Ordinary Gratitude

Thank you Dr. David Benke

Another school shooting. The shooter is an adult. The target were students at a middle school just a few miles from Columbine High School. This time, the staff and police were ready.

Hailed as hero, math teacher leapt to stop attack

Deer Creek Middle School math teacher David Benke was doing parking lot duty as school was letting out when he heard what he thought were firecrackers.

It was the sound of gunfire.

Benke, a 57-year-old teacher who has been at the school for a decade and whom students call "Dr. Benke," walked toward the sound and saw a man stooped over a rifle filling the chamber with another round.

"Unfortunately, I wasn't able to grab him before he got a second shot off," Benke said from his home in Littleton. "I grabbed him, and I think he dropped the gun. Basically we danced around."

Benke said he merely walked briskly, as a teacher does, toward a man with a gun. Reflecting on it hours later, Benke said it was stupid.

"After I figured out that he had a gun and that it wasn't a firecracker, I realized that it was a bolt-action rifle and I couldn't get him," he said. "I kind of figured it out as I was walking toward him."

"I think when it's all said and done, we'll find there are some heroes in our midst at the school," said Jacki Kelley, spokeswoman for the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office.

"If it wasn't for him, you'd have a worse situation," said bus driver Steve Potter. "He risked everything."

Roughly three hours after the shooting, a Facebook page had been created — Dr. David Benke Is A Hero!!!! By 11 p.m., the page had more than 7,100 members.

Commenters praised Benke's actions outside the school building.

"What you did for those kids today goes beyond heroism. You saved lives plain and simple," wrote Mistie Lamb.

Neighbors came to Benke's doorway to drop off cards of thanks.

Neighbor Sandy Rinow said she was proud of Benke, who is a neighborhood champion, sharing food from his garden, organizing cul-de-sac parties and playing with his kids.

"I guess I couldn't know he would do something like this, but I guess it wouldn't surprise me," she said, adding she has always been impressed that Benke, with a Ph.D., opts to teach middle school math.

"I just think that's amazing to even know a hero," she said. "You never think you're going to know anybody. You can really see that he cares about his kids. He's a normal, everyday guy."

Jefferson County Public Schools Superintendent Cindy Stevenson also lauded the actions.

"We do extensive training, but sometimes courage takes over," she said. "There are amazing, courageous employees that performed with incredible heroism and strength. We are fortunate that we had people who sprang into action and saved the lives of several children."

Thanks to the quick actions of teacher Dr. David Benke and other co-workers, additional injuries were prevented and lives were saved.

Read more: http://www.denverpost.com/opinion/ci_14458672#ixzz0h36TNe9V

Please give me more

Thank You Sir, May I Have Another?

The phrase “Thank You Sir, May I Have Another?” is usually associated with a sarcastically humorous reference to fraternity hazing where a pledge gets a wooden paddle across his back side and is required to politely ask for another wack. Regardless of the negative connotations associated with this image, it is a good one for understanding the Law of Attraction and how it functions in your life.

When you give your attention to something…or anything, for that matter, you include it in your vibration and add it to your point of attraction. Your point of attraction is what Law of Attraction matches and magnifies, so to give something your attention is to literally ask for more of it. Yes, that’s right, your simple attention to anything helps create more of it in your life, even if you don’t want more of it. But, you say, I know the difference between things I want and things I don’t want. Surely Source Energy is smart enough to know what I want. But here is the difference: Source is “smart enough” to give you anything you ask for, but it does not decide for you in terms of what you want. You are so free to choose that you can choose bondage, and Source will agree with you. There is no “overrule” law that asks you before you choose. You live, and in living you focus, and through your focus you choose, and in your choosing you are asking for more. So what you give your attention to really does matter.

Law of Attraction brings you more and more of what you give your attention to and include in your vibration over time, so remember to ask for things you want by focusing on the things you want exclusively when you can. In every waking moment, you are literally saying: “Please Law of Attraction, may I have another event like that one?”

Special thanks to GratitudePlanet.com for this article. Please visit their web site for more thoughts and insight into gratitude and the Law of Attraction.

The Art of the Thank-You Note

In this age of email, voicemail and instant messaging, the handwritten thank-you note has been all but forgotten. But it is still one of the very best ways to say thank you -- whether for a dinner, special gift or kind word. And in the business world, the written thank-you note is truly a way to stand out, especially after an interview, important meeting, or referral.

So how do you write a thank-you note?

1. Be prepared. Keep a supply of simple note cards on hand. You'll be ready to jot down a note anytime. The small size of the card lets you be quick and concise.
2. Think beyond the note card. You can write a thank-you message on postcards or on the back of photos.
3. Keep it simple. Say thank you; mention the item and what you'll use it for, or if the note is an acknowledgment of someone's efforts, mention what you really appreciate about the other person. Allude to the future (i.e., we'll look forward to seeing you again soon). Then simply sign off.
4. Mum's the word on money. If you received a gift of money, simply thank the giver for "your generosity."

Winter Olympics: Opening Ceremony

I love the Olympics! Every two years we get to see elite athletes from countries across the globe compete, not just for gold, silver or bronze medals, but also for the honor of representing their country on the world stage.

I especially love the pomp and circumstance of the Opening Ceremony. As I watched the parade of athletes, my throat tightened and tears welled up in my eyes. All these people have come together to celebrate the human body and its ability to rise to new heights, to accomplish new goals, to overcome new obstacles.

I'm excited to watch the events, hear the stories of challenge and perseverance, and celebrate the competitors whether they win or not. I'm so grateful for these two very special weeks.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Valentine's Day is about more than chocolates and romance. Take time today to tell all the important people in your life how much you love them and appreciate them. Let them know how grateful you are to have them in your life.

