Category Archives: Reflective Moments

Dreams

Posted on January 10, 2013 by ivonprefontaine

It was a long day. I feel tired and I was not as close to 100% as I thought. Despite that, I had an interesting conversation and, on the way home, I wondered if many children’s dreams have exploded? Do children dream like I did when I was a child? Do some children while others are afraid or unable to dream? I turned those questions over and they reminded me of Langston Hughes’ wonderful poetry. What is my role in holding their dreams with them?

Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird
That cannot fly.
Hold fast to dreams
For when dreams go
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow.

23 Comments

Posted in Community, Education, Mindful Life, Poetry, Reflective Moments, Social Justice and tagged community, Dreams, education, eloquent questions, Langston Hughes, Mindful Practice, poetry, servant-leadership, teacher as transformer. Bookmark the permalink.

Fueled

Posted on January 8, 2013 by ivonprefontaine

I thought I was ready to get into the swing of things after Christmas break, but I recovering from the blight of the time of the year-the flu. I feel better today, but took it pretty easy the last couple of days. I think tomorrow will be a transition day and the break ends on Wednesday.

I spent time in reflection, as best as that happen when medicated, and considered how rarely the small things in life, that make it incredible, are uplifted. I applaud human endeavours, and some of them are worthy, but forget the triumph of the unobservable. Marcie Hans provided this wonderful poem that shines a light on this dilemma.

Fueled
by a million
man-made
wings of fire-
the rocket tore a tunnel
through the sky-
and everybody cheered.
Fueled
only by a thought from God-
the seedling
urged its way
through thicknesses of black-
and as it pierced
the heavy ceiling of the soil-
and launched itself
up into outer space –
no
one
even
clapped.

–Marcie Hans

47 Comments

Posted in Mindful Life, Nature in All Its Glory, Poetry, Reflective Moments and tagged eloquent questions, Fueled, Marcie Hans, Mindful Practice, nature, servant-leadership, stewardship, teacher as transformer. Bookmark the permalink.

For the Children

Posted on January 6, 2013 by ivonprefontaine

I began reading Meg Wheatley’s book So Far From Home. Similar to Parker Palmer, she uses poetry to bring her message to life. She quoted Gary Snyder at one point and I recognized it from a retreat I attended. Her point is we live in a world of relationships and not just science. When I look at the sadness of our world, the constant conflict in it, and the violence, I can only wonder if it is a result of loneliness and separation we experience? I will ponder that during my Sabbath.

The rising hills, the slopes,
of statistics
lie before us.
the steep climb
of everything, going up,
up, as we all
go down.

In the next century
or the one beyond that,
they say,
are valleys, pastures,
we can meet there in peace
if we make it.

To climb these coming crests
one word to you, to
you and your children:

stay together
learn the flowers
go light

18 Comments

Posted in Community, Leadership, Mindful Life, Poetry, Reflective Moments and tagged community, education, eloquent questions, Gary Snyder, Margaret Wheatley, Mindful Practice, Parker Palmer, poetry, spirituality, stewardship, teacher as transformer. Bookmark the permalink.

The Drum Major Instinct

Posted on January 3, 2013 by ivonprefontaine

I found a few minutes to check my blog and post. We visited and are ready to head home early tomorrow morning.

This is an excerpt from a Martin Luther King Jr. passage. Being a servant is a significant part of being a leader.

If you want to be important–wonderful. If you want to be recognized–wonderful. If you want to be great–wonderful. But recognize that he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. That’s your new definition of greatness. And this morning, the thing I like about it…by giving that definition of greatness, it means that everybody can be great. Because everybody can be serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve. You don’t have to know about Plato and Aristotle to serve. You don’t have to know Einstein’s theory of relativity to serve, you don’t have to know the second theory of thermodynamics in physics to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love. And you can be that servant.

23 Comments

Posted in Leadership, Mindful Life, Poetry, Reflective Moments and tagged leadership, Martin Luther King Jr., Mindful Practice, quotes, servant-leadership, spirituality, teacher as transformer. Bookmark the permalink.

Foolishness? No, It’s Not

Posted on December 31, 2012 by ivonprefontaine

I am a little rushed, but found some time to sit and work with the blog. I was unable to spend the time answering all the comments, but hope to find some time late after we do a bit more visiting. As well, I apologize for not attending to the awards that we so generously bestowed on me. I will attend to them when we get home after the New Year.

I think, as I enter 2013, there will be considerable change upcoming for me professionally. I look forward to some times of transition and building relationships like I have over the past few months with this blog. Mary Oliver always seems to find the words I seek as I look ahead.

Sometimes I spend all my day trying to count the leaves on a single tree. To do this I have to climb branch by branch and write down the numbers in a little book. So I suppose, from this point of view, it’s reasonable that my friends say: what foolishness! [He’s] got [his] heads in the clouds again.

But it’s not. Of course I have to give up, but by then I’m half crazy with the wonder of it–the abundance of the leaves, the quietness of the branches, the hopelessness of my effort. And I am in that delicious and important place, roaring with laughter, full of earth-praise.

Take care friends, ring in the New Year, and be safe my friends.

26 Comments

Posted in Community, Mindful Life, Poetry, Reflective Moments, Writing and tagged blogging, community, creativity, Mary Oliver, Mindful Practice, poetry, teacher as transformer. Bookmark the permalink.

Two Kinds of Intelligence

Posted on December 27, 2012 by ivonprefontaine

We enjoyed a restful Christmas. We head out tomorrow night for a trip to British Columbia where my 88-year old mother lives. Over the past few days, I thought about what I hold true and came across this Rumi poem. I will be working more on the literature review for my dissertation and I need to assure myself that I distinguish between two types of intelligences: one that grounds me and one that is simply the currency of the day.

There are two kinds of intelligence: one acquired,

as a child in school memorizes facts and concepts

from books and from what the teacher says,

collecting information from the traditional sciences

as well as from the new sciences.

With such intelligence you rise in the world.

You get ranked ahead or behind others

in regard to your competence in retaining

information. You stroll with this intelligence

in and out of fields of knowledge, getting always more

marks on your preserving tablets.

There is another kind of tablet, one

already completed and preserved inside you.

A spring overflowing its springbox, A freshness

in the center of the chest. This other intelligence

does not turn yellow or stagnate. It’s fluid,

and it doesn’t move from outside to inside

through the conduits of plumbing-learning.

This second knowledge is a fountainhead

from within you, moving out.

57 Comments

Posted in Leadership, Mindful Life, Poetry, Reflective Moments and tagged creativity, education, leadership, Mindful Practice, poetry, Rumi, spirituality, teacher as transformer. Bookmark the permalink.

We Prepare for the Messiah

Posted on December 22, 2012 by ivonprefontaine

I leave you with this and hope, whatever your faith and beliefs are, you enjoy your holiday at or close to this time of the year. Take care, enjoy those closest to you, and together we make the world a better place.

O Wisdom,
O holy Word of God,
you govern all creation with your strong yet tender care:
Come.

O Sacred Lord of ancient Israel,
you showed yourself to Moses in the burning bush
and you gave the holy law on Mount Sinai:
Come.

O Flower of Jesse’s stem,
you have been raised up as a sign for all people;
kings stand silent in your presence;
the nations bow down in worship before you:
Come.

O Key of David, O royal Power of Israel,
you [not the systems of this world] control

at your will the gate of heaven:
Come break down the prison walls of death.

O Radiant Dawn,
splendor of eternal light, sun of justice:
Come shine on those who dwell in darkness

and the shadow of death.

O, King of all the nations,
the only joy of every human heart;
O Keystone of the mighty arch of humankind:
Come and save these creatures you fashioned from the dust.

O, Emmanuel,
God-With-Us, king and lawgiver,
desire of the nations, Savior of all people:
Come and set us free. d
The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.”

Amen.

Father Richard Rohr is a leading ecumenical teacher who transcends religious and spiritual boundaries.

Stay human my friends.

27 Comments

Posted in Community, Mindful Life, Poetry, Reflective Moments, Sabbath and tagged community, creativity, leadership, Mindful Practice, Richard Rohr, spirituality, teacher as transformer. Bookmark the permalink.

Spacious Sanctuary

Posted on December 22, 2012 by ivonprefontaine

I will break for Christmas tomorrow (Saturday) and return December 27, 2012. It is an extended Sabbath. I find a few days away from the digital world creates a quieter space. I began to think about this even though I will post one more time before the break. I looked in a bit today and realized there is a need to replenish the spiritual and creative elements.

I step away–

Ease into a low-tech space;

Sense stillness–

Eyes unsquare,

Fewer fidgets

A mindful practice

Just be.

I rest–

Embrace wakefulness

Emerge from frenetic hibernation,

I run yet stand still–

Deplete the spirit

Rediscover lightness,

A spacious sanctuary.

33 Comments

Posted in Mindful Life, Poetry, Reflective Moments and tagged creativity, Mindful Practice, poetry, spirituality, teacher as transformer. Bookmark the permalink.

Poetry Beckons

Posted on December 21, 2012 by ivonprefontaine

As I drove to work this morning, I reflected on the comments shared on the post I Dwell in Possibility. The car is a tough place to write and I hurriedly got into the classroom and pulled my notebook out. I sat with the reflections during the day as they bubbled near the surface. Writing poetry is a space I needed and find comfort in as the school year unfolded. I find solace in the poetry and the unlikely moments it beckons.

in unlikely moments,

poetry beckons–

pulls me to her side–

she is a different lover–

no carnal, siren calls,

a modest, unobtrusive presence,

a compassionate companion whispers,

come hither friend–

sit, reflect–

here, realize refuge–

close your eyes

open your heart

observe,

pause,

discern an inaudible voice

ask, what moves the soul

animates a weary spirit,

urges the writer on,

words find paper.

17 Comments

Posted in Mindful Life, Poetry, Reflective Moments and tagged creativity, Mindful Practice, poetry, teacher as transformer, writing poetry. Bookmark the permalink.

I Dwell in Possibility

Posted on December 20, 2012 by ivonprefontaine

Emily Dickinson wrote this beautiful poem. With questions, I dwell in possibility. Poetry calls gently to me, leaves a space that I can peer into, and observe that which moves my soul. Without questions, there would be no answers and no certainty. That seems odd and paradoxical, but seems very real to me. Questions allow me real faith and a belief in those things I cannot touch. They are there and I know they are.

I dwell in Possibility–
A fairer House than Prose–
More numerous of Windows–
Superior–for Doors–

Of Chambers as the Cedars–
Impregnable of Eye–
And for an Everlasting Roof
The Gambrels of the Sky–

Of Visitors–the fairest–
For Occupation–This–
The spreading wide my narrow Hands
To gather Paradise–