The quads swam over to see me this morning during my walk down by the lake... I was amazed at how quickly they had grown up -- it seems like only yesterday they were babies, and now, suddenly, they are big, gangly teenagers, still grey/brown with some white showing through! Of course, I immediately thought of Alex and Simon, who yesterday were tiny helpless babies, screaming all the time, and now suddenly are giant 6-year-olds going into Grade One! I can only imagine my heart breaking when they are teenagers! (Thankfully, Simon has informed me he will not be getting married, and that he will be staying with us in our home until we die. Ha ha!)
It’s hard to presume positive intentions when you’re surrounded by idiots!
This weekend we discovered our neighbor a few floors below us went away for the weekend, leaving her dog all alone on the balcony for three days and two nights!!! Who leaves a dog on a balcony?! Seriously! The poor thing was whining and crying all weekend long, and who could blame it? The best part is that no one would help – we called the building super, she was in bed and would deal with it tomorrow (“he’s fine out there overnight, no?”) – we called animal control, they only come after hours if there is an emergency (I guess dying of a broken heart and possible dehydration doesn’t count) – we called the police (“what do you want us to do? We can’t enter the unit without a warrant unless it’s an emergency”) NO ONE WOULD HELP THIS POOR CREATURE!! If there was a kid out there, all alone on the balcony for the weekend, with nothing but a bowl of water, 20 people would be lined up with ladders to rescue him. Alas, a dog’s fate is not so pretty. “We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals”, wrote philosopher Immanuel Kant. So, you can imagine... Mother, teacher, orphan, Christian, musician, wife... many "titles" define us throughout our lives. As I navigate these different aspects of my being, I am constantly challenged to integrate these roles into who I am. At 37, I find myself in the fascinating territory of being no longer quite young enough to be seen as someone who will become great one day, and yet I am not yet looked upon as one who is worthy of the respect reserved for the "old" and the "wise": My errors and misjudgements are no longer forgiven as easily as they were in my 20s, but I am not afforded the benefits of one who has lived a long, long time, and probably knows best. I still have lots ot offer, but I am not quite seasoned enough to always be taken seriously!
It is as though I am no longer a sunrise, and still, not yet a sunset. I live in the place between the two most beautiful times... It is indeed an interesting and challenging time of life. I invite you to peruse the links across the top to satiate your curiosity and hopefully find something of use to you. Please, feel free to contact me, too! Vera :) Vera C. Teschow O.C.T., M.Ed., M.O.T. P.S. If you are looking for the original verateschow.com site, it is still available... click here to visit! |
About Vera...After writing for several teacher and multiple birth publications, including ETFO's Voice Magazine, Multiple Moments, and the Bulletwin, Vera turned her written attention to prolific blogging for some years, including BiB, "Learn to Fly with Vera!" and SMARTbansho . Homeschooling 4 was her travel blog in Argentina. She now spends more time on her Instagram (@schalgzeug_usw) than her blog (pictures are worth a thousand words?!)
DISCLAIMER
The views expressed on this blog are the views of the author, and do not necessarily represent the perspectives of her family members or the position of her employer on the the issues she blogs about. These posts are intended to share resources, document family life, and encourage critical thought on a variety of subjects. They are not intended to cause harm to any individual or member of any group. By reading this blog and viewing this site, you agree to not hold Vera liable for any harm done by views expressed in this blog. Categories
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