ready to drizzle
tear the seal
unwrap
twist off
the cap
no
the glass
how
does
this
happen
do i
have
super human strength
and don’t know it?
—
‘it is not the strength of the body that counts, but the strength of the spirit.’
–J.R.R. Tolkien
art credit: the hope tree, by ashvin harrison
—
she looked older, tired, worn down, but trying
dark eyeliner, hair an unnatural black, a gold barrette
standing at the register
waiting as i approached
buying paper for an art project
noticing colors and prints on the papers
she pointed at them, saying:
“if you mix this blue with this flowered print, it looks exactly like the inside of the locket that i had when i was a little girl. it was shaped like a heart, my mother gave it to me, it had both of our pictures in it. is was really something. it didn’t make it through the fire though. i think someone came and took it after that happened. they didn’t know how important it was. i’ve had my dreams squashed before, but i still have hope.”
she shared all of that with me, a random stranger, in a 2 minute encounter. something about her was achingly sad, yet i also felt admiration for her refusal to surrender to a life that may have never been easy, still holding out hope for a better day, yet to come. amazing person.
—
“hope is the feeling we have that the feeling we have is not permanent.”
-mignon mclaughlin
after finding a tiny baby mole
who has died
along the side of the road
the kids say a few words on its behalf
and place it in the soft leaves of the woods
as a kind and gentle memorial gesture.
—
“when children come into contact with nature, they reveal their strength.”
-maria montessori
“tearing the paper means you’ve stopped believing in the infinite possibilities of a square.”
-tor dual, a thousand paper birds
—
image credit: artist, vik muniz turned two million cranes into one symbol of strength for japanese earthquake victims
wearing an ac/dc t-shirt, ripped up jeans, and velcro shoes
all while wrapped in a cape made from your swaddling blanket
bestows unlimited strength and heroic powers upon you.
—
“a hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength
to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.”
-christopher reeve
there is so much strength and emotion
packed into this 70 minute little film
i am left not knowing exactly what to say.
directed by claude bars
a joint swiss/french
stop-motion animation creation
later re-voiced in english
with unforgettable characters
so tiny
yet larger than life
their huge eyes
mirror their huge troubles, emotions, lives
their fight for survival
and their desperate search to find a way
to open their wounded hearts once again.
it is a testament to the resilience of the human heart
and the power of love and friendship in the face of adversity.
—
(French: Ma vie de Courgette; also titled My Life as a Zucchini), was screened in the Directors’ Fortnight section at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival. This is the second adaptation of Gilles Paris’ 2002 novel Autobiographie d’une Courgette, as there was a French live-action television film adaptation called C’est mieux la vie quand on est grand which aired in 2007. The film was nominated for the Best Animated Feature Film at the 89th Academy Awards but lost to Zootopia. It was also selected as the Swiss entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 89th Academy Awards, making the December shortlist.
—
“the empty swing set reminds us of this–
that bad won’t be bad forever,
and what is good can sometimes last a long, long time. ”
-jacqueline woodson
—
note: while this film is animated, it may be too emotional and scary for young children to experience, due to some of the characters and issues addressed within.
—
credits: universal studios, wikipedia, cannes film festival
one of my kinders
made me this bracelet
and said it would
give me power.
it worked.
—
“the power of imagination makes us infinite.”
-john muir
ann arbor’s mayor chris taylor,
supporting
the childrens’ peace and unity march.
i am so proud of my city
and
the compassionate hearts within.
—
“master the divine techniques of the art of peace and no enemy will dare to challenge you.”
— ueshiba
while the kinders were playing a farm game
with crops and cash,
some sold
some bought
some traded.
i thought all were farmers
until one came to me
to say:
“she doesn’t want to be a farmer. she said she’s a jedi warrior!
that means she’ll be stronger than all of the rest of us!”
i told him that jedi and farmers are both very strong people.
both work hard and refuse to give up.
both try to do things peacefully.
and that
they could work together with no problem.
they would be good for each other.
they would help each other.
even a jedi has to eat.
even a farmer has to stand up and be brave.
and they became a very powerful team.
—
image credits: foodtank.com, google images, star wars, lucasfilm.ltd
I didn't have my glasses on.... 