Burrr and Beauty
Okay, the post where I divulge that living without lights...
or heat...
or cold food...
is...
not easy.
Mr. Belding's school is in CT.
CT is still without power, in a lot of places.
Mr. B's school is closed through the middle of next week.
Blessing.
Our...see what I did there...OUR families are incredibly supportive, and even though they've experience the same loss of power, showed up day after day to support their school. Their classrooms, teachers, and principal.
RAMS. You rock.
We shoveled snow.
Dry walled.
Roofed a little.
Worked with the National Guard to clear debris near downed lines.
Loved a lot.
Mr. B did something amazing.
Something he says any principal would do.
You decide:
- He called and got in contact with every teacher, para, or staff member from school. Offered heat, places to find heat, and asked for help.
- Every person who agreed was given a list of name and cell numbers for each of the over 300 students in his school. (about 10 names and #'s per teacher/staff)
- They were asked to call each student, make sure they and their families were okay. And assign school wide homework for each student.
- Their homework? HAND write at a least one page about their experience living without. Without school, or heat, or lights, etc.
- For every THOUGHTFUL, handwritten full page, he will award that student's grade an author point.
- Author points go towards that grade picking the Visiting Author in the spring.
- It's a big deal. :)
- Once the teachers had attempted everyone, they were to call Mr. B back and give him those names.
- We then set out to visit those homes to ensure that they were okay.
- By monday afternoon there were less than 30 families that remained unaccounted for.
- We drove to, or near each of their homes and knocked on 20+ doors.
We found everyone.
:)
The students I met were ecstatic about the visit from Mr. B.
We brought cookies and flashlights and batteries.
Mr. B is that guy.
THAT guy.
Who can walk into a room and everyone, EVERYONE can feel his kindness.
I hope you have someone like that.
He would give his life for one his kids.
He proved that this week.
By Wednesday when we were still without power, I cried.
A lot.
Not about the power, but because kids had started to drop off what they'd written.
Get your tissues ready.
"Living without power has been finding out you're not alone." S.P
"I guess you never really appreciate what you have until you don't have it. Or until you don't have anything else and what you do have, even you're annoying little brother, mean that much more." C. H.
"Do you hear that? In the stillness? All around you? It's the love." E.M
"I've never loved something like that way I love reading. Reading by the fireplace at night makes me think of Felicity and the American Girls." A.C
and my personal favorite:
"Mom 'cooks' the dinner.
Dad plays his guitar for us.
We laugh to the beat."
C.D
Yeah kid, Haiku is cool. :)
Here are a few stills about how we've been living. In the dark, in the cold, and in love.
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