Category: Spring 2013

Get a load of this picture. The little girl in the picture turned 28 today. She’s my niece, Jessica. And you guessed it, that’s me dancing with her.

Heck, you’d probably look like Jessica does in this picture if you were dancing with me. Cut her some slack.

This picture must date from 1986 or so, taken soon after I shaved off my full beard that I’d had for several years. I also wore contacts at the time. What a punk.

And just think of it. If the picture was taken in 1986 then I’ve more than doubled my age. And Jessica, well, let’s just say that she’s more than doubled her age, too.

I went looking for a photo of Jessica and me to use on the blog tonight, hoping it would connect to today’s theme in the 12 Days of Kindness (click to find out what it is — you might find something wonderful, like a photo of you dancing with your niece).

What do you think of this concept, birthweek presents? I mean we’ve all heard of birthDAY presents, but birthWEEK presents spread the joy out over the whole week, right? A present every day for the week leading up to your birthday. Heck, if this catches on I may promote birthMONTH presents, maybe even birthYEAR presents (in which you get a present every day for a year!).

In honor of it being my birthweek, I’m showing off something I bought for myself and arrived in the mail on Friday. It’s an original T-shirt from the 1970’s of the Omaha Knights, the hockey team I adored in the early 70’s when my family lived in, you guessed it, Omaha.

I saw this beauty on eBay and won it, once again prompting Melinda to suggest she should head down to her favorite clothing store to “win” something.

If you’re thinking buying yourself birthweek presents is a bit indulgent, I understand. Perhaps it would be better to do something kind for a stranger, today’s theme in the 12 Days of Kindness.

That was the last line in the series finale on Thursday night from the American TV show “The Office.” It’s also my basic life philosophy, the importance of being awed by the regular stuff.

For instance, I glanced out our living room window this morning and saw a mom holding onto the bicycle seat of her small daughter, then running alongside the bike, pushing the seat, to help it gain momentum. A second later, she let go and her daughter was riding a two-wheeler by herself. Ah, a metaphor for parenting, all wrapped up in the ordinary moment of helping your child learn to ride a bike. The mom then ran behind the bike until her daughter slowed to a stop. She caught up, then did it all again.

That’s awesome. And I got to see it.

My niece Stephanie sent me the embedded video below. It has the same message as the last line in “The Office,” as well as summing up the purpose of PSCS, the root of my kindness classes, and what makes me tick.

Say, in terms of ordinary things, how about doing something kind for an acquaintance today?

So tonight is a big event at PSCS, the school Melinda & I founded in 1994. It’s the Student Showcase, a time for us to display as many of the incredible things that students have done this year as we can. There is music and art and essays and everything.

Of course, the most important work the students do can’t be seen because it goes on inside of them.

Speaking of important work, take a look at this photo. Melinda’s parents, Dwight & Michele, are pretty much responsible for all of it. They created Melinda and Brenda, who themselves created Chloe, Ella & Perrin. Well, I helped create Chloe and Ella, and Greg helped create Perrin. But I trust you get my point.

So here’s to important work!

Like doing something kind in your neighborhood, today’s theme in the 12 Days of Kindness.

Today’s theme in the 12 Days of Kindness is to “Surprise Someone” and boy did I get a nice surprise earlier this week. A card came for me at school that included a $25 gift card to Barnes & Noble and a note that said:

Dear Andy, I found your school website in looking for kindness organizations. Your mission and approach to education are inspirational. Thank you for the work you do!

How cool is that?? 🙂

Say, Melinda & I are trying to get 1000 Likes on our Kind Living page on Facebook. If you’re willing, please spread the word. We’re up to 907 as I post this.

We’ve also been hoping to get to 1000 subscribers to our Kind Living eNewsletter but that seems a bit harder. Every time we get a couple of new subscribers, we also get a couple unsubscribing. Right now we are at 823.

Here’s another picture from Sunday night’s combined Mother’s Day/Melinda’s 50th Birthday Party at her parents’ house. The star is there in the center, of course, flanked by Ella and me. Chloe was present for the party but not for this photo, unfortunately. It’s rare for the four of us to be in the same photo, what with her in college and gone most of the year.

Clearly, you will have noticed I am using this blog a little differently than I have been for the last couple months. I’m back posting about the goings-on of my family for the time being. I’m doing this for two reasons. One, I’m interested in hearing from those of you who follow this blog about what you prefer – my philosophical thoughts or scenes from my life. Please let me know, okay?

The second reason is to further promote the 12 Days of Kindness. Today’s theme is to Clean Up.

I took this picture yesterday on Melinda’s 50th birthday. Man, just look at her. She’s one hot mama, don’t you think?

Well, it has been pretty warm in Seattle lately (for Seattle). And Melinda did give birth. Twice.

That makes her a double hot mama!

Anyway, my point, and I’m pretty sure I have one, is that I used to think people were old at 50. No, that’s not my point. My point is that Melinda looks great!

Somehow, though, there is an implied “for 50” as in “Melinda looks great for 50.” But that’s not right.

Melinda just looks great!

Say, it’s Day 2 of the 12 Days of Kindness and today’s theme is to Play Fair. I hope you’re playing along. And I hope you’re helping us get to 1000 Likes on Facebook by my 50th birthday on May 24.

I have every intention of looking great (for 50).

Here’s a photo from last night, a combined 50th birthday party/Mother’s Day dinner we had at Melinda’s parents’ house. Very nice.

Many things are significant today. Of most significance is that it is Melinda’s 50th birthday. I don’t know about you, but when my parents turned 50, they were old. Somehow when it is your wife turning 50, with you to follow in 11 days, 50 doesn’t seem so old. And just look at Melinda in this picture. Clearly, she is not old.

Also of significance, at least for me, is that this is the 1000th post to this blog. I started it nearly 3 years ago and have posted regularly since, and for well over 2 years I posted every day.

Lastly, today is the beginning of what I’m calling the 12 Days of Kindness. Designed to celebrate Melinda’s and my 50th birthdays, from her birthday until mine I am promoting a kindness idea each day. If you want to play along, sign up here. Today’s theme is to share.

For years I’ve described the interaction between the individuals involved in PSCS, the school in Seattle I co-founded with Melinda and continue to direct, with the overall school community as being like following the path of a Möbius Strip.

On one side are the individuals and on the other is the community. Individuals make up the community and the community is needed to honor the individuals. On a Möbius Strip one side becomes the other, and there is no beginning and no ending. Applied to PSCS, individuals and community co-create each other.

Melinda and I took this image so far to have made it into the school logo but with a unique addition. We added a twist to the strip to give it the hint of a heart, thus representing the love we want the school to represent and embody.

In 1974, Kurt Vonnegut had this to say as a commencement speaker at Hobart and William Smith Colleges in New York:

“What should young people do with their lives today? Many things, obviously. But the most daring thing is to create stable communities in which the terrible disease of loneliness can be cured. Young people should also identify and expound theories about life in which sane human beings almost everywhere can believe.”