a more simple existence.  We are making do with less.  We are buying less.  We are running around less.  We are living smaller lives with greater significance.

And that, when the illness and the death and the crisis is over, will be a silver lining.

We are doing less of the things that aren’t really good for us anyway.  Gambling is at an all-time low.  Crime rates are dropping.  Pollution is lessening.  We are giving our children afternoons and evenings off instead of keeping them scheduled from sun up to sun down.

Hospitals are only treating those with the most needs. We are feeding the hungry and providing access for those who can’t afford it.

We no longer judge weddings or funerals by how many people were there or how elaborate the flowers were or how much money was spent planning it.  It’s about the people we love the most coming together in those moments.

Sports headlines are about the players.  They’re about what we miss- people doing what they love and pushing themselves to compete at the highest levels. It’s not about winners and losers.  It’s about the joy of the game.

We are working out for free.  Kids are playing outside without equipment or video games or electronics, using their imaginations.  

Families are spending time together, sitting on front porches, taking walks together.  Parents are focused on their children.  Siblings are talking to each other and playing with each other and recognizing the bond they will always share. 

We are cooking more.  Even if we get take-out or delivery to support our local businesses, we are eating together at home.

We call each other and text and snap and Facetime just to connect.  We are connecting with people who have always been there, but we have been too busy to pause and take the time to see.

All of these are silver linings.  

All of these are things that we should hold dear and take with us into the after.  Because there will be an after.  And if we can learn from this current way of life, there will also be a silver lining.

heathercphipps Community, Gratitude, Happiness, Uncategorized

Be That Kind of Person

Two things happened to me in the last week that boosted my mood almost as much as the sunny weather.

At the end of a long day, after a two hour Zoom meeting, I got an email from a friend. “Your hair looked gorgeous today.”

Day made.

Later that week, I was walking by a woman, a total stranger, eating out on a restaurant patio. As I passed, she said, “That shirt looks beautiful on you.”

Day made.

Don’t get me wrong, I want to be known as someone who is smart and compassionate, capable and kind. But there is something so great about a simple, genuine compliment.

When someone gets their hair done, tell them you like it.

When someone wears a new outfit, tell them they look nice.

I’m not suggesting insincerity. I am suggesting that when we take a moment to make someone else feel seen, valued, appreciated, beautiful, it can make their day.

Be that kind of person!

 

heathercphipps Marfan Syndrome, Trauma, Uncategorized

What My Brachial Artery Taught Me


Seventeen years ago this week I almost died. I’ve written about it in bits and pieces over the years, and I’m sure I’ll continue to do so. It was a defining moment in my life.

Because of a genetic disorder, the vessels in my body are weak and prone to tears. At times the tears are minor and easily fixed, in my legs, in my nasal cavity. At times they are more significant, in my brain, in my heart.

An aortic dissection, a tear in the inner lining of the largest vessel in our body, causes significant internal bleeding and needs immediate and significant intervention to prevent death.

That’s what happened 17 years ago this week. I told that story a few years ago, but today the story on my mind is what happened 3 months later.

I noticed on a Saturday that my arm was cold to the touch. Weird. Sunday was the same. By Monday a friend whose brother-in-law is a doctor told me that I needed to get it checked out. Fine. I’m stubborn, but I’d learned the hard way to check it out when something is off.

It turned out that I had a new dissection. This one was in my brachial artery. I had no blood flow to my arm, no pulse could be found. I ended up in the hospital for more days for this far less serious condition that for the open heart surgery months earlier.

My friend saved my arm.

I know now that the tear in my brachial dissection was a secondary trauma. The vessels in my body were impacted by what happened in my aorta.

It’s all connected. Physical trauma has an impact beyond the original crisis.

So does emotional trauma.

For the last year, we have all been experiencing a trauma. Some people have suffered physically. Some people have suffered financially. Everyone has suffered emotionally.

We can see a light ahead. Vaccinations are rolling out. We are learning how to safely navigate the world.

But there will be secondary trauma. 

As we emerge from the emergency response to the pandemic, we will have to address the long-term impacts. Be it learning loss (or unfinished learning or learning gaps or whatever we choose to label it) or bankruptcies or the very real health issues that are lingering for many, there will be secondary trauma. 

My brachial taught me this.

It also taught me that it can be overcome. It taught me not to spend too much time admiring the trauma. Assess the reality of the situation and get to work addressing it. 

Make a plan.

Get help.

Be honest and realistic about what you need.

Recovery is never really over. We learn how to manage and more importantly how to thrive in spite of (and sometimes even because of) our experiences. They become part of who we are. It’s all connected.

