Choose Kindness



Oh my! The first day of school is so stressful and exciting.

I dreamt that I would be 45 minutes late...so I woke up all riled up.

Katie and I left at 7:30 to get to school by 8:00. (Her new start time, now that she is in 4th grade.)

I am not sure where to drop her off so I let her out at the front door.
She reaches over to tug on her backpack and grabs the brown paper bag loaded with supplies.
And the the handle tears off.
And her supplies fall into the street.

She starts to cry.

We start picking up her supplies and replace them in the bag.
Almost everything has fallen out.

I start to laugh.

It is a brilliant start to the school year.

It can only get better after this, right?

So I tell Katie to carry the bag from the bottom and tell her that someone will hold the door open for her.

I park the car and come in the building just to check if she had figured out where to go.

But the building is virtually empty. And I am quickly informed that school doesn't start until 8:30.
All school Mass will start the day.

I know about the Mass, but I didn't know that meant we weren't suppose to have the children at school until then.
(This is different from the regular school Mass schedule. I am confused.)

I spot Katie coming down the stairs and by now I know where she is suppose to put her giant bag of supplies.
In the friary.

So we go down there together and she sets her things down.
Since she doesn't see any girls she knows in the friary we head back upstairs to the church to pick our seats. hehehehe


We settle into one of the first pews and wait. It's a calming place to wait and Katie is happy to see teachers and students file in to building.

The final song of the service was Shine, Jesus, Shine and the packed church sings it loudly and with cheerful clapping.

It is a wonderful way to start the school year.

I get all teary and Katie scoots off to find out who she will have as a teacher and which girls will be in her class.


As we gaze on your kindly brightness.
So our faces display your likeness.
Ever changing from glory to glory,
Mirrored here may our lives tell your story.
Shine on me. shine on me.


Shine, Jesus, shine
Fill this land with the fathers glory
Blaze, spirit blaze,
Set our hearts on fire
Flow, river flow
Flood the nations with grace and mercy
Send forth your word
Lord and let there be light.



How I love that song. Especially when it is sung with children's voices.




This years school theme is Choose Kindness.


I can do that. I may not be able to do much right, but I can choose kindness.


Encourage one another,
Donna



Here she is on her way home from school today.
Happy. Not crying.
Her teacher says they should bring a snack to eat while he reads to them every day.
That is a very good thing. Snacking and reading. We like that guy already.