Tag: What Inspires You

What Inspires You

ONE

by Lori Pyne

He entered the last grades with a sigh. Few, other than the excepted, achieved high marks. Each topic on the test had been discussed, reviewed and studied at least five different times, five different ways. Participation from each student had increased. He had been certain that this test would display the beginning of marked improvement.

The results refuted that supposition.

As he rose from his seat, he dropped his partially eaten lunch in the trash. He would discuss the outcome with his master teacher after the meeting. With the semester half way finished, he did not have much time to get through to these kids.

He locked the door as he left the classroom. Turning his thoughts to the upcoming meeting, he wondered how it would feel to sit on the other side of the table. Although he had attended numerous individual education plan meetings as a parent for his son, this would be his first time attending as a teacher.

A group gathered in the hall outside of the conference room. As he walked into the room, one of the women said an IEP is a legal document and not something to just ignore. A viewpoint he shared strongly, having seen the strides his son had maded with the help of the modifications.

He sat at the table and nodded to his master teacher seated next to him. As he turned to tell his master teacher about the disappointing test results, the group from the hall streamed into the room. The dark haired woman, who has commented on the legal status of an IEP, remained standing before the table.

“Is the student teacher here?” she demanded.

He raised his hand. He and his master teacher exchanged a glance. His master teacher raised and eyebrow and shook his head.

“Before we start, I have to tell you something.” He felt his stomach tighten. The image of her son flashed in his mind. “I don’t know what you’re doing.” The principal stood and began to speak. The woman held up her hand. “My son’s constantly quoting you and is actually doing homework for your class. He hasn’t taken an interest in school since preschool. Whatever you’re doing, keep doing it.”

He felt as if he had been struck by lightning.

“Thank you,” he said through the lump in his throat.

“No, thank you.” She sat in the chair beside the principal. “Let’s hope that some of his newly found excitement spills over to his other classes.”

One. At least he now knew he had reached one. He had until the end of the school year to reach the rest.

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Lori Pyne is a member of OCC, and a multi-tasking volunteer. She is currently serving as one of our Online Class Moderators, Guest Reception Coordinator and Coordinator for the Book Buyers’ Best Contest for published authors. She is married with one son, and works full time for an entertainment law firm.

What Inspires You

Spring Inspiration

By Lori Pyne

Spring is a time of renewal for me. As the days grow warmer, I return to my healthier eating and exercise plan (shorts and bathing suits loom). The budding trees, warmth and sun lure me back outside (my hands itch to dig and plant). Windows opened, dust bunnies hunted, and clutter tamed, winter’s gloom is chased from my home.

Spring’s renewal stretches into the area of my work. A file is opened. A long neglected project is resurrected. Interest rekindled. While I hope the magic of Spring will blossom into a bountiful harvest of a completed project, at this time, I will enjoy the joy of interest renewed.

How does Spring inspire you?

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Lori Pyne is a member of OCC, and a multi-tasking volunteer. She is currently serving as one of our Online Class Moderators, Guest Reception Coordinator and Coordinator for the Book Buyers’ Best Contest for published authors. She is married with one son, and works full time for an entertainment law firm.

What Inspires You

Life Lessons Are Ever Present

by Lori Pyne

As we walked across the parking lot towards the playing field, I warned my son to stay on the playground while his father and I joined the other parents to prepare the baseball fields for the coming season. With a quick agreement, he dashed towards the basketball court.

As I passed the group of boys my son had joined, I heard one of the boys say, “He’s in special ed.” The four small boys stepped away from my son. Rage filled my body. I stopped and stared at the tormentors. How could those brats be unkind to my sweet child? Having suffered at the hand of many school yard bullies, I was ready to battle for my son.

My son then tossed his miniature basketball towards the hoop. It missed and he chased after it. The boys stood and watched my son have a blast trying to make a basket. The older boys playing on the other court swept close and my son raced after them.

As my son did not seem concerned with the smaller boys’ refusal to play, I continued to slowly walk towards my husband. I quickly relayed the overheard comment to my husband.

My husband watched our son dash over to the slides and then turned his attention to the basketball court. Although he had been at the school for a number of lunch supervisory hours, my husband did not recognized the small boys either.

For the next hour I shifted my attention from the job at hand, keeping an eye on my son and watching the small boys. I was determined to talk to their parents. Despite my best efforts, the boys left before I identified their parents.

