They walked in tandem, each of the ninety-two students filing into the already crowded auditorium. With their rich maroon gowns flowing ..... and the traditional caps, they looked almost .. as grown up as they felt.
Dads swallowed hard behind broad smiles, and Moms freely brushed away tears. This class would NOT pray during the commencements----not by choice, but because of a recent court ruling prohibiting it.
The principal and several students were careful to stay within the guidelines allowed by the ruling. They gave inspirational and challenging speeches, but no one mentioned divine guidance and no one asked for blessings on the graduates or their families.
The speeches were nice, but they were routine.....until the final speech received a standing ovation. A solitary student walked proudly to the microphone. He stood still and silent for just a moment, and then, it happened.
All 92 students, every single one of them, suddenly SNEEZED!!!!
The student on stage.. simply looked at the audience and said, 'GOD BLESS YOU,
each and every one of you!' And he walked off stage...
The audience exploded into applause. This graduating class had found a unique way to invoke God's blessing on their future with or without the court's approval.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
A Little Encouragement Goes A Long Way
One day a teacher asked her students to list the names of the other students in the room on two sheets of paper, leaving a space between each name.
Then she told them to think of the nicest thing they could say about each of their classmates and write it down under their names.
It took the remainder of the class period to finish their assignment, and as the students left the room, each one handed in their paper.
That Saturday, the teacher wrote down the name of each student on a separate piece of paper and listed on each student's paper what the classmates had said about that individual.
On Monday she gave each student his or her list. Before long the entire class was smiling. "Really?" she heard whispered. "I never knew that I meant anything to anyone!" and "I didn't know others liked me so much." were some of the comments.
No one ever mentioned those papers in class again. She never knew if they discussed them after class or with their parents, but it didn't matter. The exercise had accomplished it's purpose. The students were happy with themselves and one another. That group of students moved on.
Several years later, one of those students was killed in Viet Nam and the teacher attended the funeral. She had never seen a serviceman in a military coffin before. He looked so handsome, so mature.
The church was packed with his friends. One by one those who loved him took a last walk by the coffin. The teacher was the last one to bless the coffin.
As she stood there, one of the soldiers who acted as a pallbearer came up to her. "Were you Mark's math teacher?" he asked. She nodded "yes". Then he said "Mark talked about you a lot."
After the funeral, most of Mark's former classmates went together to a luncheon and the teacher also went. Mark's mother and father were there and waited to speak to the teacher. "We want to show you something," his father said, taking a wallet out of his pocket. "They found this on Mark when he was killed. We thought you might recognize it."
Opening the billfold, he carefully removed two worn pieces of notebook paper that had obviously been taped, folded and refolded many times. The teacher realized right away that the papers were the ones on which she had listed all the good things that each of Mark's classmates had said about him.
"Thank you so much for doing that," Mark's mother said, "as you can see, Mark treasured it."
All of Marks' former classmates started to gather around. Charlie smiled rather sheepishly and said, "I still have my list. It's in the top drawer of my desk at home." Chuck's wife said, "Chuck asked me to put his in our wedding album." "I have mine too," Marilyn said, "it's in my diary."
Then Vicki, another classmate, reached into her pocketbook, took out her wallet and showed her worn and frazzled list to the group. "I carry this with me at all times," Vicki said and without batting an eyelash, she continued: "I think we all saved our lists." That's when the teacher finally sat down and cried. She cried for Mark and for all his friends who would never see him again.
The density of people in society is so thick that we forget that life will end one day and we don't know when that one day will be.
So please tell the people you love and care for that they are special and important. Tell them before it is too late. Don't pass up wonderful opportunities to say or do something nice, or beautiful, to or for the people around you.
Then she told them to think of the nicest thing they could say about each of their classmates and write it down under their names.
It took the remainder of the class period to finish their assignment, and as the students left the room, each one handed in their paper.
That Saturday, the teacher wrote down the name of each student on a separate piece of paper and listed on each student's paper what the classmates had said about that individual.