My brachial artery taught me that.

heathercphipps Gratitude, Happiness, Uncategorized

Anticipation

Spring is coming. The signs are everywhere. Ice covered lakes with patches of water beginning to peak through. Piles of snow next to grass turning green. You can feel it in the air.

One bird chirping outside my window in the morning has become several.

Yes, spring is coming.

There is such joy in anticipation, the idea of what could be. For me the weeks before a trip are almost as exciting as the trip itself.

But sometimes anticipation robs us of what we have in the here and now. Tomorrow may be warmer, but today is a gift and whatever it brings should be savored.

This is a fun time in the Midwest. We’ve reached that point where when it snows (because this is Nebraska people- it will snow again), it will melt sooner. One day of crisp, cool air will be replaced by a warm and sunny one.

Enjoy the inconsistency. Soon enough we will be consistently hot and wishing for a day like today.

There is beauty in the transition. If our focus lies solely on the anticipation of Spring, we might miss it.

In my family we are awaiting the birth of triplets. I’m not sure I’ve ever anticipated anything with such joy. Grandchildren! Three of them at once!

The anticipation is fun, but these moments right now, when it still just an idea and not a diaper-filled reality, are fun too. And I don’t want to miss a single moment while I’m still the “mom.”

So layer up my friends. When the sun comes out, take off that coat and put on those sunglasses. Just don’t pack the coat away quite yet. Anticipate what it is coming. But savor what is.

 

 

 

heathercphipps Halloween, Happiness, Positivity, Uncategorized

Valentine’s Day? Really Dr. Biden?

Perspective is everything.

I love February because I have had a deep respect for my birthday since a near-fatal health crisis in my thirties. A good friend whose birthday is also in February says it is his least favorite month because of the very weather conditions we experienced in the last week (and apparently again today).

Perspective.

I love Halloween. If you’ve ever read the blog you likely know this. I mean I love it. Not your ordinary carve a pumpkin and buy some candy appreciation. Full on joy for the weather and the sense of community and yes, the candy.

But this week I’ve been enjoying the pictures of the giant hearts that the First Lady had installed at the White House. President Biden said that Valentine’s Day is her favorite holiday.

Valentine’s Day? I have never cared a bit about Valentine’s Day. I mean I do enjoy a sour candy heart, and I have a friend who I used to work with who was always the first to buy the Brach’s original hearts every year. It brought her such joy.

But Valentine’s Day? It’s a Hallmark holiday, right?

But it’s also a reminder to pause and tell the people in your life that you love them. It’s not Halloween, but I can’t really think of a more important thing to do than to pause and tell the people in your life that you love them.

Perspective.

This week I was reminded that every holiday, every day, is a chance to find joy!  Our perspective shapes the way we view the world. Perspective is everything. 

 

 

heathercphipps Gratitude, Happiness, Optimism, Positivity, Uncategorized

Worry

There is nothing harder for a parent than when your child is hurt or struggling or worried. It doesn’t matter how old they are, six or sixteen, or almost 26 and about to be a parent herself.

My Beautiful Daughter,

I wish I knew what to say to calm your worries. I wish I could show you one, five, twenty years from now, so you would see how amazing your life will always be. I wish I knew how to fill you with peace about what will be for your growing family.

But life can be pretty overwhelming. Especially right now. I can’t pretend to know how it feels to be carrying three babies at once. I can barely stand the worry that comes with being a mom to two amazing grown women.

Worry has always been part of my life. I am a worrier. Likely I passed some of that (okay maybe more than some of that) on to you and to your sister.

I’m sorry.

Now I wish I had the wisdom to tell you how to let go of that worry.

“Worry doesn’t take away tomorrow’s troubles. It takes away today’s peace.”

There is real truth in that. I have spent too much of my life worried. I have wasted too many days worried about would happen next.

Next has always turned out to be pretty great!

Try to remember what you were worried about a year ago. Did it happen? If it did, did you overcome it?

Beautiful girl, I struggle enough with my own worry to think I know the answer. But I want you to reflect on what you have already accomplished and overcome in your life. There is nothing you cannot do.

Preparation is helpful. Planning for what you can is helpful. Study and research (and lists!) are helpful.

Worrying is not.

Worry less. It’s solid advice for us all.

 

heathercphipps Family, Gratitude, Grief, Happiness, Perseverence, Positivity, Uncategorized

Patience


There is this moment in the Lincoln Marathon (or half in my case) when you round the corner and can see Memorial Stadium. This feeling of relief washes over you. You’re almost there!

And then you climb 10th Street for what seems like forever. The size of the stadium is deceiving. You think you’re almost done, but you still have to finish mile 10…and 11…and 12…and 13.

Patience.

I have never been a patient person. When I have a task, I want it done immediately. When I have a phone message, I want it returned right away. When I have an idea, I want it to come to fruition instantly.