As I left the playground with a slow simmer cooking my temper, my son’s happiness penetrated my anger. My son had not allow the boys’ behavior ruin his enjoyment. Although I would have still liked to talk to their parents, I could control my reaction to other’s behavior.

Life lesson are everywhere. Some are gentle and quiet; and some are loud and hard to miss. The trick is to be willing to listen.

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Lori Pyne is a member of OCC, and a multi-tasking volunteer. She is currently serving as one of our Online Class Moderators, Guest Reception Coordinator and Coordinator for the Book Buyers’ Best Contest for published authors. She is married with one son, and works full time for an entertainment law firm.

What Inspires You

The Wedding Picture

by Lori Pyne

Be they in magazines, newspapers or photo albums; be they of friends and family, people I know of or strangers; be they black and white images of a yesteryears long gone or colorful digital shots capturing a moments ago, I love to look at them. The bride in her finery, the groom so proud, wedding pictures speak to hopeful, romantic side of my soul.

Some of the images remain in my memory long after I view the portrait. Beyond the memory of cherished friends’ and close family’s special days, and world events such as Princess Diane and Prince Charles’ wedding, a stranger’s newspaper wedding announcement has remained with me years after I first saw the picture.

At first glance, I barely looked at the groom, a Marine, in his distinct blue dress uniform. The bride, her face shining with joy as she gazed up at her groom, caught and held my attention. She looked so young in years, tiny in stature and radiantly in love. I remember worrying about what the future would hold for such a young girl.

I slide my attention to her groom. He stared straight at the camera. My gaze traveled down the short cropped hair towards his square jaw. I jarred to a stop midway down his face. He had no ear. What I had thought to be a shadow on the side of his face, I realized was scar tissue. He had been terribly burned.

This warrior in his twenties has survived his journey through one of the lower levels of hell and had returned to marry the girl who loved him fiercely.

While I know that a marriage is more than a wedding day, each time their faces float to the top of my memory, I pray that they build a strong life together created on the foundation of her joyous love and his proud, strong spirit.

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Lori Pyne is a member of OCC, and a multi-tasking volunteer. She is currently serving as one of our Online Class Moderators, Guest Reception Coordinator and Coordinator for the Book Buyers’ Best Contest for published authors. She is married with one son, and works full time for an entertainment law firm.

What Inspires You

Teammates

by

Lori Pyne

The first and second grade boys charged down the field in pursuit of the soccer ball. On the sideline, I shouted, groaned and cheered along with the rest of the parents as we watched our boys play their last game of the season.

Although no official score was kept, everyone knew the results of each game. An invisible grapevine wove its way between the players, coaches and parents. Somehow our team had made it to the end of the season undefeated. The only team to have done so.

As my son raced after the pack, his grin was bright enough to light the field. Although he had not grasped all of the subtleties of the game, he knew he needed to be with the group. As a ball bounced off of him and rolled in the correct direction, the other parents joined me in cheering.

At each break, the coached asked the boys who would now like to be goalie. A few hands raised, my son’s included. Usually the coach’s eyes skimmed past my son’s eager wave. That last game, he stared at my enthusiastic boy. Was he certain he wanted to be goalie? A red shirt was tugged over his head after his shouted yes.

Our side was quiet as we watched my proud child jog to the goalie box. I abandoned my canvas seat and trailed after him. From my position at the end of the field, I repeatedly shouted at him to pay attention to the game. My screaming did not dim his joy nor improve his focus. While the other team drove the ball down the field, my son turned around and watched the skateboarders race behind the goal.

One of his teammates raced ahead and turned the ball from my son. As the pack moved back toward the other goal, his teammate stayed back. He stationed himself beside my son. My son mimicked his stance, leaning forward, hands on knees, glaring down the field. His teammate stayed with him the rest of the game, defending the goal while my son took the penalty kicks.

As we walked off the field at the end of the game, I asked my son’s teammate if the coach had asked him to help out at the goal. He shook his head and explained that it looked like my son could use the help, so he stayed with him.

How much better the world would be if everyone responded to signs of need with a generous heart and a willing spirit.

On this Thanksgiving weekend, may each hand you meet be stretch out in friendship.

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Lori Pyne is a member of OCC, and a multi-tasking volunteer. She is currently serving as one of our Online Class Moderators, Guest Reception Coordinator and Coordinator for the Book Buyers’ Best Contest for published authors. She is married with one son, and works full time for an entertainment law firm.