Tag Archive for compassion

Generosity

18/02/2009 Joh gratitude

People are so generous. At our staff meeting tonight, our Principal told us that schools from Adelaide and Canberra had been doing fundraising for our students who have lost their homes. Local suppliers have made generous offers of school uniforms and books and this money we are receiving from other schools will also contribute to this and be distributed to the families if there is a surplus. The teachers at our school have voted to put the money in our school budget for the mid year and end of year functions to covering those families school fees. 

Frogdancers post about both her own and her communities generosity is a detailed insight into the things that are happening all over the state I imagine. I rang my handyman last night and he was out at Traralgon South organising a BBQ to raise funds for the people there. Tonight I got an email :

Monash Gippsland Auditorium,
Monash University, Churchill
Saturday 21st February @ 7p.m.
 
All those involved, including sound technicians and artists from Australia and even one from the U.S.A are donating their time and talents, as are many organizations with fantastic items that will be auctioned throughout the evening.
Much loved Australian country singer, SARA STORER, is foregoing her birthday party in Sydney to fly to Churchill to perform at the benefit. TONI CHILDS who has just arrived in Australia to do a National Tour has also donated her time to perform at the benefit, whilst Australian musicians MIA DYSON & LIZ STRINGER will join forces to perform a unique set of music.
From Gippsland, The Monash Sinfonia and local musician Brodie Young will perform.
And there are still more artists to be announced.
There will also be an auction of a variety of items at the benefit to raise money.
The HAWTHORN football club have donated some signed football jumpers,
Taasha Coates from ‘The Audreys’ was unable to change prior commitments to come to the benefit but is sending over from South Australia some personally signed posters.
There will be CD’s auctioned and special T-Shirts available for purchase. And more….
 
Ticket prices are $25 and are on sale NOW,
online at www.wgac.org.au
Tickets will also be available to purchase from;
Leading Edge in Traralgon and Sale
Monash University Auditorium.†
 
Stay tuned to ABC Gippsland Radio or their website (www.abc.net.au/gippsland) for all current information or
The Lyrebird Arts Council website (www.lyrebirdartscouncil.com.au)
ABC Radio will broadcast live from the benefit.

Everywhere I go there are events and people doing all kinds of creative and generous things to ease the burden of people they have felt compassion for. Tonight a lady came to the school gate after bus duty. She was a crossing supervisor and had made a patchwork quilt for one of the girls who crosses her road on her way to school. When I went to the supermarket recently, I asked the cashier why it was always so busy every time I came. He said that so many people are buying trolley loads for the bushfire survivors. Every day, they come in and buy things to donate. All these random acts of kindness, given freely and with love.

Tomorrow I promise I will talk about something else.

Popularity: 7% [?]

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Brother César Henriques visited today

24/07/2008 Joh learn, work

Brother César Henriques, a Marist Brother, who works at the UN advocating for the rights of children, spoke to our year 9s today. He asked as many questions as he answered, which was really refreshing. The students all spoke positively about the time they spent with him. When he was in the staff room having morning tea, he circulated through the entire staff. I was quite impressed, as often when visitors come to school, they stick with the leadership people. He was very open and warm. He was genuinely interested in others.

I learnt from the questions he asked our students also. Few of them knew very much about human rights. I think this is something we need to address. Many of them didn’t know what the United Nations was about. I was surprised and will ensure I discuss this in the next few weeks.

It’s always inspiring when you meet people who demonstrate leadership in their behaviour before they even address you.

Popularity: 8% [?]

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Guanyin at the Gallery

24/05/2008 Joh learn, travel, work

Guanyin at the Gallery

This statue of Guanyin in the Asian Collection at National Gallery Victoria is in a striking pose. She looked relaxed yet upright and confident. I love it. It wasn’t one of the things we were shown in our quick tour of the Gallery yesterday. If I’d been the tour guide it would have. We saw another version of her with the hands spanning out into infinity, which is just what any mother needs. An effective communication of the boundless love and compassion yet, I find this depiction more beautiful. I just noticed it and managed to get this one shot, before my batteries died. I’m happy with it though- no flash of course.