Honestly, it has served me well over the course of my lifetime. My house is usually clean. My office is usually tidy. I am efficient and effective in my work.

But the older I get, the more the big things in life seem to take patience.

My daughter is having triplets. My first grandchild will be grandchildren! Three of them. It is almost too hard to imagine.

The gender reveal was this weekend. She had known since Thursday (longer for 2 of them), but I had to wait until last night. It was a challenge.

Patience.

If the last year has taught us anything, it is that we cannot always control how long things take. Right now the virus is in control, and we can only mitigate its impact and be patient as the vaccine rolls out. This weekend though, my parents got their first vaccine.  I can’t overstate the sense of relief I felt when my dad sent me the picture.  I have been waiting for that moment for almost a year. 

Now I want to hug them and go to dinner with them and sit next to them on a couch. 

Patience.

Babies. Pandemics. Grief. Recovery. The older I get, the more I understand that the big things take time.

I have never been a patient person, but I’m working on it.  

 



heathercphipps Positivity, Social Media, Technology, Uncategorized

Socials

I remember the first time I heard of Facebook. Katie, a former student, was graduating from high school, and she popped by Central to say hello. I think she was delivering an invitation to her graduation party. She told me about this site where the freshman at UNO could connect and start to meet each other. It was called The Facebook.

MySpace had appeared the year before, so I knew something about social media. The “kids” were all trying to convince their parents to let them have a MySpace…or they were secretly creating them without their parents knowing.

Then YouTube. Then Twitter. Then Instagram. Then Snapchat. Then TikTok.

We joke that once the parents get on board with a new social media platform, the younger people jump to the next one.

It’s true.

I work with children and young adults. I work on curriculum for digital literacy. I work (now more than ever) in a digital environment. Without our devices and our internet and our ability to work and learn and connect virtually, things would have ground to a halt last spring.

But we all wrestle with how much is too much. I have a friend who left Facebook because the environment had become so toxic. I have another friend who left all social media platforms for her own mental health.

But I also have a friend who has a virtual community of people who can share and appreciate each other’s photography. It is a genuine way for him to share his work with people around the world and for others to share their work with him.

I blog. Without Facebook and Twitter, almost no one would read it. I feel support and encouragement and kindness and love when people interact with me through the blog.

How much social media is right?  I can’t answer that for you.  I struggle enough to answer it for myself.

But if you have not seen The Social Dilemma on a Netflix, I highly recommend it. It is thought-provoking and will challenge how you interact with social media.

When my daughter searches for a new vacuum while connected to our WiFi and suddenly I have vacuum ads in my feeds, that’s not a coincidence.

When I step in to Scheels and a Dick’s Sporting Goods ad pops up, that’s not a coincidence.

But without TikTok, thousands and thousands of people would never have encouraged my daughter to share more stories about her pregnancy with triplets after she posted a funny story.

I guess I don’t have the answer except to say that we should all be mindful and reflective of our online time.

Do you need a break?

Is it lifting you up? Or is it making you angry or depressed?

Monitor and adjust!

And whatever you do, do not ever read the comments under articles posted online. Just don’t do it!

heathercphipps Happiness, Optimism, Positivity, Purpose, Uncategorized

Intention


I shared a Maya Angelou quote this week that talked about thriving, and a friend asked me if that was my one word for the year. It would be a good one.

But I have been focusing more on the word intention this year.

In meditation setting an intention is about aligning your thoughts and attitude for the day. It is about deciding how you want to show up in the world. I love that description! It’s not a SMART goal. In fact, it can be hard to measure. But it can impact our lives all the same.

Right about now I know some of you (I bet I could even name you) are saying, “uh oh, Heather is about to get touchy-feely.” I promise I’m not suggesting you have to meditate (although I know from personal experience that if you did you would find a calm and a focus that is hard to get without it).

I am simply suggesting that dedicating some time each week or each day to setting our intention, how we want to show up in the world, is time worth spending.

There are many ways to use the term intention. In the Catholic Church, a mass or prayer may have an intention. Often we say “that wasn’t my intention” when we have offended someone.

I am most fascinated though by the medical definition of intention. The term is used to describe the process by which wounds heal. Primary intention involves an incision which is stitched. The healing is faster and leaves less scar tissue.

Secondary intention is what happens when the wound must heal from the inside out. It takes longer. It leaves more scarring.

But it heals.

Our physical bodies have the ability to recover from injury. So do our minds.

If we have intention.

This week take the time to stop and listen to what your mind is trying to tell you.

How do you want to show up in the world?

