Five Arms To The Star of Kindness. I Was Extremely Touched.

Last year, when I toured Weir Farm Historic Park, I learned of the plaster stars that hung in the barn - unique additions put their by Julian Aden Weir as part of his artistic touch in his studio. The stars hung (and now hang) on the ceiling and are for sale in the beautiful site's gift shop (something I would never think about buying myself).

On Tuesday, Kristin Lessard (who was our right-hand extraordinaire during CWP-Fairfield and Rich Novack's Reading Landscapes: Writing Nature in the 21st Century) handed me a box to thank me for bringing this opportunity for teachers to the facilities of Weir Farm. She presented one to Rich, too.

Kindness. Generosity. An unexpected gift.

I was and remain touched.

I haven't hung my star up yet, but was thinking about the five arms and how so much of the work I've been doing through CWP-Fairfield has only been able to occur because of the many arms that help me to accomplish the goals. These are unsung heroes who process the paperwork, who act as liaisons in support of teachers and kids, and who do not take part in our programs, but allow our programs to be what they are. I am thinking about my administrative assistant, Caryn Sullivan, the staff in the Graduate School of Education and Allied Professions, and the hard workers upstairs who work with local, state, and federal grants. I may be the one who received the gift, but I can't do the work without all their arms reaching towards me and helping me out.

Yes, I'm overwhelmed right now with summer reports, a dossier, a new semester, budgets, and the daily grind of living a life, but I see the Weir gift as a reminder that nothing shines without a complex arrangements of coincidence. The work gets done because of all those who embrace the vision. These are the arms that make it possible.

I am forever grateful.