Do You Believe In Miracles?

This is my 500th post.

500! Can you believe it? I knew this number was approaching and thought I needed something major to write about. I couldn’t let a milestone like this pass with a link to a snarky YouTube video, or a diatribe about my job frustrations. No, Number 500 needed to be something really amazing.

I tend to put a little bit of pressure on myself. Can you believe it?

So without further ado, I bring you my 500th post.

Turn on any TV set or navigate to any website, and negativity abounds. People are angry. People are sad. People are poor. People are sick. People are unhappy and with each passing day I see more evidence that we are in a time when men’s hearts shall fail them. It makes me wonder sometimes why anyone on this earth ever bothers to get out of bed in the morning.

But this week, in the midst of fog and rain and mist and clouds, I found sunshine. The sunshine of good works, and anxious engagement; the warm breeze of generosity and selflessness.

I posted about my colleagues earlier this week. There is so much more to the story.

One of my dearest friends accompanies the choirs, and she told them of the need for supplies in Haiti. These choirs, by the way, are comprised of teenagers. You know the type: narcissistic, self-absorbed, hormonal, apathetic. They don’t care about anyone or anything. That’s the stereotype.

I had no idea my friend had told the choirs, so when she appeared in my classroom at the end of 5th hour on Friday and told me she had five Hammermill paper boxes full of supplies, I was speechless. I told her I already had sent three boxes earlier in the week, and colleagues had dropped off eight grocery bags of supplies already that morning.

She said she didn’t think she was inviting a tsunami of giving when she told the kids.

“But they watch the news, and they feel helpless, and they want to do something, so we have five boxes. How should we get them upstairs to you?”

Did you catch that? Teenagers feel, and they want to help, and they know what’s going on in the world.

I have to emphasize that, because so many times people (myself included, I’m sorry to say) write off teenagers entirely.

But here is some photographic evidence to remind you that when it really counts, teens can be called upon, relied upon to help in crisis situations.

Can you believe it?

(How’s that for a 500th post?)