Inspiring Mindfulness

Today I'm thinking about mindfulness.

About being in the moment.

About savoring every second.

About the power of deep breathing.

You see, chaos has come calling a lot lately; 

October tends to be like that.

Lots of planning, lots of running around.

Football games.

Band competitions.

Homecoming Weekend.

Character Counts Week.

Red Ribbon Week.

Hometown Heroes pep rally.

Fall festivals.

At-risk data collection.

SOCKtober.

Halloween.

But just because chaos invites us in

doesn't mean we have to go, right?

I found myself helping some fifth-grade girls

breathe through their drama today,

and wondered why I don't do more of that for myself.

Breathe.

Just breathe.

And be.

Just be.

I often wake up craving a nap.

To get away.

To relax.

To restore.

And I think it's a wake-up call

to do a better job with mindfulness and self-care.

So in my research, I've found these resources:

Click {here} for a post for ideas to help us pause & refocus.

Help manage big emotions with these yoga poses.

Check out these fun mindfulness exercises.
A meditation for your wandering mind {here}.

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In case you missed my guest post at Free Spirit Press last week on the importance of teaching fairness, click {here} to go there.

And, as an update in our personal journey,

Joshua's high school marching band

qualified as one of the 39 6A bands to march in the

Texas State Marching Band Competition.

So next Tuesday, they'll take their show called

Dot To Dot

to San Antonio to perform in the Alamodome.

As the dots on the field during this year's poetry-in-motion unfold,

engaged spectators are visually inspired with reminders to

Look Forward,

Trust In Something,

Follow Your Heart,

Connect The Dots.

We are so proud of their hard work,

their determination and drive,

their passion and perseverance

in their quest for the best

and we thank the dedicated directors,

the proud and very patient parents,

and the valued volunteers

for giving of their time and talent

to be that village that every child needs.

Good luck, Band.

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That Small-Town Pride

Yesterday was a big day in our small town.

A few weeks back, our High School Marching Band earned a spot in State competition. In 6A, the large-school category. That meant we would march with the 37 top bands from the 245 largest High Schools in the State of Texas.

A big event calls for an extra-big send-off,

so we broke out the rally towels and the character flag

and saw them off in style.

It's so wonderful to live in a place where a Hometown Hero sendoff is the rule rather than the exception, where hometown fans caravan to San Antonio behind the busses to fill the Alamo Dome with cheers of jubilation as their teen musicians and dancers put on their game faces ...

and perform their hearts out, leaving it all on the field.

Let's watch as they perform their 2014 show,

Echoes Of Time:

After the performance, UIL officials interviewed head Drum Major Emma, who also happens to be a Westwood-Bales alum, and asked her what it felt like be the leader of such a wonderful group and to be making their debut in 6A competition. She said that it was amazing to be there and added that her role as leader of the band was really all about serving others. My heart jumped with joy when I heard this young leader tell everyone in the Dome how important servant leadership is.

I'm planning to show this performance in my next peace-class lesson, when we talk about empathy. What would it be like to walk in a band member's shoes, from that first day of practice in August before you even know if you're going to earn a spot, through all of the rehearsals and competitions, to performing in front of thousands of fans four months later at 6A State? 

What would it take? 

What would you need? 

How would it feel? 

Could you do the job of a Drum Major? A dancer? A musician? What instrument would you like to play? What if you didn't qualify for a spot in the band? Would you be okay with the job of pushing those bells around? Is any job out on that field more important than another? Why or why not?

Our daughter Kaitlyn met us at the competition, to watch her brother march. Seems like just yesterday she was wearing that very uniform.

As we awaited news about the top-ten finalists,

her University of Texas Longhorn Band performed for us.

Here's the patriotic portion of their 2014 Veterans Day show:

Our performance in prelims placed us in a tie for 14th, so we didn't advance to finals yesterday. But in the end, it's not the trophy or rank that determines whether or not we win. It's the diligence, determination, and drive of each and every one of these dedicated individuals who band together to create something so beautiful that puts them at the top, regardless of what the final scores say. 
Their hard work is passion and perseverance personified.

They truly are our pride and joy, and when they represent our small town so well, it makes those early morning rehearsals and all of the chaos of running around from pillar to post during marching season so well worth it. 

Thank you, Mighty Mustang Band; 
your big success makes our small town proud.

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When Root Bears Fruit

Today I'm looking back and reflecting on our band's progression

from sweltering summer beginnings to yesterday's first-place finish

in Area competition that earned us a spot in the UIL 6A State Marching Contest. 

It's not like we're a stranger to State competition,

but this year is different because our enrollment moved us up.

From 4A to the new 6A.

To compete against the biggest and the best.