On Monday she gave each student his or her list. Before long the entire class was smiling. "Really?" she heard whispered. "I never knew that I meant anything to anyone!" and "I didn't know others liked me so much." were some of the comments.
No one ever mentioned those papers in class again. She never knew if they discussed them after class or with their parents, but it didn't matter. The exercise had accomplished it's purpose. The students were happy with themselves and one another. That group of students moved on.
Several years later, one of those students was killed in Viet Nam and the teacher attended the funeral. She had never seen a serviceman in a military coffin before. He looked so handsome, so mature.
The church was packed with his friends. One by one those who loved him took a last walk by the coffin. The teacher was the last one to bless the coffin.
As she stood there, one of the soldiers who acted as a pallbearer came up to her. "Were you Mark's math teacher?" he asked. She nodded "yes". Then he said "Mark talked about you a lot."
After the funeral, most of Mark's former classmates went together to a luncheon and the teacher also went. Mark's mother and father were there and waited to speak to the teacher. "We want to show you something," his father said, taking a wallet out of his pocket. "They found this on Mark when he was killed. We thought you might recognize it."
Opening the billfold, he carefully removed two worn pieces of notebook paper that had obviously been taped, folded and refolded many times. The teacher realized right away that the papers were the ones on which she had listed all the good things that each of Mark's classmates had said about him.
"Thank you so much for doing that," Mark's mother said, "as you can see, Mark treasured it."
All of Marks' former classmates started to gather around. Charlie smiled rather sheepishly and said, "I still have my list. It's in the top drawer of my desk at home." Chuck's wife said, "Chuck asked me to put his in our wedding album." "I have mine too," Marilyn said, "it's in my diary."
Then Vicki, another classmate, reached into her pocketbook, took out her wallet and showed her worn and frazzled list to the group. "I carry this with me at all times," Vicki said and without batting an eyelash, she continued: "I think we all saved our lists." That's when the teacher finally sat down and cried. She cried for Mark and for all his friends who would never see him again.
The density of people in society is so thick that we forget that life will end one day and we don't know when that one day will be.
So please tell the people you love and care for that they are special and important. Tell them before it is too late. Don't pass up wonderful opportunities to say or do something nice, or beautiful, to or for the people around you.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
You Are Priceless!
A well-known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $20.00 bill. In the room of 200, he asked, ' Who would like this $20 bill? ' Hands started going up.
He said, ' I am going to give this $20 to one of you but first, let me do this. He proceeded to crumple up the $20 dollar bill. He then asked, ' Who still wants it? ' Still the hands were up in the air.
Well, he replied, ' What if I do this? ' And he dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, now crumpled and dirty. ' Now, who still wants it? ' Still the hands went into the air.
My friends, we have all learned a very valuable lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $20.
Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value. Dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased, you are still priceless to those who DO LOVE you.
The worth of our lives comes not in what we do or who we know, but by WHO WE ARE and WHOM WE ARE.
You are special - Don't EVER forget it!
Count your blessings, not your problems.
And remember: amateurs built the ark ... professionals built the Titanic.
If God brings you to it - He will bring you through it.
He said, ' I am going to give this $20 to one of you but first, let me do this. He proceeded to crumple up the $20 dollar bill. He then asked, ' Who still wants it? ' Still the hands were up in the air.
Well, he replied, ' What if I do this? ' And he dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, now crumpled and dirty. ' Now, who still wants it? ' Still the hands went into the air.
My friends, we have all learned a very valuable lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $20.
Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value. Dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased, you are still priceless to those who DO LOVE you.
The worth of our lives comes not in what we do or who we know, but by WHO WE ARE and WHOM WE ARE.
You are special - Don't EVER forget it!
Count your blessings, not your problems.
And remember: amateurs built the ark ... professionals built the Titanic.
If God brings you to it - He will bring you through it.
Your Bank Account
A 92 year old, petite, well-poised and proud
man, who is fully dressed each morning by
eight o'clock, with his hair fashionably
combed and shaved perfectly, even though he is
legally blind, moved to a nursing home today.
