"I'm not sure if you would remember me, but this is a former student. I was talking with a friend of mine, who happens to be a teacher, and we were having a conversation about our favorite teacher and without hesitation, I named you as mine. After telling her about you, she really encouraged me to see if I could find you and say hello.

I wanted to say thank you and to tell you what a wonderful teacher I thought you were. You were so encouraging and supportive which really meant so much to me as middle school wasn't the easiest time for me."

This arrived in my inbox at 6:29pm last night.

16 years ago I taught fifth grade. Fresh out of college, transplanted to a new part of the country, excited and overwhelmed at the task of having responsibility for 25 10-year olds, I embarked on the most creative endeavor (save parenting) I will ever pursue.

As a seasoned professional and a mother of 3 now, living far away from my former school, I look back on those days with nostalgia and a whole lot of, "what was I doing/thinking?" I recall the graciousness of the community, the clarity in those young eyes, and the many ways I felt like I just did not do enough for my 51 students over those two years.

Somewhere around dinner last night I changed my mind.

As much as I think I remember everything exactly as it was, I see experiences only through my lens. And, fact is,

You just never know.

You never fully know the impact you have on another.

But in rare, beautiful moments, you may just have the opportunity to realize that you've been somehow instrumental.

Tuesday evening at 6:29pm, I became grateful for one dear student who took the time to find me on the worldwide web and let me know.

Maybe this evening you and I might reach out to someone who's been an important chapter in our story.

Go for it*.

xoxo, MJ

Hey ladies and gents,

We've come to the close of this year's (yes, there is talk of a return) Celebrate the Normal photo series. Tuesdays have become wonderful community days here on Pars Caeli. I have learned so much (you, too?), mostly in the ways to attune my eyes and senses to the moments around me. When I see your photos that isolate an amazing element of nature or an endearing family experience, I am reminded to double up my efforts to stay aware and to celebrate.

Life is going to throw us curve balls (I swung at one on Friday), but, I think, if we are in the practice, the habit of appreciating the everyday, we can still find the goodness and the levity surrounding troubles coming our way. That is my hope.

Please enjoy this week's artists and thank you, thank you, thank you for the gift of your perspective over these 19 weeks and 373 images.

xoxo, MJ

"To love beauty is to see light." ~ Brittani

Snuggles for the bday baby from uncle ~ BP

Cool summer evening makes for a gorgeous sunset at the end of the bike trail. ~teddy4775

Saturday afternoon crossword and comics ~ Becky

This pretty little guy showed up on the rainiest of days. ~ Melanie

A dose of happy in a mason jar..happy friday! ~ Julia

Seaside brainstorming sesh with @chunebez44 at Delmar Plaza ~ Louise

Sometimes you just have to dance in the sunset. ~ Meagan

~ Erin_lily

Oh New York, how I miss you ( and all the wonderful people I spent time with back in June).~ Theresa

Curiosity ~jenmygatt

I kinda love it when my daughter steals my phone to take pictures. The world has an extra sparkle through her eyes. ~ M.J.

I've been at this blogging thing for 426 days or so, and I want to share with you a little something I've learned in these days.

Here it is:

Yes, there it is. The public conception of a blog might include ideas of narcissism, self-centeredness, vanity, and well, you can name the rest.

From my piece on the interweb, I can tell you that when I moved from a focus of oh-my-gosh-I-have-so-many-important-things-to-share to how-can-I-connect-with-that-amazing-person, a whole range of possibilities opened up.

I actually heard this phrase from a seminarian at my Church a number of weeks ago. As he sits, studying for exams and sometimes feeling frustrated with his workload, he looks up to see these words. I've been stewing over them for a number of days now.

Really it applies to our lives as mothers and fathers, sisters, daughters. Pretty much as human beings.

As I've read reader comments, listened through words shared on Twitter, and taken classes to hone my skills, I've become more and more passionate about getting the best information, people, ideas to share with my readers. You all have become an important group for me to consider.