We knew we had our work cut out for us, so we laced up our work boots, slipped on our gloves, and went to work in our musical garden. 

Early mornings, late nights, grueling rehearsals.

Because we know that what we plant will grow.

And when roots go deep, abundance eventually abounds.

We weren't sure it would be this year,

because bounty doesn't happen over night.

It requires patience, endurance and hard work.

Toiling to constantly till and fertilize 'til root bears fruit.

So it is with campaigns and crusades,

with practice and performance,

with living and with life.

Every day we're planting.

Sometimes, the seeds are for trees whose shade we may never get to enjoy. 

But it's well worth it.

When properly nourished and nurtured, those magical seeds of connection and character, of laughter, loyalty, and love will continue to prosper and bear healthy, tasty fruit, not just for a season, but for a lifetime. That will be our legacy, our message that will echo with time, long after we're no longer here.

Cape up and crusade on ... the best is yet to come.

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Kindness Can Change The World

Another Saturday, another stellar Band performance!

As I reflect on today's show, we are awaiting the finals announcement. Ten of today's 40 bands will advance to finals at 7:30; seven of those will earn a spot in the 6A State Competition.

This is our first year to compete in 6A, so we're on pins and needles. Advance or not, these musicians and dancers have what it takes to succeed - drive, determination, work ethic, responsibility, cooperation - and that makes them winners in the game of life.

Speaking of competitions, I had the honor of reading essays for the TriSigma essay contest. This year's theme - Kindness Can Change The World - piqued my curiosity because of my upcoming keynote.

Today I got this clever thank-you note for serving as a judge.

Click on it to read our top-ten picks; prepare to be inspired by what these college-aged change-agents have to say about being kind.

And speaking of kindness, look what I got yesterday,

from Mrs. Tucker, Kaitlyn's third-grade teacher.

She phoned to ask if I could meet her after school

because she had something that she thought I'd like.

When we met, she explained that it was a Christmas gift for her mother-in-law, who, sadly, passed away before she could use it.

How wonderful is this? A knitting bowl. And more wonderful because, even in her grief, Mrs. Tucker was thinking about others. Now that's kindness ... global warming of the real kind.

Thank you, Mrs. Tucker. I love it!

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Echoes Of Time

So today's a busy day for us after a very late night last night.
While beautifully elegant, this year's band show 
Echoes of Time
is taking up a lot of time and energy.

Joshua needed to be up at 5:30 for today's competition, so a bleary-eyed me stumbled around in the dark trying to wake up just enough to drive him to school for rehearsal. As he was eating the cereal I made him for breakfast, he asked if I could buy him a show shirt when I got there. Not planning on going, I offered to give him $20 and encouraged him to figure out how to get one for himself. 

That's when mommy guilt started to hit. No, I hadn't planned to make the trip across town to Conroe because, quite frankly, I'm exhausted. I worked a 2 1/2 hour shift in the concession stand last night after a long day at the office and didn't even hit the pillow until midnight. And now I'm up before the sun, so no, I'm not coming tonight. Me. Me. Me. And out of the blue, the dong of the bell changes pitch. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.

So I headed to the morning competition, where I made arrangements to hitch a ride to be there tonight as well. Because our days together are numbered and, in the end, it won't matter that I got that extra nap or saved myself from the possible traffic jam through construction on I45.

What will matter at the end of the day is that I can tell my son,
"Wow, great job!" 
and know what I'm talking about, 
'cause I was there to experience it firsthand. 
To see it. 
To feel it. 
To love it.

I don't ever want to hear regret 
as time echoes in my heart.

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Excellence A Hallmark

Excellence typically starts with a blank wall ... 

and an idea.

It needs a painter and some paint.

Sometimes it needs scaffolding and a ladder.

You can't rush excellence, 

so you'll also need some time. 

There will be highs and lows as you pursue it.

But the finished product always proves that

the benefit of excellence far outweighs the cost.

Can you tell that I'm tickled pink about our Character Cloud?

What a delight it was this week to watch 

excellence in progress.

And now, the writing's on the wall in our Character Court.

Hand-drawn and painted by Kathy Hammond, our local muralist.

Thank you, Kathy, for sharing your time and talent with us.

And if that mural didn't send me soaring out of this world, last night took me to new heights as we spent three hours watching the pageantry of excellence come to life on the big screen. Every single word on that wall personified by these wickedly-talented young musicians and put into practice until it becomes a habit as they compete in the 2014 Drum Corps International (DCI) Competition Prelims. 

It was, indeed, Big, Loud and Live!

Excellence is front-page news, friends; 

click the graphic to read all about the Cavaliers.