Live with intention.
Walk to the edge.
Listen Hard.
Practice wellness.
Play with abandon.
Laugh.
Choose with no regret.
Appreciate your friends.
Continue to learn.
Do what you love.
Live as if this is all there is.

Mary Anne Radmacher

 

heathercphipps Happiness, Positivity, Uncategorized

Be a Light


It’s easy during difficult times to believe that the world is a dark place.   It’s easy during difficult times to believe the worst of humanity.  It’s easy during difficult times to believe that people are no longer good, maybe never were.

But that’s just not reality.

It’s been month after month of challenges, and it’s been a year of witnessing the worst in some people. But it has also been a year where we have seen the best in so many people.

Somehow I missed the release of Thomas Rhett’s song Be a Light in early 2020. It’s now at the top of my playlist, and I listen to it every day.

“Be a light” is very good advice. 

In a world full of hate, be a light.
When you do somebody wrong, make it right.
Don’t hide in the dark, you were born to shine.
In a world full of hate, be a light.

A friend described it to me as “be the good.”  He’s right.  What each one of us can do every single day is to choose to be the good, the light.  I especially like when Thomas Rhett says, “you were born to shine.”  We were most definitely born to shine.

But I want to take issue with the fundamental premise in Thomas Rhett’s song.  As much as I love it, as much as it inspires me every morning, he is wrong.

The world is not full of hate.

The world is full of love.

Look around. Be intentional this week to witness the people around you. Watch for the many, many people who are going about their lives with quiet goodness.

7.8 billion people in the world.

331 million people in the United States.

Almost 2 million people in Nebraska, most of whom are going about their lives with quiet goodness.

Can we do better?  Of course we can, and we shall.  But the world is full of love.  In a world full of love, be the light.

heathercphipps Education, Uncategorized

Respect

“Madame First Lady — Mrs. Biden — Jill — kiddo.”

The criticism of the Wall Street Journal Op Ed about Dr. Jill Biden using her formal title “Dr.” was swift. And appropriate.

I have a doctorate in education, the same degree Dr. Biden holds. I could explain the study and research and work it took to earn my degree, but there is no need. The almost immediate outrage to the editorial affirmed for me that people understand that.

I could point out that the people who piled on with comments about not wanting Dr. Biden to be the one working in the Emergency Room are ridiculous. Smart, talented, educated people who earn an Ed.D. do not suddenly think they should crack open someone’s chest.

Ridiculous.

Years after they retire, people still refer to the best coaches as Coach. When you want to acknowledge the best meal you have ever eaten in a restaurant, you refer to the chef as Chef.

It’s about respect.

I have a friend who is a lawyer. He earned his JD. We don’t refer to him as Dr. though. Each profession has a protocol for the language it uses to denote respect. In education, when you have earned the highest degree, we refer to you as Dr.

It’s about respect.

When Dr. Biden responded to the piece, she said that what surprised her was the tone. “He called me kiddo.” When people say the piece was sexist, that’s why.

We can debate whether or not an Ed.D. should use the title Dr. They should. But we should not have to debate that referring to a woman, any woman, but in this case a woman who has earned the highest credential in her profession, as “kiddo” is not respectful.

In my family, we joke that I am a doctor “but not the useful kind.” We joke about that because I have 4 degrees and spent 26 years in school. We joke about that because I have passed comps three times and have written a dissertation. We can joke about it because I know that there is a deep level of respect for what I’ve achieved.

I wasn’t sure I wanted to blog about this. Honestly, I didn’t feel the need. The world jumped on this in a way that warmed my heart and made me feel seen.

But this week my Facebook memory popped up this crazy foil picture. Ten years ago to the day I graduated with my Doctorate. While I was in my Hooding Ceremony, that’s what it’s called, a friend was foiling my office. I mean foiling the whole thing. My stapler. My scissors. There was nothing not wrapped in foil. He sent me the picture during the ceremony, so I could see it when I was done.

It’s about respect.

 

 

 

 

heathercphipps Gratitude, Happiness, Optimism, Uncategorized

Take What the Day Has to Offer


We used to spend a fun weekend every year camping and playing at Adventureland. We’d drive out on a Friday night and be the first ones in line when the park opened Saturday morning.

Some years it would be in the blistering heat of July or August, and we’d spend the late afternoon cooling off in the pool. Some years it would be September, and the afternoon was for watching the Husker game.

It was always fun!

When you only have one day to spend in the park, you wake up hopeful for perfect weather. We were usually lucky in that regard, but one year it rained the entire day. It was incredibly warm, but it was incredibly wet.

That’s the day I first learned the expression, “take what the day has to offer.”

I woke up crabby, sure the day was ruined. I pouted on the first few rides as the drizzle fell and the bigger rides opened and closed. Finally a wise friend reminded me to “take what the day has to offer.”

