For Alison P.

... with thanks for writing a comment that made me smile.

Here's a bit of an update.

Noah is nineteen now, attending Virginia Commonwealth University (Go Rams!) for Political Science in his freshman year and working as a substitute teacher. He has a very sweet girl-friend. I like her a lot. 

Nathan is in his sophomore year of high school. He's looking forward to a trip to Italy with his Visual Arts class this June. He worked last summer and on weekends to make it happen and saved up from some custom art projects he worked on. 

Nuriel is growing. Currently, her dream is to be a dog musher. This dream has replaced her dream of being a princess. She recently learned how to ride a pedal bike and enjoys riding in the little side street next to our house. We still live in the same old yellow house with all its quirks, dust, and cracks. 

The eight-year-journey with my students at Richmond Waldorf School is nearing its end. I have caught myself reminiscing about those early years and I vividly remember how it all started. I have been blessed with the most supportive parents a teacher could hope for. And I look at these students and in the midst of all the drama and pain in the world, I am hopeful. These people are destined to bring innovative ideas, social justice, and love into the world. 

Not all is rosy, but for the first time in my life I can take a deep breath and truly focus on the moment. Mindi reminds me to just keep doing my thing. Murielle inspires me to read my affirmations and to deflect the arrows.  

I'm not sure what the near future will bring for us, but I trust that what will come will be good. My dream is to move back to beautiful Alaska, the home of my heart. Many, many years before Nu was born, I had a dream. I stood by a river and across was a sweet little cabin with smoke coming out of the chimney. As I was standing there, I realized someone was holding my hand. When I looked down, there was a little girl with curly reddish-blonde hair. At the time I had no idea who she was, but it's apparent now. I think it's our destiny for the time when the teenagers have moved on to their adult lives. I'm trying to take a step toward that dream on a daily basis. Slow & steady...