His wife of 70 years recently passed away,
making the move necessary. After many hours of
waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing
home, he smiled sweetly when told his room was ready.
As he maneuvered his walker to the elevator, I
provided a visual description of his tiny
room, including the eyelet sheets that had
been hung on his window.
'I love it!' he stated with the enthusiasm of
an eight year old having just been presented
with a new puppy.
'Mr. Jones, you haven't seen the room; just wait.'
'That doesn't have anything to do with it,' he replied...
'Happiness is something you decide on ahead
of time. Whether I like my room or not doesn't
depend on how the furniture it arranged...
it's how I arrange my mind. I already decided
to love it. It's a decision I make every
morning when I wake up. I have a choice: I can
spend the day in bed recounting the difficulty
I have with the parts of my body that no
longer work, or get out of bed and be thankful
for the ones that do.
Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes
open, I'll focus on the new day and all the
happy memories I've stored away. Just for this
time in my life.
Old age is like a bank account. You withdraw
from what you've put in.
So, my advice to you would be to deposit a lot
of happiness in the bank account of memories.'
Thank you for your part in filling my Memory bank.
I am still depositing.
Remember the five simple rules to be happy:
1. Free your heart from hatred.
2. Free your mind from worries.
3. Live simply.
4. Give more.
5. Expect less.
man, who is fully dressed each morning by
eight o'clock, with his hair fashionably
combed and shaved perfectly, even though he is
legally blind, moved to a nursing home today.
His wife of 70 years recently passed away,
making the move necessary. After many hours of
waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing
home, he smiled sweetly when told his room was ready.
As he maneuvered his walker to the elevator, I
provided a visual description of his tiny
room, including the eyelet sheets that had
been hung on his window.
'I love it!' he stated with the enthusiasm of
an eight year old having just been presented
with a new puppy.
'Mr. Jones, you haven't seen the room; just wait.'
'That doesn't have anything to do with it,' he replied...
'Happiness is something you decide on ahead
of time. Whether I like my room or not doesn't
depend on how the furniture it arranged...
it's how I arrange my mind. I already decided
to love it. It's a decision I make every
morning when I wake up. I have a choice: I can
spend the day in bed recounting the difficulty
I have with the parts of my body that no
longer work, or get out of bed and be thankful
for the ones that do.
Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes
open, I'll focus on the new day and all the
happy memories I've stored away. Just for this
time in my life.
Old age is like a bank account. You withdraw
from what you've put in.
So, my advice to you would be to deposit a lot
of happiness in the bank account of memories.'
Thank you for your part in filling my Memory bank.
I am still depositing.
Remember the five simple rules to be happy:
1. Free your heart from hatred.
2. Free your mind from worries.
3. Live simply.
4. Give more.
5. Expect less.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Kevin, You Rock!
New England Patriot’s Community MVP Award Nomination 2009
For: Kevin Bickford
Date: March 13, 2009
Name of Non Profit served by Nominee: Sweetser
Description of Non-profit:
Sweetser provides quality treatment, support and hope to children, adults and families through a network of mental health, behavioral health and educational services.
As Maine’s most comprehensive mental health network, Sweetser promises to do whatever it takes to connect adults and children to the mental health treatment and related support that they need and deserve. Nationally recognized and accredited, Sweetser has nearly 200 years of experience caring for adults and children who are living with mental illness, behavioral disorders, or substance abuse problems.
Sweetser is a nonprofit organization serving approximately 16,000 adults and children annually throughout Maine. For more information about Sweetser, visit www.sweetser.org. For access to mental health services call the Sweetser Promise Line at 800.434.3000.
Nominated by: Linda Danielson, Volunteer Manager, Sweetser
How long have you known the nominee? 8.5 years
In what capacity do you know the nominee? Kevin has served as a mentor and volunteer at Sweetser, in several locations.
Description of Nominee’s Volunteer Work:
Capacity and length of service.
Kevin has been volunteering at Sweetser since 2001, using his passion for helping young people succeed and overcome difficult challenges. He gives without concern for himself.
