We were hit by a somewhat unexpected winter storm today. The forecasters predicted it for parts of northern Alberta, but it slumped towards Edmonton. Driving was slow, but I took my time and arrived on time, just when I was supposed to arrive. Sometimes in the fog or blizzard of life’s busyness, I lose my way. We are into report cards and we have the latest system designed just for us. I was not very happy yesterday and was letting stress get to me. Today, I took a message from nature and slowed down and it got done.
It arrived–
A winter storm
Unexpected,
I felt unsure
Slow down.
Grasping frantically,
Busyness overtakes
I let go
I arrive on time
In the very moment that just arrived.
About ivonprefontaine
In keeping with bell hooks and Noam Chomsky, I consider myself a public and dissident intellectual. Part of my work is to move beyond (transcend) institutional dogmas that bind me to defend freedom, raising my voice to be heard on behalf of those who seek equity and justice in all their forms.
I completed my PhD in Philosophy of Leadership Studies at Gonzaga University, Spokane, WA. My dissertation and research was how teachers experience becoming teachers and their role as leaders.
I focus on leading, communicating, and innovating in organizations. This includes mindfuful servant-leadership, World Cafe events, Appreciative Inquiry, and expressing one's self through creativity. I offer retreats, workshops, and presentations that can be tailored to your organzations specific needs.
I published peer reviewed articles about schools as learning organizations, currere as an ethical pursuit, and hope as an essential element of adult eductaion. I published three poems and am currently preparing my poetry to publish as an anthology of poetry.
I present on mindful leadership, servant leadership, schools as learning organizations, how teachers experience becoming teachers, assessement, and critical thinking. I facilitate mindfulness, hospitality retreats. and World Cafe Events using Appreciative Inquiry.
I am writing and researching about various forms of leadership, how teachers inform and form their identity as a particular teacher, schools as learning organizations, hope, nonviolence and its anticipatory relationship with the future, as essential elements to teaching and learning.
Academic publications can be found at Ivon Gile Prefontaine on ResearchGate
ivonprefontaine
Teacher as Transformer 
Nature has the habit of achieving the unexpected.
It certainly does.
Winter has arrived on the Atlantic coast. Brrrrrr. We had snow/rain today. There was once a weatherman from Baltimore who would call that snain….whatever callled it was cold.
That must get ugly. It is still warm here and we had a bit of rain yesterday, so as it cools and freezes it will get slippery.
My car does not like snow, hardly respects rain. I am so glad to have my daughter and grandson nearby who are willing to run errands if necessary.
Yes, Ivon; it’s amazing what happens when we go with the flow… It takes ‘faith’ and a whole lot of ‘letting go’…. 😉
You are so right; it takes faith.
Very nice poem. It is wonderful, the way that nature gives us a pat on the head occasionally.
Yes, nature has a way of arriving just on time. We definitely are into winter now after yesterday’s storm.
Yes. Yes. Yes.
I let go
I arrive on time
In the very moment that just arrived.
“..In the very moment that just arrived” Yes! And, always let nature lead us… Thank you, Ivon!
Nature has a way of finding a way into our hearts. We only have to open them.
Well said, Ivon!
Thank you Amy.
a very lovely poem..
Thank you for the kind words.