The Ripple Effect of ...You
Meeting Matt - 2nd grade student from 40 years ago!
When is the last time you revisited a project, student, neighbor or client from 30+ years ago?
On a hot July morning in Arizona, Matt, a father, husband and finance guy living in the same Arizona metro area, was waiting for me - his 2nd grade teacher from Greenwich, CT. He and I agreed to say 'hello" in person at the Wildflower Cafe in Scottsdale, when we connected on Facebook.
I was so proud to see him happy and learn that his own son was entering 2nd grade that very day!
His wife asked, "Who remembers their 2nd grade teacher? And who wants to meet them, after 30 years?" Matt shared, "It's more like 40 years and you never had Mrs. V as your teacher."
When he relayed that exchange with me, I felt so grateful and blessed that my career path in education connected me with so many students. We talked for two hours. He remembered a field trip and baseball curriculum that I initiated with his class. We both left smiling! I was happy that he was healthy, positive, and a proud dad. "Don't be a stranger he shouted to me, as we left the parking lot."
People who heard about our meeting felt good too - it is an authentically uplifting story.
Standing on the Shoulders of Our Ancestors
God Gets Our Attention and works through us. Each individual possesses a unique set of talents that interact with the lives of others. People placed in our path during our life, careers, and environments, teach us lessons. And they show up in our lives for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. The work we do, directed by our mind, body, heart, and soul can ripple into eternity.
As a qualitative researcher I interviewed my grandfather (1905-2001) through recorded phone and in-person interviews for a qualitative research course during my doctoral program. Years later, I visited his town and wrote an article, published in the journal, Italian America.
My grandfather was born in Yonkers, New York in 1905. His parents decided to return to his mother's birth town in the hills of Campagna, Italy when he was three. His formative years were spent in San Giovanni a Piro. As a five-year-old, he walked six miles roundtrip twice a day, to get fresh goat's milk for his baby sister (lower left in pic), because his mother required an operation in another town. My Grandfather's hard work, determination, collaboration with others, and deep faith kept him going – and he never doubted that things were going to work out. He was positive and deeply grateful to God for his life, wife, family, business, and health. He always prepared an invocation that he recited prior to our family meals. His entire life and affected so many people.
Can one person really make a difference? YES! If he was missing from my life, I would not be here. Because of him, I initiated a project, entitled, The ripple effect of giving up your story, that was a favorite of my undergraduate/graduate Social Studies Education students over 15 years. They interviewed one person on any event in history. By listening to an elder in the family, friend or co-worker they tapped into how strangers, situations, synchronicities and small voice impacted their lives. The lessons they shared affected all of us who heard their stories. Students not only learned 'history' but, the were emotionally impacted by the inner strength, faith, hope, resourcefulness, and traits of character that kept them going when faced with life's challenges
The take home message from the project: we are the ripple that affects the lives of others. Like a rock in a pool of water that registers upon impact extending concentric circles outward, God Gets Our Attention in never, ever, on our radar ways that are unpredictable, yet Divinely Timed. How can we (in our lives and in our work) be instruments - spiritual instruments - to support, care, heal, guide, teach, comfort, enlighten, mentor, love, and spread joy to others?
And, everyday: we are spiritual instruments. 🎹🎸🎼🎨 .
When God Gets Your Attention Podcasts
In each episode host and guest discuss one or more of Spirit’s seven (7) signals: symptoms, situations, strangers, songs, small voice, signs, and synchronicities and how these Divine messages, are specific to our needs and seem to arrive at the right time? How do we respond? Dr. Barb offers seven categories: pause, pivot, reflect, act, re-purpose, surrender or… business as usual? Join the conversation!
Here's the line-up of the episodes available on buzzsprout.com
Episode #1 Symptoms
Episode #2 Situations
Episode #3 Strangers
Episode #4 Signs/Symbols
Episode #5 Small Voice
Episode #6 Songs
Episode #7 Gratitude What are you thankful for? How are we reminded to appreciate people, places, environment and loved ones?