She is my favourite Chinese Goddess. I have always known her as Quan Yin and have a little statue of her for my home.  I’d love one in this pose though. It’s so dignified and real. I learnt about her when I studied feng shui and purchased my women’s version of the I Ching. There are many names for her. I think of her as the Goddess of compassion as well as domestic life. She’s a part of the Taoist and Buddhist tradition.

Popularity: 7% [?]

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Retreat

10/05/2008 Joh gratitude, health

Yesterday at school the staff had a retreat day. We went to a place out of town in the hills. A Sister from the Marist order came to speak to us and draw our attention to the big picture. She asked some great questions and we recalled our intentions as Marist teachers. Our school motto that I love “Strong Minds, Compassionate Hearts”, is one I repeat often to myself and students. I feel it is a grounded and worthy motto. She called us to always remember amidst all the daily annoyances and battles (that she listed and obviously knew having taught for a long time) that ‘each person is an individual, a person with a name, with dignity, as a child of God’.

We often notice amongst ourselves how out of line we are in these ideals and intentions. It’s really challenging to keep it in mind all the time. I can easily see how others don’t do itSmile or just as ineffectively beat myself up for all the recollections of my own shortcomings. I want to realign with that intention and keep at it, without becoming disheartened or cynical. Marcellin Champagnat, the founder of the Marist brothers wrote that you must love children to do this work, and I do. That is why I am happy working in a Marist school and feel it is aligned to who I am.

I was tired beyond explanation and not in the mood to be there. I felt too tired to retreat and struggled to remain focussed. I was too cranky to socialise or be with my fellow staff members. I wanted the retreat to work it’s magic on me, but I didn’t see how it could.

Even as I left I felt the day could have been better spent chipping away at my to do list. Yet after a good nights sleep I can see some of it seeped in regardless of the weariness. I realised I haven’t been taking very good care of myself this week. I haven’t exercised, slept, eaten properly. I’ve forgotten to take my vitamins. It has created a perfect storm and as the week has gone on it’s just been getting worse. This morning I am going to get back on track with it all. I am going to have an epsom salt bath(inspiring by reading this)  after I exercise. I recall overhearing someone asking after a seriously ill collegue and thinking I need to put my troubles into perspective. I enjoyed seeing the large show of autumn in the trees around and my skin still feels the tingle of the crisp air up there.

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Our ‘Global Reality Meal’

13/03/2008 Joh work

Today at our school we gave some year 9 students the ‘Global Reality Meal’ experience. It was really educational for all of us. The students all participated fully and I hope they got a lot out of it. I know I did.

We had a table of ‘lucky’ students who had chosen the right coloured star when they arrived who got to sit at a table and were waited on. They were served an abundance of great food (well, not great to me, but all the junk food kids that age love). They had plenty.

The remainder and massive majority of the students sat on the floor on mats. After the ‘lucky’ students were served a pot of rice, a couple of loaves of bread, a couple of bowls of baked beans and a jug of water with plastic cups and plates were placed in the centre.

 You can imagine the outrage and surprise! They reacted strongly. This is unfair. They blamed, they begged they whined, they complained and a small number of them refused to eat anything. We observed the behaviours of the two groups. Those seated at the ‘lucky’ table totally ignored the hoardes on the floor. Occasionally looking up with self-satisfied smiles. I heard one of them say how clever they were to have chosen the right colour.

After about 30 minutes of their meal, we debriefed them. There was quite a lot of hostility and I think if the floor dwellers had not had a chance to reflect on their experience they may have ripped the ‘lucky’ ones apart in the playground afterward. There was a lot of emotional response. It was effective. They all eventually realised in their ‘real’ life, they all were firmly seated at the ‘lucky’ table.

We discussed how the poor are not heard by the rich. The ‘lucky’ ones didn’t want to look at those on the mats. Even when they were yelling at them, especially when they became angry and abusive. They felt safe and protected. We discussed how powerless the poor were. We discussed leftovers and waste. We decided it’s not good enough to give charity, there needs to be changes to the distribution system.

Then they went out for their real lunch – to the tuckshop no doubt to get some food. I’m not sure what if anything will happen as a result of the experience, but I know they had an experience and all the money we raised will go to Project Compassion.

Popularity: 6% [?]

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