Ripples v1.27

Ripples, version 1.27 [7/19/99] ©1999 Stone Soup Seminars

PEBBLE ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

If nature has made you a giver, your hands are born open, and so is your
heart. And though there may be times when your hands are empty, your heart
is always full, and you can give things out of that.
Original Source: Frances Hodgson Burnett, Submitted by Kyle Erickson

BOULDER ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ <a bit long, but READ THIS!>

Drop a pebble in the water: just a splash and it is gone;
But there's half-a-hundred ripples circling on and on and on
Spreading - spreading from the centre, flowing on out to the sea
And there is no way of telling where the end is going to be.

Drop an unkind word, or careless: in a minute it is gone;
But there's half-a-hundred ripples circling on and on and on
They keep spreading, spreading, spreading, from the centre as they go,
And there is no way to stop them, once you've started them to flow.

Drop a word of cheer and kindness: just a flash, and it is gone;
But there's half-a-hundred ripples circling on and on and on
Bearing hope and joy and comfort on each splashing, dashing wave
Till you wouldn't believe the volume of the one kind word you gave.
Original source unknown (Taken from a Camp Tawingo Publication entitled Spread
a Little Sunshine from Huntsville, Ontario, 1987), submitted by Laura Dicke

PONDER ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

This week I returned from my mountain adventures via Duluth, Minnesota so I
could attend a conference of the National Coalition for Sex Equity in
Education. This annual meeting is filled with passionate people from
around the country who are committed to creating a positive learning
environment for ALL students. I was discouraged to learn that federal and
state laws are being passed every day that reduce funding and make it
harder to do this important work. At the same time, I was inspired to hear
details about the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision on peer harrassment
that will support efforts to build safe spaces for students.

I heard many people attempting to assess the current climate: is it
helpful or harmful? The conclusion some of us reached: it just IS the
current climate. There are some good things which serve to empower us, and
there are some bad things which can serve to challenge us to dig in our
heels and work even harder!

Is this a good time in YOUR life? Is this a bad time in YOUR life? Well,
perhaps it just IS a time in your life and YOU need to decide whether it is
empowering you or challenging you.

Whichever it is, I wish you success and happiness this week as I return to
Madison so I can sleep in my OWN bed with my OWN pillows!

-Paul