So my recommendation for success? Go out there and read blogs, and make positive, meaningful comments. Retweet great ideas (that are not yours) or even better - craft your own 140 characters that reveals your insights into posts - and create your own message to promote someone else. Invite guest bloggers and be a guest blogger when asked. Pin good material and spread great work.

I think we're only going to get to the top if we push each other up.

And, in the end, if Pars Caeli gets page views, well, I'll treat myself to a Hershey's bar. (wait...

And if I don't, great individuals know a little bit more how talented they really are and great ideas are communicated a bit more broadly.

I can live happily with that.

As an aside, these connections, collaborations, and good old-fashioned promotions of awesome people have enhanced my cool factor quite substantially. At least in my head.

In that spirit, I'm DElighted to share with you two wonderful bright spots:

Endless Summer Projects began just last week with an entire 12-week experience of kid-loving crafts. Kicking it all off was organizer extraordinaire Melissa (AKA: Lulu the Baker) and her adorable Mosaic Stepping Stones project.

Endless Summer Projects continues this week over at Alexandra's blog. Please, please give yourself the treat of watching her vlog about how to host the most charming weeknight barbeque. Memorable moments include a great reinvention of the game horseshoes and recipes you do not want to overlook. Warning: you might be humming her happy soundtrack for a while after viewing. So good.

I'm hosting next week's project so be sure to come back here (or to any of my sistas pages) to join in the amusement.

Second bright spot:

My uber talented pal, Joy, from Frock Files has started something I kinda always hoped she would... Frock Photography.

You owe it to yourself to read her homepage/mission statement. So well done.

And since my friendship with Joy enables you to win, too, she's offering you all a discount!! Send her a message (or use that crisp, clean contact form) this week, and you'll save on her incredible styling and photography skills.

Thanks so much for coming back here to add to the growth of Pars Caeli. Your presence is so appreciated!

xoxo, MJ

PS. One last goodie for all y'all bloggers - We're changing our names from bloggers to publishers. Walk on over to this post to read why.

Hola, friends. It's Wednesday of a short week around here. We're off to Chicago for a bit of the holiday weekend to celebrate C's 6th birthday. She's a huge fan of Navy Pier so off we go this Friday!

What are you doing for the holiday weekend?

Even if you're not taking any grand trips, promise to celebrate the ordinary moments.

“And while it takes courage to achieve greatness, it takes more courage to find fulfillment in being ordinary. For the joys that last have little relationship to achievement, to standing one step higher on the victory platform. What is the adventure in being ordinary? It is daring to love just for the pleasure of giving it away. It is venturing to give new life and to nurture it to maturity. It is working hard for the pure joy of being tired at the end of the day. It is caring and sharing and giving and loving…” ~ Marilyn Thomsen

This is my life. My wish come true. ~ MJ

Looking up when things are looking down. ~ Paige

Man, I need a drink. ~ Marilynn

Random love notes from Hubs after a rough day. This is my life. ~ MyLittleAddiction

Gearing up for ice cream cone days on Cape Ann. ~ Joy

Sometimes you just need to take a day off. ~ Brittani

Enjoying a peaceful cup of coffee with just the birds and my chimes for company. ~ H at teddy4775 on Instgram

The boy on his bike ~ Julia

Teacher Appreciation Week begins today for us. Celebrating some special people. ~ Theresa

Water drops on leaf / so fresh and clear, round, and bright / gives life to nature ~ Jen as JenMygatt on Instagram

___________________________________________________________________________________

Gigantic thank yous to the incredible artists who joined the party this week. You embody Marilyn's words, "daring to love just for the pleasure of giving it away."

I hope you'll snap a few shots of your week ahead and tag them with #celebratethenormal.

Next week we're going head first into joy with the theme:

xoxo, MJ

Last night was so full of blogging greatness including two wonderful meet-ups and an informative class. I love how this blog keeps me creative, and I adore all the amazing connections I've been able to make. I guess Thomas Merton summed it up pretty well for me.

Great project coming at you next week. And lots of great connections, too.

Have a bright weekend.

xoxo, MJ