My Children

I’m grateful to be alive. I have three remarkable kids, the opportunity for meaningful work, and friends and family who love and support me. Also, I am free: free to ignore popular culture, reject values of materialism and acquisitiveness, and develop my own world views that honor nature and simplicity.

I am grateful for a full range of emotions. I experience joy when making art, confiding with close friends, hiking, reading, and dancing to music. I get angry about political trends, and can turn that into activism. I am sad about the loss of wilderness, about a culture with too many yesses and not enough nos. Above all, I feel gratitude- for each new day on this miraculous planet, and the remarkable creations that live here, including the humans, with their amazing abilities and languages.

I believe we have souls, and that life exists beyond the physical body. I think each of us comes into this world with a purpose, a gift to share. In this lifetime my role seems to be as an artist, making art and sharing my passion for it with others. I was lucky to realize this when I was young, so that I have over 30 years of experience doing what I love.

you see a shy girl who is super quiet,but i am a super hyper person when you get to know me well.

you see a girl who has glasses,but i am someone that can still see without glasses

you see a girl who dresses like a girly girl (kinda), but i am a science geek all the way

you see a 12 year old girl that you think is annoying, but i am a mature person in a snap of a finger or when i need to

you see a girl with flat feet, but i am still a fast runner

you see a girl, but i am as strong as i need to be

you see a hispanic girl and think i eat rice and beans all the time, but i am someone who likes to eat hamburgers as much as everyone else.

You see that I am a white boy, but I am australian. You may think that because I am australian

that I ride kangaroos, but I don’t own one sadly. And you might think that I box kangaroos but I

don’t I would get knocked out. And you might think that because I’m annoying and loud that I don’t

care about other people’s opinions, well you’re wrong. You may think that because my family is

wealthy we don’t care about the poor, when last year on thanksgiving we made 100 sandwiches

and gave it to the homeless. You my think that because I am the middle child I don’t get spoiled,

well I do suprisingly. And you may think that because I am short i must drink a lot of coffee when

really I hate coffee and never drink it, and I’m just naturally short.

 

You might see a simple human being, but I am so much more than that. I’m funny, trustworthy, I have

my ‘feet on the ground, but my head in the clouds,’ and I am kind. You might see me as immature, or

even childish, but what you don’t understand is that I do it to make people smile. You might see me as

bland, dare say boring, but that might be because I grew up alittle faster than you did, or it could be

because this is how I was raised. Maybe you think that I am mean or hurtful, but trust me when I say

I’m doing it to protect the ones I care for, even if I’m the one in the wrong. You could be sad or

emotionally hurt, but don’t start assuming that just because I don’t talk about the pains in my life every

day, does not mean I won’t be able to understand. No matter how many things I am or am not, I do

believe I have a good head on my shoulders. So the next time you try to force you judgement on me,

please, shut your mouth before I do it for you.

 

You see a very short young white girl, But I am more than I appear to be. You may think that I am

annoying, dumb and greedy but i’m not always these things. I am a funny, crazy girl that likes to

make people laugh. I care about my friends and family. I care how I appear but care care more of

my life.I am proud of my russian heritage, and I am proud who I am. You see a short funny girl.

 

You see a quiet girl who doesn’t talk much in class…but I am loud and a non-stop talker.

You see someone who would turn in their homework on time…but I am a person who would spend their class time reading instead.

You see a girl that would go home and play outside or go shopping with their parents…but I am a type of girl that would go home, play video games and drink Mountain Dew.

You see glasses sitting on the bridge of my nose, helping me see…but I am a much clearer person once you get to know me.

You see a ring on my finger, a necklace around my neck, and a bracelet that my grandma gave me on my wrist…but I am a harmless person.

You see a lonely and isolated girl…but I am someone who travels frequently.

You see a girly girl…but I am someone who hates the mall, and rather have a video game collection.

You see me flying to El Salvador every year, and parents deciding where to take me next year. New York? El Salvador?…But I am grateful for what I have even though going to El Salvador over and over again gets quite boring.

You see a tomboy…but I am a violin player who enjoys listening to loud 80’s and today’s hits music.

 

 

When I was in grade school, I wanted to be the tooth fairy when I grew up because it seemed like a fun job and my tooth fairy wore go-go boots. When I was in junior high, I wanted to be a police officer because my older brother bullied me and I wanted to teach the world about justice. When I was in high school, I wanted to be a math teacher because math came easy and I wanted to make it easy for everyone. When I was in college I wanted to be an English professor because I could not imagine my life without books and stories and ideas and people to share them with. Now I have two kids and I AM the tooth fairy. Now I am a middle school teacher and I AM teaching about justice every day. And I get to help students with math, and we talk about books and stories and share ideas. Hey, you know what? Dreams really do come true.

 

 

You see a girl who always smiles at school but really sometimes I am not always happy.

You see a stickers on my face and assume it’s for attention but I am not seeking attention, I do it because I think it completes me.

You see someone who dresses weirdly but I am just letting my true personality show through.

You see me as a girl who’s always on her phone but I really just need a fidget.

You see “normal” outfits that look like it takes 5 minutes to pick out  but I am the type of person that these “normal” outfits take 30 minutes to put together.

You see me as “different” but I am more.

You see me as quiet and others see me as crazy but I am different around certain people who I think will judge my real personality.

You see that I make friends easily but I am actually really shy.

You see me as confident and not caring what people say but I am insecure.
You see…but I am… so much more

 

 

You see a 14 year old girl who is hushed up in a corner with a book… but I can stand up for what I know is right.

You see a female and think I am overly dramatic… but I don’t spread rumors and my feelings aren’t shown to the whole world.

You see middle-class me, living in Portland and think I don’t even comprehend what poverty is… but I am very grateful for what I have.

You see a girl with poor eyesight I am smarter because I wear glasses… but I am only smart because I pay attention in class.

You see me, 14 and with pale skin and you think I must be lazy… but I am on a dance team and we all work hard.

You think you know who I am, but I am so much more than that.

 

You see a teen who annoys the daylights out of people but I’m just trying to make friends. You see a boy who has the perfect life, but has really gone through the worst of times. You see a boy who keeps his cool and is always calm, but really I have temper ready to explode on everyone. You see a kid without fashion sense but is just trying to fit in. You see a weak defenseless child but when I need to, you can’t stop me. You see a nickelback loving freak, but I really use music to show my emotions. You see a tired kid because he’s getting older, but I’m actually tired from staying up from thinking about the horrible things that are yet to come. You see the peaceful kid who is extremely lazy, but I really am an asthmatic ridden boy who just wants to join the fun but can’t.