And we did.

We rode Saw Mill Splash in the rain. We flipped over and over on The Monster just as torrential showers began to fall. We raced back to the campground, splashing through the puddles and laughing so hard my stomach hurt.

It was a great day!

I was reminded of the expression this week as the sun was shining, and the weather was warm.  I left work to find the most glorious sunset.

Two days later the snow fell and the children in the neighborhood were sledding and making snow forts and having snowball fights.

Take what the day has to offer.

It’s 2020. One day feels so much like the next, and some days feel like it will never end.

But it will.

And in the meantime, we have sunsets and snowball frights. We take what the day has to offer.

 

 

 

heathercphipps Happiness, Uncategorized

Micro Moments of Joy

I stole this idea from a professional development session I was part of this week.  Credit where credit is due. In the midst of one of the hardest weeks I’ve had in awhile, I needed the reminder that life is joyful.

If we look for the joy.

After an accident, I was given grace and kindness.

After I sent a gloomy text, my daughter and son-in-law brought me a pumpkin pie blizzard. He knows the way to my heart.

A good friend sent me flowers to cheer me up. My daughters sent me daisies. They are a vase full of joy.

As I sat on the floor in my living room making phone calls and sending texts about a loss, I was reminded over and over and over again how many amazing people care about me.

Those first 2 deliveries meant to cheer me up before we knew what was coming were just the first of many sent to let me know that people are there for me. So many flowers. They meant the world to me. Every single one of them.

I am surrounded by the most loving family anyone could ask for.

My friend who has Covid is making her bed. If she has to be isolated in her room, she said that at least she could do what she can to make it look nice. Joy! She is the one who is sick, and yet she keeps checking on me.

I won a game of chess. If you knew how I play chess, you would see this for the micro moment of joy it is.

I once wrote a blog after going to a visitation for a friend who lost her mother. Today that friend texted me, and I was reminded that grief is something we all share.

Accidents happen. Death happens. COVID happens.

But in the midst of all of that, joy happens as well.

I know the week will continue to hit me. I know that tears will come at the strangest times. But I also see the text I just got from an old friend checking in on me.

Micro moments of joy.

heathercphipps Happiness, Positivity, Thanksgiving, Uncategorized, Work

See the Whole Board

Let me start with a helpful Public Service Announcement. If you have not seen The Queen’s Gambit on Netflix, do nothing else until you start it.

There are few things that bring me as much joy as incredibly well done television. The writing, the acting, the gut punches and the heart warming is a great way to spend some time.

While we are at it, if you have not found a way to watch A West Wing Reunion on HBO Max, make it happen.

If you were a West Wing fan.

Which most of you were not.

Something I will never understand. It was the single best piece of television ever created, and while it won every award every year and was critically acclaimed, it never had a huge following.

But I digress.

Both the amazingly successful Netflix show and the perfectly chosen remake on HBO Max focus on chess.

See the whole board.

You can’t win a chess game without seeing the whole board. Your moves. Your opponent’s moves. The best players know what’s coming long before a move is made.

I am not an observant person. More times than I should admit, I have tried to get in to the wrong car.

But I know how critical it is to my work and to my happiness that I can see the whole board. Vision is about seeing a picture beyond what things are now to what they could be.

It is safe to say that people are not living the life they wish they could right now. Travel and gatherings are limited. Thanksgiving was different. School is different. Everything is different.

But see the whole board.

We wear a mask and keep our distance so things can be better tomorrow. We sacrifice a pawn today, so we can find checkmate in 6, 7, 11 moves.

I am not good at chess…yet. But I am learning to see the whole board.

 

heathercphipps Gratitude, Thanksgiving, Uncategorized

Complicated Gratitude

There is never really a question about what to write for Thanksgiving Week. Thanks is in the very name of the holiday. We pause to eat ridiculous amounts of food and to say thank you.

Gratitude matters. We know this. We know that we are more positive and more productive and have less anxiety when we focus on being grateful.

We know that gratitude calms us and centers us.

This year is no different. Gratitude is as important, maybe more important, than in any other year.

And I intend to be grateful this week.

I am grateful I get to enjoy a delicious meal. I don’t need to focus on the fact that it won’t be with all of the people who are normally here.

I am grateful for the work I get to do. It’s a blessing to serve students and schools. I don’t need to focus on the strangeness of this school year.

I am grateful for my friends and my family. Six feet does not change a single bit of the love we share. A mask does not hide the smile in our eyes, and a screen cannot hide the joy in our voices. I don’t need to focus on the mask or the screen. I need to focus on the people.

I’m grateful for vitamin D and cool breezes and orange and rust colored leaves.

