“expecto petronum”
—
“dear miss kennedy, i know this spell. if you do that magic it just keeps you safe from stuff if you are in danger.”
– from my student, l.
—
one of kindest and most wonderful gifts i’ve ever received
—
“kindness is a magical spell –
performed by enlightened beings –
meant to enchant hearts and lift weary souls that they might fly.”
-richelle e. goodrich
carried from home to school
clutched in chubby hand
tiny simple gift
brings precious beauty
to a teacher’s heart.
—
“sometimes, said pooh, the smallest things take up the most room in your heart.”
-a.a. milne – winnie the pooh
i wonder if when he looked at the shape, he guessed this was a basketball, even before opening it.
—
“each new day has a different shape to it. you just roll with it.”
-ben zobrist
this tiny dog
has lived a full life
gifted to me by my dear friend
having once
belonged to
her husband’s mother/grandmother
i would love to know its story
it has seen the world and is beautifully imperfect.
—
“art is something that makes you breathe with a different kind of happiness.”
~ Anni Albers
I love this gift
of my very own mini bar
from my very-long-time-big-hearted friends
it fits perfectly into la casita
and so do they.
—
“it is the small things in life which count;
it is the inconsequential leak
which empties the biggest reservoir.”
*charles comiskey
try as he might
my colleague was not able to convince anyone
to steal from him
or trade with him
for this monstrosity of a white elephant gift
that he randomly chose
at our faculty holiday party
it was as huge as a shield, very heavy, and not the most beautiful
(even said on the back that it was microwaveable,
but would not come anywhere near fitting
into any microwave i’ve ever seen,
and was edged in metal)
but we did laugh about it the entire time
and that is certainly worth something. 
‘the manner of giving is worth more than the gift.’
kinder collects pretty flowers
picked from the garden
with fairies hiding within
to give to her mom
mom will be so happy
and the fairies will too.
—
“the fleeting flowers-
which mostly bloom for only a couple weeks-
have long served as spiritual metaphors,
and a reminder to live in the present moment.”
-National Geographic magazine
feeling grateful
for a wonderful surprise
from two of my friends
who gave me their set of original golden books
something i have always wanted
since i was a young child.
they knew i would treasure them.
—
“life is always bringing unexpected gifts.”
-mary sarton
I didn't have my glasses on.... 