Sunday, December 16, 2012

Sleep in Heavenly Peace


I hope that most of you were able to see Paul McCartney on Saturday night Live last night.  I found it to be very enjoyable.  I loved Paul's performance of "Wonderful Christmastime" with the children's choir.   They sounded so good!   And those lucky kids got to sing on national television with Paul McCartney.   They had such beautiful smiles on their faces.   Of course the children's choir earlier had sang a beautiful rendition of "Silent Night" in memory of the children and staff murdered in their elementary school on Friday morning.  

I want to send out my deepest sympathies and heartfelt prayers out to all of the teachers and students at Sandy Hook elementary school.   Those of you who know me, will know that I am an elementary school teacher.   I do not do "Beatles" things for a living (although it shocks me how many people think that I get paid for this and do it as a full time job!).   From 7:15am - 4:00pm I am working as a reading teacher at the elementary school that is down the street from my house.    I am a Title 1 teacher, which means I teach kids who are having some trouble learning how to read.   I have small group of Kindergarten - 5th grade kids in my room for about an hour a class.   So I teach the same age kids as those who go to Sandy Hook.   If I wasn't in Illinois and lived in Connecticut instead, I very well could teach there.   As one teacher said, this was the 9-11 for teachers.   But yet I still love my job.   I love the kids, even when they are misbehaving and do not listen.   And I would do whatever it takes to keep my students safe.   That is what I do.    I have heard people say that schools should be canceled tomorrow, and honestly that thought never crossed my mind.   I have lessons that need to be done tomorrow.   The kids are having their holiday music concert in the morning.   I am so sad and confused by everything that happened, but it does not scare me away from my job.  

I have strong views about guns that I keep to myself all the time.   So  I won't go babbling about guns except to say that things should have changed since December 8, 1980 and December 14, 2012.   And I do not see much change happening.  

Remember that War is over (if you want it).   Take the time this week to mend broken relationships with loved ones, rekindle an old friendship, forgive someone who has hurt you and spread love to those in need of love.   Try to end all of the "wars" going on in your personal life because our time here is short.   You never know what might happen to you or to someone you love.

Sending all of my loving to all of the Beatle fans around the world,
Sara S.

7 comments:

  1. That last paragraph -- everything about it is so true. War IS over, it can BE over, if only everyone would admit to wanting it to be over. We all do, I know it. And we can't forget that all you need is love.
    Very beautiful tribute. All my very best to you and yours. xx

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  2. your so right, your so right
    sadly as history shows it only takes one or two sad bad people to make a tonne of misery that will last many years for many people

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  3. Sara, right on. First off, I DID see the SNL this weekend....After the absolute sorrow of the day, something so gut wrenching...I tuned in but I just couldn't think of how they were going to pull it off, a comedy show during such a horrible tragedy? It actually ended up showing the healing power of laughter (and music!). We were in good hands, A-list talent all the way, started with chuckling, and then a begrudging laugh, then all-out laughter, skit after skit, Martin Short (someone I never had a feeling one way or another about) was fantastic, all the guest stars were great and of course, Paul was great. That skit with him and Martin Short was hilarious. "My Valentine" was somehow very appropriate, don't you think? The lyrics? Then he rocked out. Then did his Christmas standard. Three sides of Macca...not unlike the day he recorded "I've Just Seen A Face", "I'm Down" and "Yesterday"! A delicate day handled very well...and for 90 minutes I was able to let go of the tragedy a bit. Thank you Lorne Michaels, Paul, and SNL.

    Secondly...and more importantly....of course, as you said, this hits home for all of us who endured 12/8/80, this isn't new to us.....but for you, as a teacher....wow, Sara....I thought about you, and my brother, and my friend, all of who are teachers. I can't even imagine how you must be feeling. I can't even imagine how I'D be feeling if it had been my brother, or you, or my friend who had been there that day. Thank you for sharing, so eloquently, your state of mind. And by the way, while we're doing away with the ridiculous gun fetish this country has, can we also do away with the war on teachers? Every day, they're being maligned and nickel and dimed as if all of society's ills are somehow teachers fault (what the...?!)....and it takes something like this to make us appreciate what public servants every teacher is, what inherent heroism it takes to be one. There's an ad I see on TV where a guy is talking about how teachers are unselfish Americans who only want to see the next generation do well. And now they have to endure this on top of everything else?!!! I'm just so sorry. What do you tell the kids? I mean, are the kids bringing it up in class? I think of myself in first grade...going to school is scary enough without having to worry about stuff like this. It's just too much to bear.

    I hope you got through the day ok, you and also your students. And thank you, not just for this amazing, amazing blog that cheers me up at work each and every day, I'm not kidding Sara, really, thank you.... but thank you for helping those children learn something so fundamental and so important: how to read. Nothing is unaffected.

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  4. Well said Sara! Not only do I commend you for the fabulous job you do with your blog (which I check every day) but more importantly I salute you for all you do for the kids of this country. The importance of your job cannot be understated. Thank you!

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  5. Hey, maybe this will hearten somebody...maybe it's a little controversial but.....well, The Beatles were controversial so I think we can all take it!....just saw this, yesterday a crowd in Times Square starts singing "All You Need Is Love" to drown out a well-known anti-Muslim preacher.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=mxoVis_6yNA

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  6. Hate to be maudlin, I just had to share this with someone because it just tore my heart out,

    According to CNN, one of the victims, 6-year old Benjamin Wheeler, who was buried today: "He loved The Beatles, lighthouses, and the number 7 train to Sunnyside, Queens".

    I actually live in Sunnyside, Queens, I take that train every day to work, it is a beautiful train ride, kids are always smooshed up at the glass, looking at the view, excitedly pointing at what they're seeing....

    what a waste...

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