The key to Kevin’s mentoring skill is his listening – he relates to kids on their level about music, friends and teen lifestyles. Whether it’s instigating a rowdy game of basketball, taking young people to lunch or a movie, reading poetry, making CDs of favorite music, or attending a church service, Kevin establishes a solid, healthy role model presence in the lives of young people that cross his path.
He has mentored more than 35 children enrolled in Sweetser programs, often helping four or five of them at the same time. His commitment, enthusiasm and compassion are exemplary.
Kevin has improved the lives of others by his unselfish gift of his time and rapt attention during his volunteer work. He makes himself available as a stable, supportive adult in the life of his mentees.
“It’s great to be able to collaborate with some of the outstanding residential staff at Sweetser,” says Kevin. “They fight to help kids get the guidance they need, and as a mentor, I am able to connect with teens on levels that work for them.”
His mentoring services have been badly needed because Sweetser’s residential adolescents in group living have experienced a severe emotional disturbance. Sweetser’s educational services meet the needs of teens who are unable to function safely in a public school setting. Having a steady, fun and dependable adult to help them understand the complex world around them has been immeasurably beneficial to them.
The impact on these students who received Kevin’s mentoring, sometimes, is not seen for years after the teens have left Sweetser services. Three recent letters from former mentees of Kevin’s makes the point beautifully. Two young adults wrote to Kevin saying that they were doing great and were employed. They wanted him to know what it meant to them to have his support. A third asked for his help, many years after mentoring ended.
Said Kevin:
“You never know what impact you might have when mentoring. There are times when you wonder, 'Am I making a difference?'
But every now and then, I get a reminder of why I do what I do. Sometimes it comes from a smile or a letter, thanking me for being there. One time, a parent of one of the students came up to me years later and hugged me. Tears of gratitude were rolling down, but not a word was spoken. That's why I do what I do.”
Being a male has accelerated the impact on these youngsters, many of whom grew up with no healthy male role models.
Another major impact of his volunteer work is the founding of a non-profit called “Give Kids a Chance,” which Kevin created on the belief that kids who are given an opportunity, can and will succeed.
In what ways has the nominee demonstrated a strong commitment to community service?
Mentoring at Sweetser is an extension of Kevin’s other work in his community. He worked as a prison ministry director for the Salvation Army in Portland, and still spends much time teaching young people who are incarcerated, or who are awaiting trial at Long Creek Youth Development Center. Some individuals there eventually transition to Sweetser services, or go from Sweetser to Long Creek, so this has been a natural fit for Kevin to mentor teens in both places.
When the program that he managed at the Salvation Army closed for lack of funding, Kevin took the financial risk and founded his own agency. He deeply believes in kids and wants to do what he can to help youngsters create promising futures. He still enjoys the twice-a-week visits to Long Creek, where he lays the groundwork, by listening and guiding troubled youth.
“Many of the teenagers I mentor at Sweetser are kids I have known for years,” says Kevin. “That can help me make connections with the ones who are the toughest to reach.”
Having mentored more than 35 youths since 2004, Kevin has watched them make great strides. Sure, some end up in legal trouble of one kind or another, but others have gone on to college or raised families of their own. They like to keep in touch with Kevin and call him often.
“It’s great when they stay in touch,” Kevin says. “Whether I’m working with them now, or have mentored them in years past. It helps them stay on the right track and out of jail.”
One young mentee is a girl from an abusive family, who was incarcerated as a youth and came to Sweetser with low self respect.
“The staff at Sweetser really worked as a team to help her,” says Kevin. “Within a few months, she was reading and writing poetry, which she never would have done in the beginning of her stay.”
As her mentor, Kevin forged a close connection to help her through times of crisis. Over the years, since then, she has stayed in touch with him. She has since married and is raising a child.
Another young man puts his relationship with Kevin this way, “Having Kevin as a mentor is awesome! He takes the time to take us out into the community. It’s fun and it makes me feel good to have someone around who cares a lot.”
