Someone Like Sara

Happy August, dear reader; how many cat naps before you head #B2S?

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Beyond The Bubble Bath

Today I'm grateful, because my self-care podcast episode is now live;

click {here} to tune for some out-of-the-tub S-A-F-E-R strategies,

like writing a thank-you note to yourself and tucking it away for later.

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Inspiring Leaders

Today I'm excited because the sun has come back.

And because I've been busy inspiring leaders

and being inspired by some of the best.

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Character Diplomas

Today I'm feeling melancholy, because it's time to start saying farewell to another group of amazing mentors, our high school PALs. 

And though good-byes can be understandably difficult,

this one was really tough, because these are Joshua's classmates.

This is a class full of Joshua's peers.

They are about to graduate from high school.

And that whole empty nest thing is about to get real.

At least for people like us. 

At least for me.

So I made each PAL a character diploma, suitable for framing,

with some of my reflections and dreams for them.

I rolled the papers up, diploma-style, 

and tied a blue and white bow around each of them.

I delivered it to them in person,

but I knew I'd be too raw to read it aloud right now.

I handed each student their diploma, 

then we took a moment of silence

to read and remember.

I may have heard a few sniffles. {It's possible they were mine.}

I'm also feeling thankful that we've had this opportunity

to teach them to soar, this amazing batch of baby birds.

Beautiful song birds, 

just waiting to be heard;

strong song birds,

so ready to spread their wings and fly.

It's what we want even as we fight with our hearts to let go.

I hope that they'll fondly remember the nest

where they grew up and learned to fly.

I hope they've felt comfortable here 

and that they'll return to refuel, restore, and reflect 

with some regularity.

I hope that they'll be able to apply all of the life lessons

and secrets of survival we've tried to share.

I hope that they will dream big and

give themselves grace when things don't work out.

I hope that they'll love and be loved.
I hope that they always know that they matter,

that they are valued and valuable.

Our most precious resource.

The golden eggs from our nest.

Our future. 

Our hope.

Our heartbeat.

That's what I would have said out loud,

if my heart, like an eggshell, weren't so fragile right now.

I can't wait to see where their flights take them

and I can't wait to hear all about it when they come back home.

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That Interview

It was January 21, 2013, the day Jacob had that interview with the Craig and Galen Brown Foundation. I remember it well because parents were invited, too, but, having just been hit head on, I wasn't able to go. So John took Jacob across town to meet with the Aggie alum who had summoned Jacob by email regarding a scholarship opportunity. 

It seemed like forever before they returned from that recruitment interview that MLK holiday. When they got back, Jacob said he thought it had gone well and that, if he understood correctly, Craig Brown was offering him a significant scholarship to attend Texas A & M. Jacob decided shortly after that interview that he would accept Mr. Brown's generous offer and become an Aggie like he was.  

Craig Brown has adopted 108 young college kids this year alone; he supports them not only financially, but physically, emotionally, and spiritually as well. He and his Administrative Assistant, Pam Matthews, know them all personally and treat them like their own. Words cannot adequately express the gratitude and admiration that we feel for the Brown Foundation's scholarship and support.

Last night, we were honored and grateful to join the Brown Foundation in celebrating Jacob along with the other 24 Brown Scholars at their senior banquet. It was delightful to watch this philanthropist move about the banquet hall and visit with his guests, beaming with pride over the young men and women whom he has adopted, each one clearly his favorite.

Good Incredible things are happening because of his shining example! 

Each senior scholar was given two minutes to talk. 

Here's what Jacob had to say:

Craig Brown's generosity is contagious.

Because of his generosity, I now live life more generously.

Because of his mentorship, I choose to mentor more.

Because of his kindness, I am kinder.

That follows for Jacob as well.

We are so incredibly blessed that Mr. Brown stepped into our son's story, invited him to that interview, and enriched our lives by ultimately investing in him so deeply and wholeheartedly. 

May Craig Brown's closing words echo in the hearts of his scholars forever: 

"It's not what you take with you, but what you leave behind that counts."

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Rocking Responsibility

Today I'm excited because my guest post on the core value of responsibility went live at Free Spirit Press. Click the graphic below to check it out.

What's your favorite way to help your learners rock responsibility?

One thing that helps us nurture the virtue of responsibility is our Peer Assistance and Leadership (PAL) mentoring. Specially-trained high school students come to us every year to support and mentor a younger student. This morning, one of them came back for a visit while on Fall break from college classes and sent the heart of her young PALee (and mine!) soaring.  

