Tag: love
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The Power of Love
The sobbing student had to be carried into my office, refusing to come in under their own power. This is a sure sign of a serious problem for a principal. Normally, there are two types of criers: sad or mad. And this one seemed furious. The five-year-old stood across from my desk with clenched fists.…
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Squeaky to the Rescue!
A conference I attended for educational administrators last year fell on Leap Day–February 29. In celebration, every table came decorated with a dozen or so little toy frogs. I picked one up and realized it was squishable. When I gave him a quick squeeze, my new little friend said, “squeak, squeak.” Very cool! After the…
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Above and Beyond
Every Friday night, before we sing on Saturday, I text the nursing home activities director,“Are we still good for tomorrow?” She usually answers with a thumb’s up emoji, but one week she sent the message,“Please lead the residents in patriotic music, around the flagpole out front, for Armed Forces Day.” My wife and I eagerly…
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Three Rocks. One Story.
The first rock made its way to my bookshelf in 2011. Anthony, one of my students, found it while walking to school and brought it to me. It’s an ordinary looking grey stone, worn smooth from years of weather, about the size of those chocolate eggs you see at Easter. But it meant something special to…
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The Strongest Love on Earth
Singing at nursing homes is unlike anywhere else. The audience loves every minute of it, though many of them are unable to show their appreciation in tangible ways. A tap of a foot, a clap here and there, or a smile from one of their friends is like a standing ovation at Carnegie Hall. Last…
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Life Lessons, from a Box of Chocolates
Every month, after my wife and I sang at Twin Oaks Assisted Living, our friend Kathleen insisted that we follow her back to her room. Once inside, there was always something special she wanted to show us. First there was her bridal veil, from when she married her husband, Denzel, in 1947, also some dried…
Davids Daily Dose 