I’m grateful for Airhead Extreme Bites and SweeTart Ropes.

I’m grateful for pumpkin pie blizzards.

It’s 2020. Everything is complicated. But maybe not as complicated as I keep making it.

This week there will be turkey and stuffing and King’s Hawaiian Rolls.

It won’t look like any other year, but I learned a long time ago that every day is a gift not granted to everyone. And I am grateful for all of them!

Gobble! Gobble!

heathercphipps Happiness, Leadership, Pause, Positivity, Uncategorized

Grace Under Fire


I thought about calling this grace under pressure, but it is really about grace under fire.

I saw it this week. I witnessed someone doing their very best come under fire from someone.

The details aren’t important. It could have been anyone upset about anything. It was the response that made an impact on me.

I was witness to someone who, when confronted with anger, responded with kindness and understanding. She was able to empathize and de-escalate a situation that could’ve gotten ugly. It was a remarkable show of grace.

There were lessons I will carry with me.

Pause. I am someone who likes to get things off my plate as quickly as possible. When I was teaching, if a parent reached out to me, I would call them back during passing period.

Pause. Our initial reaction when confronted with anger is likely not our best reaction. Time is our friend…not so much time that the person thinks you are ignoring the issue, but enough time to allow you to calm down.

Empathize when possible. Many times people just need to be heard, and if they can be understood, even better.

Own any issues you should.

Do not own any issues that are not yours to own.

Apologize when appropriate.

Respond with kindness. This one is the hardest. Showing kindness when confronted with anger is hard.

Grace under fire.

In our day to day interactions with people, there be a million low level confrontations. Grace and kindness go a long way towards making the world a happier place.

heathercphipps Education, Recharge, Teachers, Uncategorized

Compelling Evidence

I once heard Warren Buffett say that he doesn’t know anything that anyone else couldn’t know if they read as much as he reads. He estimates he spends as much as 80% of his work day reading, and I bet he has long work days.

How much are you reading?

I wasn’t a huge reader as a child. Not like my sister who would hide under the covers with a flashlight reading late into the night. Not like my parents who would sit in our living room all evening with no tv on reading the newspaper and magazines and books.

But I did well in English class, and I had English teacher after English teacher who made an impact on me. They taught me to think and question and express myself.  They taught me to listen and learn from what others had to say.

So I became an English teacher. I hope I had the chance to do a little of the same for some of the amazing humans I got the chance to know in my classroom.

But I still wasn’t a reader.

Then one summer while cruising garage sales looking for children’s clothes and games, I found a book for a dime. It caught my attention. It was a thriller called Compelling Evidence. It wasn’t Shakespeare. It was distracting fiction.

Never underestimate the power of distracting fiction.

I tore through that book, and I have been a reader ever since. My current obsessions are library audio books with the Sora app.  So much distracting fiction right now.

Last week a friend bought me a book.  The gesture meant so much to me. It looks amazing. It’s not fiction. It’s one of those books that will push me and challenge me and make me a better person. I cannot wait to start it.

I guess my point is this…read. Read fiction. Read non-fiction. Read the newspaper and magazines.  Spend a little time in a world made entirely from someone’s imagination or engrossed in a book that will help you become a better version of yourself. 

It might not make us Warren Buffett, but it will distract and delight us.

 

heathercphipps Autumn, Fall, Gratitude, Positivity, Uncategorized

Vitamin D

I got a touch of sun yesterday. It was nice. I’m not talking about the brush of sun you get walking from work to your car. I mean an honest to goodness pinkness of the skin. A little sunburn. There are not many days left to sit outside and soak in the Vitamin D.

Seasons change. Days grow shorter. Tank tops are replaced by sweaters. Time in the sun is replaced by time in front of a fire.

I’ve often wondered what it would be like to live somewhere that is always warm, always sunny. I’ve imagined waking up on Thanksgiving to a 78 degree day. I know there are people in shorts on Christmas (and not just the middle school boys who wear shorts even in the snow).

But I like seasons. I like when the air cools and the leaves change and the sweatshirts come out of hiding. I like needing sandals AND boots. Sometimes in the same day. It is no secret that October is my favorite month and that Halloween is my holiday. Always has been.

But November, with its wild swings from heat to snow, has a special place as well. How could we not love a month most known for all things pumpkin?

I made a decision last year to enjoy the cold. I bought new sweaters and a coat and a really cute hat. I bought some boots. I’m ready to get then back out. I’m ready to embrace the time inside doing puzzles and watching movies.

And I will keep in mind what my friend Amy says about Vitamin D. It doesn’t matter how cold it gets. We can put on a coat and spend a little time in the sun.

It shines in the winter as well.