I was so blessed to get to see, hear, feel and experience their 

happy reunion.

For the last fifteen years, I would singlehandedly read all of the bios of the teen mentors and them pair them with my students. This year, we decided to try something new: A PAL draft. So instead of me doing the pairing, I asked my students to fill out a "What do I want my PAL to know?" draft card. Then, today, I spent an hour with our new batch of PALs, sharing the cards and letting them choose the child whom they will mentor this year. 

Empowerment in action. 

As you might imagine, we ran out of time, so Round 2 of our draft continues tomorrow and I can't wait. Do I have the best job or what?

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How Long Will It Matter?

It has been about a year or so since one of my former students reached out to me in a private message on Facebook. Now working at a neighboring school with a friend of mine, she'd seen my name pop up and wondered if that could be the Miss Natzke who worked at Friendswood High School all of those years ago. She was fourteen when we first met, a freshman in high school, and I'd just turned twenty five, a third-year teacher and brand-new coach, fresh out of coaching clinic trying to make a go of it on the volleyball court. 

It made my heart happy to hear from her. I remembered her well, not so much because I stepped into her story but because her mom stepped into mine. I credit her mom with helping me reconnect spiritually during a time in my life when I wasn't being spiritually fed. As I reflect, it was bold, out-of-the-box thinking to invite your daughter's young teacher and coach to church.

Then, a month or so ago, an inquiry: Would I have some time on September 30th for a visit? Without hesitation, I said, "Absolutely!" I thought it'd be super fun to see her again, to show her around her old stomping ground as she'd attended Westwood during her formative years, and to meet the amazing adult, teacher, mom that she has become. 

What a treasured gift it was to see her again; 

does it sound weird to say I wanted to keep her?

It has been thirty years.

Let that soak in.

Thirty years.

In a way, it feels just like yesterday.

But truly, it was a lifetime ago.

Here's the coolest part.

She doesn't remember me for the awesome handouts she completed in Spanish class. She doesn't necessarily remember the engaging games we played as we conjugated verbs and acquired vocabulary. She doesn't even remember our win-loss record on the court {though I do remember her hustle as a setter!}. 

She shared that what she remembers is that 

"you had a dynamic, caring personality with a love of life."

And she told me that it was refreshing to be in my presence.

That is music to my soul ... 

and it makes me want to care more.

To connect more.

To love more.

To reach out more.

It makes me hope that I've created those caring connections

more often than not.

Because I know that not all of my students

have these joyful memories of our interactions.

It makes me cognizant of what really matters.

And it makes me want to ripple that out

as far and wide as I possibly can.

Until I can't anymore.

So today, a wish for a Happy October, and a challenge:

What will you do today, this week, this month

 that really matters?

How will you know it really matters?

And for how long will it really matter?

Oh, and do a former teacher or mentor a favor;

reconnect with them, to let them know

that who they are

and what they did for you

really matters.

Thank you, Kelly, for finding joy in the journey

and bringing it back to share it with me all those years later.

Your visit really mattered to me.

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Gifts From The Heart

Today I'm bubbling with joy because I'm linking up with Carla over at Comprehension Connection to celebrate gifts from the heart.

It's likely you've heard this before . . .

. . . and it's not just a sweet sentiment.

It's true!

Let's start with the gift of mentoring.

Yesterday our Character Cam caught this PAL pair playing

ring toss with our giraffe friend, Junior.

Oh, what fun, right?

I could just feel the joy.

Whom are you mentoring right now?

What could he or she learn from you?

How could he or she benefit from your wisdom?

And what might you learn in return?

Listening is also a gift from the heart; maybe someone has a problem that you can coach them through. Check out today's guest post about resisting peer pressure at Free Spirit Publishing by clicking our decision-making model graphic below.

I experienced an act of kindness yesterday when I snuck over to the elementary side of our school and found first graders in Mrs. Collins' class writing thank-you notes for their mail carriers. As they attached a candy cane to sweeten their sentiments, they enthusiastically shared that they'd left notes for their garbage carriers the day before. The sweetness spreads ...

Gifts from the heart don't have to be grand to be great.

I've seen students holding the door for a friend without being asked.

I've seen them carrying a bouquet of flowers from the garden.

I've seen them bringing in fresh fruit from their citrus trees.

A kind compliment here ...

My friend {and IT expert} Libby designed these gift tags that we're making available to our staff so they can affirm one another in writing. What a gift!

