Bridget Hart-Kenney's Blog

Casper has a new sister. Her name is Thelle. She came to us in September. Casper does not know what to make of his sister yet. He is sometimes annoyed, sometimes indifferent, and sometimes excited that she is around.

They are complete opposites. She is spirited. She leaps and bounds down the stairs in the morning ready for the day. In contrast, Casper would rather have a few more minutes of sleep in the morning. She energetically raptures her food, while he pecks and nibbles so slowly that she tries to steal his every morning. She is always nibbling at his ear, which he definitely does not like, inside the house, while he chases her non-stop, in the backyard.

Casper also likes his distance, while Thelle would take endless rubs and snuggles throughout the day. He also hates going in the crate, while she uses it often to take a nap in. When we take our walks, from the back, Thelle looks like a bunny rabbit moving up and down, and Casper glides like a model on the runway, swishing his tail from side to side.

Despite all the differences, one thing they both love is riding in the car and getting "pup cups" from the local shop. However, he waits quietly for his, and she squeezes into the driver's seat, to get it first.

They both give my family joy and love. They both help me to be more mindful of each moment. They both are beautiful, with hearts of gold.

The world seems like a strange and different place these days, so here are ways that I cope. First, I am thankful that I am a teacher who gets to enjoy the smiles, the laughter, and the wonders of children everyday. Second, I am thankful for my dog that I get to hug and snuggle with, and when we sit together his breathing makes me feel like there is goodness again. Next, I would like to say thank you to my wonderful friends and family, that remind me of the ideals of strength and love. Fourth, I would like to thank nature that provides visual beauty, such as the ocean and the stars. I would also like to thank Mr. Rogers who said, "look for the helper people". There are so many helper people that remind me of honesty, goodness, kindness, and courage. Listening to music, eating ice cream, reading, yoga, prayer, meditation, are also great ways that some people cope, and I love these strategies as well. Lastly, I have hope and try to have strong faith that the ideals that most of us believe in, are a common bond that will get us through these tough times. What are the ways that help you get through these unique and challenging times?

Hope is a word I use often. I started to think about its meaning, since it is such a commonly used word. It is remarkably interesting to me that it has so many meanings and on so many levels. In Oxford Languages, it states that hope as a noun is "a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen". As a verb it states, "want something to happen or be the case". In Wikipedia, its definitions are: "expect with confidence" and "to cherish a desire with anticipation". As defined in www.dictionary.com, hope is "the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best." The words: "best", "optimism", "confidence", "want", "expectation", "desire", are often paired with the word hope, in many of these definitions. This made me pause to evaluate my own constant use of it. I certainly do not think I use it in times when I am particularly feeling optimistic or when I feel deserving of an outcome for myself. In fact, I seem to use this word when I feel sadness or despair. Then it dawned on me how powerful the word HOPE really is. It made me realize this word is so special and valuable, and that when I use it, I should mean it with confidence and expectation. This word should pick me up when I have fallen, but it is even more powerful when I can use it to pick someone else up. Saying this word is a gift of optimism that most of us need right now. When I say, "I hope you have a wonderful day", I am really feeling with every part of my being I want that person's day to go excellently. When I say, "I hope you feel better", I expect that the healing power is starting within their body as soon as the words come from my mouth. When I say, "I hope for a better world", I must believe it in my heart and soul, that it will happen. So, my challenge to myself is to make this word so special, so meaningful, that when I say this to others, they really feel the power too. I believe that the word hope's best benefit, is what it can do for others. So, with every fiber of my soul I would like to say: my hope for you is that you stay healthy and safe, that your life is filled with happiness, and that you feel the love!