What sets Kevin Bickford apart and makes him so deserving of recognition is that he is so willing to juggle his busy schedule in such a way that each child he works with knows true support and caring that only Kevin can give. He is one man who knows that he gets as much out of the relationships he creates as the young mentees.
“Any program involved in working for kids would be lucky to have him,” said Linda Danielson, Sweetser Volunteer Services Director. “We are privileged to count him among our volunteers and all the Sweetser kids he has worked with love Kevin. His efforts have truly made a difference in their lives and he is an irreplaceable, valuable member of our team. The respect that the kids have for him shows as soon as Kevin walks in the door.”
Kevin has faced many challenges in his volunteer work.
“The hours can be long,” he explained, “and not everyone understands why I mentor. The world of young people is different from ours. They don't run on a 9 to 5 schedule. Their needs are in the now. As a result, I decided to set up a new cell phone so that I could be reached at all hours. My wife encouraged me to answer the calls.
One night, a young woman had become stranded and abandoned around 2 a.m., and called for help. With my help, we located her and brought her to a safe place.
Another time, one youth that I mentor, had gone home for a weekend visit and called me at 6 a.m. All I heard on the phone were her sobs and a mother (who was high on drugs) screaming obscenities at her. I was able to get her safely back to the Sweetser program.”
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Spread The Stupidity
Ever wonder....
Why do drugstores make sick people walk all the way to the back to get their prescriptions and healthy people can walk right to the front and buy their cigarettes?
Why do people order double cheeseburgers, large fries and diet coke?
Why do banks leave both doors open and then chain the pens to the counter?
Why do people leave cars worth thousands of dollars parked in their driveways and put useless junk in their garages?
Why do hot dogs come in packages of 10 and buns come in packages of 8?
Why do drive up ATM machines have Braille lettering?
Why does the sun lighten our hair but darken our skin?
Why can't women put on mascara with their mouths closed?
Why don't we ever see this headline: "Psychic Wins Lottery!"?
Why is 'abbreviated' such a long word?
Why is it that doctors call what they do 'practice'?
Why is lemon juice made with artificial flavoring while dish washing liquid and dusting polish is made with real lemons?
Why is the man who invests your money called a 'broker'?
Why is the time of day with the slowest traffic called the rush hour?
Why isn't there mouse flavored cat food?
Why didn't Noah just swat those mosquitoes?
Why do they sterilize the needle for lethal injections?
You know the indestructible black box they use on airplanes? Why don't they just make the whole plane out of that stuff?
Why don't sheep shrink when it rains?
Why are they called apartments when they are all stuck together?
If con is the opposite of pro, is congress the opposite of progress?
If flying is so safe, why do they call the airport the terminal?
Why do drugstores make sick people walk all the way to the back to get their prescriptions and healthy people can walk right to the front and buy their cigarettes?
Why do people order double cheeseburgers, large fries and diet coke?
Why do banks leave both doors open and then chain the pens to the counter?
Why do people leave cars worth thousands of dollars parked in their driveways and put useless junk in their garages?
Why do hot dogs come in packages of 10 and buns come in packages of 8?
Why do drive up ATM machines have Braille lettering?
Why does the sun lighten our hair but darken our skin?
Why can't women put on mascara with their mouths closed?
Why don't we ever see this headline: "Psychic Wins Lottery!"?
Why is 'abbreviated' such a long word?
Why is it that doctors call what they do 'practice'?
Why is lemon juice made with artificial flavoring while dish washing liquid and dusting polish is made with real lemons?
Why is the man who invests your money called a 'broker'?
Why is the time of day with the slowest traffic called the rush hour?
Why isn't there mouse flavored cat food?
Why didn't Noah just swat those mosquitoes?
Why do they sterilize the needle for lethal injections?
You know the indestructible black box they use on airplanes? Why don't they just make the whole plane out of that stuff?
Why don't sheep shrink when it rains?
Why are they called apartments when they are all stuck together?
If con is the opposite of pro, is congress the opposite of progress?
If flying is so safe, why do they call the airport the terminal?
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