I hope everyone got out last night to see the trick-or-treaters. The costumes were amazing. I hope everyone enjoyed the bonus hour of sleep. Say what you will about the archaic nature of changing the clocks. I like that extra hour once a year.

Embrace November. Embrace the chill in the air and the smells of the season. Embrace the chance to wear those fuzzy socks to bed and the chance to wrap up in blanket while you read a good book.

And embrace the sun. It isn’t gone. We just have to work a little harder to get that Vitamin D.

heathercphipps Happiness, Optimism, Positivity, Uncategorized

Hugs Are Important


When I visited Connor’s school this year, things felt different. I mean there were the obvious changes, the hand sanitizer, the masks, the signs about not using the drinking fountains. But more subtle was the distance between people. When I stopped to ask students what they were working on, I stayed back farther than I normally do. When I talked to the teachers, we were always mindful of 6 feet between us. People are being cautious.

As they should be.

But when I stepped into Connor’s classroom, I had the best reminder of the pandemic. Distance is hard. And hug are important. He has the most amazing teacher. I have admired her for many years. She has a warmth and a caring that is palpable when you step into her room. Nothing about that has changed.

After a brief visit, when I shared that Connor was my nephew and my godson, she told Connor that he could give me a hug.

We both paused.

I was standing far away from him…at least 6 feet. We were both in masks. It was unlike any visit to his classrooms I’ve made over the years. Connor Day my sister calls it. At the suggestion that he could, in fact, give me a hug, we both stopped and looked at each other. We were both analyzing the risk.

As I’ve talked to people in recent weeks about what is causing them stress, one of the most common responses has been the fatigue involved in making every little decision.

Is it safe for my child to go to the neighbor’s house?

Is it safe to eat out on a patio when the closest table is far away?

How will we celebrate Thanksgiving? Christmas?

No decision is easy anymore. We want to be safe. We want to keep the people we love safe.

In that moment, Connor and I had to weigh the options. In the end, with neither of us having any symptoms, having been around anyone with any symptoms, both wearing masks, both healthy overall, we decided to give each other a hug. It was quick. But it was every single thing I needed.

When people ask me what I miss the most right now, I tell them movie theatres and hugging my parents.

I have said before that I would never, ever advocate doing anything unsafe. We have to mask up and avoid crowds and wash our hands. And I can’t hug my parents. And it sucks.

But I can use video calls to stay connected. I can wear a mask and keep my distance and catch up with my parents on their front porch.

And in that moment I could hug Connor.

“Hug” the people you love. It might not be an actual hug. It might be a phone call or a Facetime or homemade cookies dropped off on their doorstep. Find ways to show the people you love that we are still connected in all of the ways that matter.

The decisions are hard, but we can do hard things.

heathercphipps Gratitude, Happiness, Optimism, Positivity, Uncategorized

Toxic Positivity- a reflection

Much has been written and shared lately about toxic positivity. Psychology Today defines it as keeping positive and keeping positive only…focusing on positive things and rejecting anything that may trigger negative emotions.

I get the pushback on that. I really do.

We need to fully feel our feelings. We need to cry when we are sad. We need to hurt when we have been injured. We need to be angry when we have been wronged.

It is not healthy to ignore any of those emotions. No one should tell us to smile through our pain or to ignore our hurt.

That would be toxic.

But sitting in those feelings for too long without finding a way through it is toxic as well. Pushing aside the laughter and the joy because it feels disingenuous when we are also suffering is not helping us recover. Avoiding our friends, reading too much social media, and focusing solely on the negative is not the road to healing.

We are all wrestling with months and months of isolation and fear and pressure and anger. There is nothing wrong with feeling negativity.

And there is nothing wrong with focusing on positivity.

I am grateful to the people in my life who have reached out in the last few weeks to talk about this. I knew that re-entering this space would provoke conversation. No one has been hostile or combative. They have simply asked how I reconcile my focus on positivity with all of the posts about toxic positivity.

It is not always easy.

But there is research around the healing effects of focusing on happiness and gratitude. I have experienced it firsthand. And I have experienced anxiety and depression that no amount of positive thought could undo.

We owe it to ourselves and to the people we love to seek help when we need it. It takes enormous strength to reach out for help. “Happiness is a choice” is not always true for everyone at every moment. There is nothing wrong with that.

And there is nothing wrong with spending our energy focused on being positive. We don’t need to apologize for wanting to be happy and for wanting the people in our lives to be happy.

I wish all of this was easier. It is anything but easy. But my plan is to continue to get help when I need it and to continue to focus on being positive and happy.

 

 

heathercphipps Halloween, Happiness, Uncategorized

You Can’t Cancel Halloween

I have heard so many people speculate on whether or not Halloween will be canceled due to COVID.