Click {here} to download the "school family" version 

that you can use on your campus.

Check out these cool Compliment Cards 

if you want a fun template for kids.

. . . a generous gesture there.

How about setting up a hot chocolate bar with candy canes to stir? Or bringing in a batch of your homemade, hand-dipped chocolates to share? Maybe decorating smile cards to put on the windshields of the cars in a parking lot? 

Sometimes the gift from the heart is spelled T-I-M-E and it looks and feels like cozying up with a loved one and a good book or a Hallmark Channel holiday movie. Or maybe it's the gift of a song, either played on an instrument, sung with some carolers, or sent to an inbox via email or text.

I wonder what other gifts from the heart will enrich with special significance 

your celebration this holiday season? 

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I Love That He Bounces

Today I'm excited because I took the character cam out and saw so much goodness on our campuses. First, this Thankful Turkey crafted by the first-grade team. All of their thankful things are beautifully displayed on the colorful feathers.

Then, this note from a third-grade girl, for me.

When I asked her about it, she told me that she drew it to be "kind of like an Amusement Park ride because kindness makes everybody happy." I didn't think it could get any more magical than that, until I saw what a PAL had worked on with the third grader she mentors. Can you imagine how cool it must be to see yourself through your role model's eyes?

She made their time together interactive ...

by asking him leading questions ...

about how he puts our Pillars of Character ...

into action. Be still my heart.

Then I snapped this shot of an owl silhouette that just showed up last week. Mysteriously. On my wall.

It took me a day or two to figure out whoooooooo

would leave me such a beautiful surprise.

Doesn't it fit perfectly?

And to close, my personal story of the day about our youngest child, Joshua.

Today as I was visiting with our high school PALs teacher, she remarked that she saw Joshua bouncing down the halls yesterday, en route to his chemistry class. 

"He doesn't walk, you know," she told me. "He bounces." 

Then she added, "I love that he bounces." 

It warms my heart that she sees the beauty in the bounce. We talked about him for awhile, what he's working on, how he's doing. She normalized some junior-year behaviors and, as always, offered to check on him and help if ever he needs anything. When we hung up, I found myself thinking that we are abundantly blessed to have caring adults who notice and appreciate the small stuff, like the spring in his step, about Joshua.

So this afternoon, I sent her this affirmation: 

I love that you know that he bounces.

And I smiled.

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Caped In Kindness

Today I'm excited because of the kindness of a stranger. A stranger, as in someone I've never met in real life. But the beauty of the Internet, with all of its cautions and concerns, is the global connections we're able to make in cyberspace.

And this happened, because of one of those connections.

If you follow my book's Facebook page, you may remember that Steph Kozuch, a school counselor in Indiana, sent me a picture of the little superhero silhouette on the right, back in June. I posted it because I stood in awe of its adorableness {and the fact that she was preparing in June for the upcoming school year}. We reconnected on Twitter in early October when I complimented her on a picture I'd seen of her classroom decor, which now included the super sweet little girl on the left. I told her I'd asked a volunteer to make these for me but that I was still waiting ... 

and then this:

#share ~ don't you love that?

It seriously never crossed my mind  that she would make them for me. 

And when I sent her my address, this:

Then, when they arrived, in a poster mailing tube, all rolled up so that they wouldn't crease, I felt the warmth of a stranger friend cloaked in kindness. A stranger friend with a big, beautiful smile on her tiny Twitter avatar, and an even bigger heart of gold.

Before I put them up, I traced them and sent a pair to PA. And then another pair to OK. So Steph, your super gesture is rippling out. Thank you for being a superhero of the character kind!

Finding a home for these little cherubs was a wonderful way to kick off Character Counts! Week 2015. Then our celebration continued when I met with this year's Peer Assistance and Leadership students (PALs) from Friendswood High School and collected their cape masterpieces for our 

SUPERHEROES-in-training Wall of Fame.

Teenagers and their colorful character capes.

Each one more eye-catchingly brilliant than the next.

Each one bearing their heartbeat, happiness and hope.

Each one a caped in kindness.

Each one the story of a mentor eager to positively influence our future.

I wish you could see them all in person.

The capes. {And the mentors!}

If you're ever in the area, come on by for a gallery walk.

These are hanging just outside of Leadership Central.

The PALs visited our campus today, for their tour, and their enthusiasm was palpable. They'll start next week in our character building and I can't wait to 

watch them soar.