Valentines from Dad

My dad always remembered every holiday. When I was a little girl, he would treat both my mom and me on Valentine's Day. Mom would get a big heart-shaped box of chocolates, which she had to share, and I would get a smaller box of chocolates all to myself. Sometimes he would have cards sent from Loveland, Colorado, with their special love stamp carefully affixed by hand.

With Valentine's Day ahead, I can't help but remember Dad. I may not have shown him how much I loved and appreciated him while he was alive, but now I'm grateful for that sweet memory of Valentine's Day.

Thanks, Dad!

He got a job!

One of my older brothers has been out of work for several months now. He was on half-time for months before that. After sending out numerous resumes, he had a promising interview last week. He called last night to say that all the searching had finally paid off and he got a job!

Woohoo!

My brother is in his 60s. All his life, all he wanted to be was an architect. When one of his high school teachers said that he'd never make it, he defied them and graduated college with honors. He worked for the same firm for over 20 years before he was laid off. With the economy in the toilet, commercial development was halted and the firm had no more work for him. They did their best to keep him on for as long as they could, but if no one is building, there's no need for an architect.

Today I'm so very grateful that my brother finally got good news. It's tough to make the switch at his age. But he persevered, never gave up, and never got down about it.

Tonsillectomy

My nearly-5-year-old grandson had his tonsils removed this morning. My son has been a nervous wreck, worrying about putting him under general anesthesia. When I got the text, "He's out of surgery and in recovery," from my son, I was so relieved!

"Great!" I texted back.

Later I sent my son another text message: "How is he doing? How are you doing? Relieved?"

"He's doing good," was the response. "Glad it's over. Man I was a mess!"

No matter where you live, worrying about your kids is one thing parents around the world have in common. Even my mom still worries about my brother who is in his 60s. It never ends. It doesn't matter how old you are or how old your kids are, they are still your kids, and you still worry.

Today I am enormously grateful that my grandson's tonsillectomy went well. And I want to thank everyone at Children's Hospital for taking such good care of my family.

An Exercise to Help You Feel Grateful When You Just Don’t

Some days gratitude doesn't come easily. Although I find it easier now that I've been writing about it every day, I still experience times when I'm stressed or frustrated or angry. I was grateful to find this exercise at Appreciation 101, and I'm happy to share it with you now.

Sometimes it can be challenging – REALLY challenging – to get into a state of gratitude when you’re just not feeling it. Maybe you’re upset about something that’s going wrong, or angry at someone, or feeling so empty that you truly can’t summon a genuine feeling of gratitude at the moment.

[This] exercise is going to share an easy way to start feeling grateful in a general sense, and once you reach that stage you should be able to apply your feelings of gratitude to specific situations in your life.

After taking a few moments to relax, the exercise leads you through a series of positive statements highlighting small specific things you can be grateful for.

Try it, it works! :-) The trick is to start very, very small with statements that don’t trigger resistance within you. Then gradually and steadily keep choosing more statements that make you feel a little more grateful and a little more grateful . . . until finally you are in a full blown state of gratitude and appreciation.

Thank you, thank you, thank you to Appreciation 101! Please take time to visit this blog. It offers some great tips and insights into bringing a heightened sense of appreciation and gratitude into your life.

Black Walnut Ice Cream

No matter how old I get, ice cream always conjures up memories of childhood.

Butter pecan ice cream always reminds me of my dad. On hot summer afternoons we'd take a trip to Baskin Robbins to peruse their 31 flavors. Dad always got butter pecan in a sugar cone. Mom liked peach. I'd get something different nearly every time. 

Black walnuts, especially in ice cream, always remind me of my grandparents. They lived in a very small town in Oklahoma. Black walnut trees were everywhere on their property. With nuts on the ground, the smell was intoxicating. My grandmother would have home-made ice cream loaded with black walnuts in the freezer when we arrived.

I picked up a carton of black walnut ice cream at the grocery store the other day. Last night my husband, who had never had this particular flavor before, dished up big bowls of this special treat after dinner while we watched television.

As I took that first bite I was flooded with memories of chasing fireflies and horny toads. I savored each mouthful and drifted back to my summer vacations in Oklahoma.

How I loved to sit on my grandfather's lap, the smell of pipe tobacco lingering around him, tiny burn holes in his shirt. He always had an entertaining story and called me Shuggie.

My grandmother would sit in her chair doing some sort of needlework. Knitting, crocheting, tatting, sewing, needlepoint, quilting, she did it all. Each piece expertly and patiently crafted with love; a beauty to behold. She made clothes for my Barbie dolls with all the intricate details of a designer label.

The family would gather around the big dining room table and play cards, usually Oh Hell!, which I always lost. My dad always called me Beetlebaum.*

 I languished in childhood memories while I finished my ice cream. Playing in the local swimming hole. Picking and eating fresh strawberries until my fingers and lips were bright red. Walking to church in my shiny patent leather shoes, holding hands with my dad.

All this joy from a simple dish of ice cream. I am so grateful.

*Back in the 1940s, Spike Jones was known for his silly take-offs on many of the classics including the William Tell Overture. That particular recording was of an announcer at a horse race. After listing the line-up of horses, the last lagging horse in the field was announced as "Beetlebaum." The inflection and tone of voice must have made it hilarious. Apparently this stuck with my dad, who always called the player with the lowest score, usually me, Beetlebaum. I've caught myself using the same name on occasion. Amazing what you pick up from your parents.