DOUBLE TAP TO ZOOM WITH PHONE OR TABLET Some people think second chances are rare and therefore precious. When a child becomes ill and then recovers, we feel like we are given a sec- ond chance to love and appreciate the child even more deeply. This is also valid: there is no moment on earth that does not hold a second chance. All we need to do is look up, notice where we are, and be open to the possibility of wonder. Why Bother? Our beloved world isn’t always a pretty place, and some people are mean-spirited. Grave injustice still pains us. Why bother to put yourself through all the work of seeing the world anew? Gandhi knew that “we must be the change we wish to see in the world.” If I want the world to become more humane, especially to children, I need to begin by changing myself. What choices can I make in the moment to be open to making changes for the better, regardless of my internal resistance? Facing Up to the “Little Stuff ” Can Reveal the Bigger Issues For 2014 I decided to make a life-changing resolution that I would keep. I became willing to unclutter myself of the confining behaviors to discover more of what really matters. What I wanted more than anything was to deepen my spiritual path. By spiritual, I mean our human desire to live a deeper, more meaningful life. For me, being spiritual isn’t the same as being religious; I respect each person’s choice to follow a religion’s path or not. Educators are spiritual beings—we are on earth to make a difference. We read between the lines, read people as well as we read books, and make choices that might not make sense to other people. Don’t we take the “vow of poverty,” for example? Instead of material riches, we choose work that will make the world better, one child at a time. As a director from Roxbury, Massachusetts, once told me: “I make decisions each day so I can fall asleep without regret each night.” I wanted to develop a closer, deeper, and more real relationship with a higher power of my understanding. In short, I wanted to stand firmly on 8  Chapter 1 COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL