Taking Time to Reflect

I was listening to NPR this morning and they were continuing to comment on the status of the suspect in the Boston Marathon Bombing case. I almost changed the channel because I needed to take a break from the whole thing. Even 3000 miles away from home, the events of this past week have completely consumed me; part of my mind was always thinking about what was going on there. But instead of going into details about the case, the segment was about 'taking time to reflect'. Sunday is often a day during which we finally have a chance to pause, to relax, and to think about the week we just had and the week coming up. This week, taking that time seems particularly important. Though for many people (in Boston, Texas, around the world) this week was filled with sadness and fear, it was also filled with love, kindness, hope, and an incredible sense of unity. Today I am feeling grateful that my loved ones are safe and especially thankful for the many amazing people who keep us safe every day. It's easy to get caught up in the stress of daily life, so take some time to relax and reflect on the things that are really important.

Here is a video from yesterday's Red Sox game, Neil Diamond showed up to play Sweet Caroline live. This will surely boost any Bostonian's mood, but hopefully the rest of yours, too.

Autism Awareness Month

April is World Autism Awareness month and I wanted to dedicate this post to some of the wonderful things that people are doing to contribute. My sister's longtime best friend (my non-blood related sister next door), Ashley, has embarked on a truly inspiring journey of helping others. This year, her new year's resolution was to dedicate herself to one charity each month of the year. Over the past several months, she has dedicated her time and worked to increase awareness and raise money for causes including The DJ Dream Fund, which honors a high school classmate's life with a mission “to share DJ’s love of sports by providing the financial resources to enable children and young adults to say ‘YES’ to healthy lifestyles through athletics and wellness programs,” House of Possibilities, which offers programs and care for children and adults with developmental challenges, Team Intestinal Fortitude, which raises money and awareness for those suffering with Chrone's Disease, and finally, this month, Jobs4Autism, which is working to offer pre-employment internships and job matching services for people with autism. 

Her dedication to spreading awareness and gaining support to help those in need is truly inspring. I wanted to share some resources about Autism and how you can help. Check out Ashley's blog,  Redefining Rich, to get more information about Jobs4Austism and other causes that she supports. Also check out Austism Speaks to see all the amazing contributions from around the world, from Major League Baseball to President Obama to the Tower of Pisa lit up in blue. You can also follow @autismspeaks on Twitter to get updates and information. Consider donating, if you can, and if not, take some time to do a little research about Autism and how it impacts children, adults, and families in your community. 

Are We Feeding Our Kids to Death?

Lately, the topic of nutrition seems to be popping up more frequently in my life. It has come up at my school, in the news, in talking with family and friends, and this morning I even got an email that a classmate (Bernice) started a nutrition board on learnist.  Health and nutrition play a key role in all of our lives and as adults we have the freedom (to an extent) to make our own choices in how we treat our bodies. Children, however, are given food and told what to eat and, unfortunately, they're not always offered healthy choices.
I began thinking about the role of schools in providing children with an education about nutrition and access to healthy choices. My students are working on persuasive writing and one of the topics that they keep bringing up is 'Healthier lunches in school'. Students are asking to be given more nutritious (and, yes, better tasting) food to eat at school. I recently watched a TED Talk by Ann Cooper, head of nutrition for Berkeley schools, who advocates for "revolutionizing the way kids eat in schools." Ann mentions an alarming statistic, saying that children born in the year 2000 could be the first generation to die at a younger age than their parents, and the reason comes down to poor nutrition. She talks about the work she has done in Berkeley schools to turn this trend around. She has worked to replace the packaged, processed foods thats kids were being served with locally grown, organic whole foods that are free from hormones and chemicals. These foods provide children with the nutrients they need to be healthy people and the energy to be active learners. She talks not only about the food we feed kids at school, but about opportunities for exercise and movement. Through proper eating habits and regular exercise, students have more energy for learning. I think that we need to advocate for our children by fighting for an education system that values health and supports teaching children how to be healthy.