The future looks bright with these superheroes leading the way.

 Cape up and crusade on!

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Inspiring Mentorship

This evening as we close out another week, I'm on Cloud 9 about all of the amazing things going on at our school. One of my favorite annual events, our Round Up Carnival fundraiser, is just around the corner. In fact, the Fun Run is tomorrow morning. The generosity of our community really shines at Round Up time. From the countless hours of volunteerism leading up to the event, to the staff members who donate Teacher Treats and provide gathering opportunities to our students, to the giving family members who buy tickets not only for their own kids but for our families in need, I am blown away and stand in awe. Of all of it.

All of it, for the kids.

Thank you, Shelley Burgess, for this beautiful reminder.

We get more of what we focus on, so it just makes sense to affirm and encourage the positivity and passion of these dedicated volunteers and servant leaders.

Another reason I'm super energized this week is because I got to Skype with Paul Solarz's fifth graders in Illinois yesterday and I couldn't have been more impressed with this student-led classroom. Their plan is to mentor some kindergarten students in their school family and I was invited to empower and equip them 

with some start-up skills.

Because of some obvious front-loading, leadership and coaching from an award-winning educator, this pirate classroom could quite clearly run itself. Talk about your positive climate; I seriously didn't want the hour to end. We focused on strengths and self-esteem as we collaborated to launch their mentorship program.

I asked reflection questions like these: 

What is your superpower?

How do you use those superpowers for good?

Who is your superhero?

To whom are you a superhero?

What is your Kryptonite?

What superpowers will you use as you mentor? 

They asked me questions back:

What is my superpower?

Can a pet be a superhero?

What happens when I can't cheer someone up? 

What made me want to write the book?

What are some of the chapter titles?

What's the name of my website?

I challenged them to use their Covey wisdom and begin with the end in mind, then suggested a few activities that they could use as they build that relationship with their little buddies. In honor of National Poetry Month, they willingly and eagerly attempted my Empathy Switch poem and hand challenge with me.

So as I prepare to call it a day, my emotional reserve overflows with the assurance that there are students like my new friends at Westgate Elementary at the helm and taking the lead. 

Check out Learn Like A Pirate and see for yourself how you could set the course for such smooth sailing with your shipmates.

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Watt's Up

Today I want us to talk about the NFL player I admire most: 

Houston Texan J.J. Watt.

Anchor chart by Nancy Gruener

Our connection is that he's a UW alum, too. 

Go Badgers!

That, and I think he's got a great head on his shoulders.

The internet is full of articles like {this} and {that} to prove it.

There are also a lot of heartwarming video stories, like this ...

J.J. Watt clearly walks the talk.

So today I'm feeling inspired and grateful that there are high-profile people who could live with their heads up in the clouds, but who are so down to earth, JJs who make the world a better place

because they choose to live generously.

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Heartwarming Happiness

Today I'm excited because I'm on my way to Washington D.C. 

for the 21st annual Forum on Character Education. Yay!

Many of you know that I've been working on my 

Kindness Keynote to kick off the event. I am honored and humbled.

My Godparents and my sister will be meeting me there,

as will a few cyberspace counselors and some friends from Forums passed,
so I do believe I am in for a treat this Halloween!

 A few things to share before I unplug.

First, a student-created poster that caught my eye:

MARVEL-us. Don't you love that?

I think the idea of using character as a shield has a lot of discussion potential. What character trait offers you the most protection?

It is the perfect poster to set us up for our superhero-themed Wednesday. 

Here now, collage from that Hometown Heroes pep rally:

Hometown Heroes WOWed Westwood-Bales!

They signed autographs.

They played instruments.

They cheered and danced.

They gave hugs and high fives.

They launched us into greatness with spirit bridges.

Such a beautiful way to start the day.

The leaders who took the mic talked with us about good choices because what you put in your head and heart will come out. Wisdom laced with 

heartwarming happiness.

In Mrs. Huckabee's class, the character cam caught

our little superheroes and sidekicks writing Red Ribbon messages

 in their daily journals.

More happiness!

Then still more happiness because over at The Middle School Counselor blog, Carol has posted a super review (thank you, Carol) and is offering a chance to win a signed copy of my book, so go there next to sign up.

And then at some point today, parenting expert Annie Fox is going to post a Family Confidential podcast that I think might interest you {here}.

So I'm leaving on a jet plane for a few days; 

I'll be back in November with a focus on gratitude and grace.

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