About Me
I'm joining Service Space because ... I am interested in joining like-minded souls to continue my journey of service and kindness. I want to soak up all the learning I can and give to others.
A good day to me is when ... I make my kids (my own and mystudents) smile. Also when I feel the magic of the Universe :)
My hero in life is ...Hands down The Alchemist!
My favorite book is ...Hmmm...I have so many who inspire me: my husband, kids, colleagues, brother. Even people I don't know who are doing good things for others.
One thing I'm grateful for is ... Everything. Truly, truly everything. At the moment, my quest to understand my purpose more fully and for listening to signs that guide me in that direction :)
The Countdown Is On! Uganda...here We Come!
Jul 12, 2019, 4 comments, 16 smiles
Hello my beautiful, inspiring friends!
My husband, son, and I will be leaving in 3 weeks to travel to Uganda to meet with Grace, the incredible soul who I was connected to via this very site! In order to capture all the magic, I will be blogging each day and posting pics here! I will do my best to also put the posts on the Service Space feed, but I wanted to give you the external blog link in case I forget. :) All of this...I mean all of it even beyond my trip...is because of you all.
I love you so very much and am so grateful to be a part of this community!
Uganda Magic Continues!
Mar 21, 2019, 16 smiles
OK, OK, OK.....breathe, Melissa, breathe.
So, I am in charge of putting together all of our assemblies and fundraisers. In the spring, we have always held a fundraiser for Pennies for Patients which raises change for cancer patients. Of course, this is a noble cause. However, we started it years ago because our principal's son was diagnosed. Well, he retired, and we have a new principal. So, I was hoping to find a different charity.
Since I am so heartbroken over our immigrant situation, I knew I wanted to do something with that. Then, my amazing friend, who is our librarian, had us all read the book, "Refugee" as a school back in December. It's the story of three refugees (Cuba, Nazi Germany, and Syria) whose stories all end up intertwining. She told me about an organization in the East Bay who works with refugees and newcomers. I contacted them, told them ... Read Full Story
Amazing Grace...on So Many Levels
Mar 19, 2019, 13 comments, 22 smiles
Ok, folks...I have the most magical story ever!!! So, settled in with a cup of chai (or coffee...or wine...or whatevs!) cuz this is life-changing for me, and it all began with ServiceSpace!
I could go all the way back to reading about Nipun and Karma Kitchen in a "Energy for Dummies" type book, but that would get really long. So, I will start with the Awakin Call that I was blessed to be a part of in January. Audrey forwarded me an email from a woman named Grace (pictured in orange above) who said she would like to get in contact with me because she had also been sexually assaulted as a girl and perhaps I could help her move forward. Well, I was just blown away that a beautiful sister in Uganda felt like I could help, so I emailed her that day!
I heard back from her and discovered that ... Read Full Story
Multiple Forms Of Capital -- With 7th Graders!
Feb 20, 2019, 2 comments, 8 smiles
I wanted to share an incredible service project one of my 7th grade kiddos presented today! This young woman is rather introverted (although she still gets a hug from me every day!) but she expresses herself through art and so, for her service project, she created an original animation to tell her story! It just blew me away, and I was so grateful that she is one of my teachers, showing me that we all serve from where we are and the space that feels safe. :)
Social Capital -- In Standardized Tests?!
Jan 04, 2019, 10 smiles
A former student just sent me this text message:
I'm studying for my first of two standardized tests tomorrow and this popped up, and I remember talking about it last year in class:
She circled “Social Capital," which is one of many forms of capital as described by amazing ServiceSpace souls!
I teach in an affluent neighborhood, and in our Service Innovation class, we spend a full week on the topic of "Different Forms of Capital" -- to get them away from placing such a high value on money, or "financial capital". :)
I love that she remembered this!! How cool to see "social capital" and research on "Close Relationships in the 21st Century" mentioned in something as mainstream as an SAT-like book! :)
