Thankful for Bread

If

for just

one day

we knew only

what bread was…

(From “Fragments” in The Complete French Poems of Rainer Maria Rilke translated by A. Poulin, Jr.)

Wikipedia states, “Bread is a staple food prepared by baking a dough of flour and water. It is popular around the world and is one of the world’s oldest foods. Bread for many cultures is a part of every meal as well as a part of many traditions in religious and secular life. “

Today as I read this poem I thought about just how complex our lives can become. To-do lists, appointments, entertainment, work and parties! Most days in our house we take time to prepare food and gather at dinnertime. It is a sacred time and our meals are an occasion to be thankful and share the stories of our day! I look forward to taking the time to slow down and break bread on Thanksgiving with our family and friends. I am anxious and excited to prepare a Thanksgiving feast. Honored to ready the table for a larger family, with more food, and lively, new conversations. We will watch the Thanksgiving Day parade and Football on TV, play word games, and hear jokes and tales.  Weaving together stories of all of our families. Creating new stories of our own that will unfold as surely as the house will fill with warmth and love.

My life is beyond blessed – and I have more than most to be thankful for! I have an amazing family! I have friends and colleagues who share my vision for a School at Kirkridge. I gather regularly with families of people who are differently abled to help build Together It’s Possible (TIP). I work for Blended Schools Network empowering educators to think beyond teaching and learning as it has always been done. I live at Kirkridge – a sacred place where I have found my inner voice. I am thankful that on most days I slow down enough to hear what is important. Maybe that is what Rilke was thinking when he pondered, “if we only knew what bread was… “?