While we were living in quarantine my sons would often share their feelings about what they were dealing with. They expressed that they were missing friends, sports, food, family, and in their own words "even school" (as a teacher I didn't like the use of even, but that is secondary to their feelings). My daughter, who was usually upbeat, positive, and encouraging, was quiet in sharing how she felt. I asked her how she was doing, and she would say fine. I knew because she was so sensitive to how others felt, that she might think she shouldn't share her sadness, and that she was so insightful and recognized that both her parents were already feeling stressed and worried. I was concerned that in her mind she might think telling us her feelings would be adding to our burdens. However, I told her that she could tell me whatever she wanted to and that we would work through it together. She was by my side for most of the days and she would do her schoolwork right away in the mornings and then help me teach the kindergarten students during remote learning. She helped me with videos, with google, with reading stories, posting, and decorating the office for our google meets so we could imagine that we were at a campground, the ocean, or wherever our imaginations took us that week. We also created adventures of two fun people called "Ellie and Gail", took walks, danced, sang songs, and cooked together. I felt that if I tried hard enough I could replace all the sadness she was feeling, by filling the days with being together, until I stumbled upon a little tiny book. It was so small it seemed like it could have been written by a fairy, but when I opened it I knew it came from my beautiful daughter and it brought me to tears. It was entitled Things I Will Miss Because of Covid-19: as I turned the page the first page said "My First Kiss" and there was a picture of a heart crossed out and a person crying, page two said : "Hugs and Cuddles" and another sad crying face, the next page said "High Fives and Fist Bumps", "Holding Hands" came next with two sad faces and a heart in two pieces, then "Going on a Date" with another heart crossed out, "Getting Married" with a ring crossed out, "Going On My Honeymoon" with what I believe was the sun crossed out, a few other pages of sadness and then the last page said, " I won't be happy go lucky any more" and the book ended with a sad face. All these thoughts ran through my mind and I felt immediate grief. Along with every page, as I turned, waves of sadness crept through me and as a parent I was terrified that I could not make it better for her. Thank goodness she is so creative and could express herself through her writing, poems, and artwork. She amazes me every day and inspires me to be my best self. For when I read those words of sadness, I also felt the upmost love because I know that she sacrificed those bottled-up feelings for her family, so they would not worry. She is truly an amazing girl and I will do whatever it takes to make sure those dreams of hers will come true! I have faith, and that is one gift I hope I can give her, after what she has given to me!!!

I can't believe it has been over a week now since things have changed. This virus is stealing not only lives, but human touch. As tragic as this is for everyone in the world, today I would like to focus on some positives. The virus has not taken the essence of humanity which is love. The virus, which I have mentioned on Facebook, can not change that we love with our hearts, minds, and souls, and these have no limits or boundaries. Thank you to the many helpers, who are working at home to take care of children or to protect others, and thank you to those working outside the home taking care of others. They are the "helpers" as Mister Rogers mentions, that you should focus on during such a crisis. The goodness, kindness, and love for others has not been ravaged by this virus. My heart aches for those families torn apart, either through death, sickness, or distance. I am deeply saddened by Italy, but I am also so inspired by their love that fills their community during this tragedy. My prayer is that a cure will be found soon, so some sense of healing may begin. But for now, I pray for all of you to stay safe and I hope you feel loved !

Storytelling is such a great way to pass on traditions and memories. It transcends time. Those that have passed on from this life can live on through stories. Storytelling is also a way to capture history. Telling these stories through books, songs, poems, and voice, is an important way of passing on customs. It is also a way to connect generations. Storytelling is like a time-capsule to the soul. Share your stories with others and be part of history.

When thinking about the New Year, I am thinking about how can I do things better. How can I be a better person to others and to myself? I am constantly thinking about what is the best version of myself. I push myself often because I am afraid as I get older that if I stop, I will not be able to pick up the pieces and move on when I need to. The constant motion will keep me on the right track. However, I do acknowledge that it is healthy to go off the beaten path every once in a while. I am afraid to get lost on this path and to never find my way back. If I stop the every day things, will I want to begin them again? I will vow this year to try to go off the path every once in a while so I can learn something new or to give my mind a change of scenery. As I am getting set to write another book, and in the works of publishing two more, I will remind myself to press the reset button every once in a while and take it all in.

We have been trying to inspire people to tell their stories as a way of communicating the past with the present. We feel that storytelling has the power to connect generations. Memoir writing is a unique storytelling adventure. Take time to listen to your loves ones. Listen to them tell their stories of their childhood or of their lives. These stories are so powerful. They can be passed on from generation to generation and through these stories history is revealed.