I'd like to be able to pick a favorite performance or Corps,

but, like the words on the wall, each show

has significance, elegance, grandeur and connection.

And though the Blue Devils continue to come out on top, I'm here to say that they are all winners in their pursuit of excellence.

Not only have these future leaders spent their summers learning music and rhythm, but they're taking away lessons in determination, diligence, and drive that will last them a lifetime.

So today I'm appreciating excellence and admiring

the DCI organization and all of those committed to entertain and inspire through the visual arts. 

Thank you for making excellence a hallmark.

Tomorrow our book study concludes over at

Curls and a Smile. Won't you join us?

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Feeling Disappointed

Today I'm excited because I've finally gotten to catch up with Sesame Street. I love to use these engaging clips in peace class.

Check out this new Elmo clip.

And see how adorable it is as he and his friends try to explain the word  disappointed.

)

Disappointed definitely results in feelings that can be hard to manage, uncomfortable even, 

so it's fair game for a counselor like me.

Our band was disappointed last year when they earned
fifth place in the State marching contest.
Even though they gave it their best shot and
left it all on the field.

Here's the thing ... in this life, 
there will be so much disappointment. 

So much.

Because life is hard. 

And people make mistakes ... and we can be fragile. 

Breakable, even.

But it's when we are able 

to bounce back from disappointment, 

to learn resiliency, 

to learn from failures, 

to persevere and grow,

to keep on keeping on,

that matters.

I feel my next peace class idea coming ...

What have you felt disappointed about lately?

And how did you recover and bounce back?

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Winning Is A State Of Mind

Yesterday just after noon, my school family had the pleasure at school of seeing our Hometown Heroes off as they headed to State Marching Band Competition. 

It's one of the perks of small-town living for sure!

Tonight I'm coming off an incredible, natural high after spending the day at the Alamo Dome in San Antonio watching the 28 high school marching bands that made it to State. I met my two older children there to watch our youngest, Joshua, compete with his band family.

Here's how it works: There are 250 4A-sized high schools in our state; bands who score a Division 1 rating advance out of their district to Area, then one band for every five advances to State.

In our area, that was four bands. Two of those bands, Friendswood and Dawson, made it out of the preliminary competition and headed in the top ten bands to finals competition. 

Click {here} if you would like to watch this year's show, 

Metallic Treasures.

This year's competition was tougher than ever, 

and we ended up ranking fifth in the State of Texas. 

Here's what I know ... there will be some disappointment with fifth place. Because we set our standards high. And because of how hard we've worked. And because of the illusion of the illustrious gold medal that we've created over the years. 

But here's what else I know ... winning is a state of mind. Because there were thousands of students who didn't even get a trip to the Alamo Dome today because they didn't advance out of their district or their area. 
So just getting there makes us winners. 

Making magic with a band 271-members strong makes us winners. 

Placing in the top five at State for the 7th time makes us winners.

And leaving it all on the field, heart and soul, makes us winners.

So tonight before I turn in, I'm thanking all of the directors and anyone who had a hand in mentoring, guiding, counseling, teaching, and loving our children so that they can be the best that they can be. I am inspired and humbled by the gift that you've given to our future. Please accept our most sincere gratitude for sharing your time and your talents.

And I'm congratulating each and every one of those thousands of musicians and guard members who performed at State, whether you ranked in the top ten or not. Your diligence, devotion, dedication and drive will take you places that you can't even imagine going. Keep up the good work and thank you for being role models to the kids on the curb who want to be just like you one day.

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Raining Champs!

The Texas Lone Star Preview's reigning champs found Bronze, Silver, and Gold at the end of the rainbow last night.

After 20 bands performed, the afternoon lightning delay kept us from marching in our late-afternoon spot, so we headed to Culver's, where 

it's always Sundae! 

I savored every bit of this two-scoop turtle.

 We returned to watch the last seven bands perform 

under the rainbow. 

And just before the Mighty Mustang Band was about to march, 

the winds shifted and the clouds rolled back in.

But their show, Metallic Treasures, must go on.

First, the bronze movement, then silver.

Then the rain started to fall harder and harder still,

but the reigning champs marched on.

And they performed beautifully, in the rain.

Here's how it looked as the last note played, despite the rain.

Finals cancelled, no drum major retreat, because of the rain.

And then, the announcement.

Friendswood High School, the 'raining' champs, sweep the 4A category with all of the caption awards and first-place honors. But what about overall, regardless of class? You guessed it, we took gold. What a show. 

And a long day for these teenaged musicians who left the house at 9:30 am and weren't back in Friendswood until 13 hours later. The reward that they find at the end of their rainbow is worth the
dedication, drive and perseverance 
through the heat, the humidity, and even the rain.

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