I have told each and every one of them the same thing. “You cannot cancel Halloween.”

We can cancel trick-or-treating. We can cancel parties and parades. We likely should.

But Halloween is not only those things.

Yes, when I tell people why it is my favorite holiday, free candy may have a little something to do with it. 

But really it is about the joy and the fun of pretending to be something magical or whimsical or fantastical. It is about spending time outside in the spectacular fall weather and enjoying the sights and sounds of this time of year. It is about carving a pumpkin, making cups full of dirt and worms made of crushed Oreos and gummy candy.

You can’t cancel any of that.

I said last week that I am done focusing on what I can’t do. This is my favorite time of the year, and I intend to enjoy my favorite holiday in style!

I will always make safe choices. I will always encourage you to do the same. We need to maintain distance and wear masks and wash our hands.

But we also need to celebrate and enjoy the things we love the most.

I have seen our students find safe ways to dress up and enjoy an entirely new kind of Homecoming. I have seen our music teachers film the most incredible outdoor concerts, so our students have a chance to perform for others. I have seen example after example of people finding new ways to safely do the things they love.

We are creative, resilient people. And we will not cancel Halloween.

 

heathercphipps Autumn, Blogging, Fall, Halloween, Happiness, Positivity, Uncategorized

Looking in the Mirror

It’s the most wonderful time of the year.

No, it’s not Christmas. It’s October. Pumpkin spice, rustic leaves, sweatshirt and shorts weather.

I’ve written every year about October. There is this feeling of warmth and of settling in to cozy things. Hot drinks replace lemonade, and the leaves catch fire.

But there has also been a stress in schools every year at this time. Wrapping up a quarter, conferences, and an end to the honeymoon that comes at the start of every year adds stress. I’ve written about it so many times.

But this year is different.

This year we are mired down by a virus and an election and unrest. This year has been hard…

and I went quiet.

I have not posted a blog since June. Honestly I have been nervous to post. I’ve been worried that my voice in the world would just add to the sometimes angry discourse happening on social media. But writing is how I process the world. This blog is where I am my most vulnerable and my most transparent. Without it, I’ve lost a little piece of myself.

No more.

Has this year been a challenge? Without question. But it has also been filled with weddings and babies and music and laughter.  I have watched Netflix and camped and even saw a play outside with my parents.  I will no longer quiet my voice.

Every single day is a gift…even in 2020.  If we spend our time focused on what we can’t do or what we have to do or what has changed or what we’re missing because of COVID, then we will miss all of the good happening around us.  None of us are guaranteed tomorrow.  We need to live today to its fullest!

For me, that has always meant a pumpkin pie blizzard in my favorite month of the year…and this blog.

“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.” Anne of Green Gables

 

heathercphipps Community, Uncategorized

Six Degrees of Separation

I am someone who expresses her thoughts through words, and I’ve been at a loss for what to say.  Our world is fractured. Our connections, already strained because of quarantine, feel further disrupted by the unrest after the killing of George Floyd. Peaceful protests. Unrest. Riots. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “riots are the language of the unheard.”  Google it.  He didn’t just say it once.  He said it many times because it was necessary many times.  You’ll find it referenced over and over because this is far from the first time we have found ourselves in this situation.

I wish this time was different.  I hope this time is different.  A black man or woman is killed.  People express sadness and anger and fear.  Others unite around them.  We move on.  It happens again.  And again.

I don’t know what to say.

I don’t know what to do.

But I know that I have to start with myself.  I know that I have to listen more, read more.  I know that I have to be willing to confront my white privilege, my white fragility, my own racism.  It is time to look inward.

If riots are the language of the unheard, then listening is a good place to start.

I’ve been reminded recently that when our view of racism is limited to the obvious, horrific, blatant examples, we risk missing the larger, systemic racism.  When we rationalize that only a few hateful, bad people are guilty of being racist, we risk missing the larger, systemic ways we could be contributing to the problem and to the solution.

I contribute to the problem, and I can contribute to the solution.

Listen.  Action is critical right now, but action ill-informed is not helpful.

Read.  Action is critical right now, but action based solely on our limited knowledge and perspective is not helpful.

Commit to self-reflection.  Look inward.  Accept that we are all in a different place on this journey, and that we all have a responsibility to seek answers.

We need each other.  We need to find ways to learn from each other and to appreciate each other. Never have I ever been more acutely aware of how much I need humankind.  Six feet apart is hard.  But the idea of six degrees of separation is hopeful.  If we are all linked to every other person by six or fewer connections, then we can tackle these seemingly insurmountable issues.

I don’t know what to do.

I don’t know what to say.

But I am committed to learning and to listening and to taking action.