Learning With Lucie: Feeling Appreciated

When I got home tonight, there was a lovely note in my inbox. It made me feel so appreciated. It made me want to keep that note in a special place. Back in the day.. this note might have come in the form of a card in the mail and I would have put it in a scrapbook. But today in a digital age we might get an email and a shoutout on twitter. Those come on our screen for a day and are gone tomorrow. That makes for a lot less clutter. But even those who advocate for a clutter free home, tell us we its okay to hold on to the things that bring us joy. The thoughtful notes of appreciation that I've tucked away in a scrapbook or a memory box - do bring joy. Sure we don't look at them often - but it seems like every time we move that scrapbook, it is opportunity to walk down memory lane and experience the joy of having touched someone's life or having someone's life touched you!

Having just attended the Celebration of Life of an amazing man - my mentor and friend Charlie Wilson this weekend and having just worked on an opportunity to bring storytelling to the Vermont educational landscape, I'm thinking of the artifacts we gather to tell our stories! Photos and Videos seem so easy to capture, but how do we capture those little electronic notes that are just as much a part of our story. The ones that truly bring us joy when we revisit them.

I've decided to create an electronic scrapbook of those joyful moments when I felt appreciated.
Whether it be Twitter shoutout or a collection of little notes that were so thoughtfully written by someone - the ones that I don't want to get archived in a place I'll never see them again -- putting them somewhere special will bring me joy. Here's where I've decided to put them ... for now! This e-scrapbook is really for me. If you stumble across it, feel free to explore it, too.

From: Darcie Rankin
Date: Tue, May 22, 2018 at 8:54 PM
Subject: Thanks
To: Lucie deLaBruere

I am sitting here getting organized for my day tomorrow and my thoughts just keep coming back to the kids I brought to Dynamic Landscapes today. You came up to me in the middle of everything and told me that they were lucky that they had me to give them the opportunity.....at the time I did not have a chance to think. But tonight as I reflect I want you to know how lucky I feel that you give me the opportunity to do these sorts of events...to talk to teachers, represent our school, but most importantly see kids shine with the chances that YOU have created for them. All I do is take advantage of your amazing planning....from Robot Rodeo to these events you are not only building our Vermont maker community but you are making a differences in the lives of students and teachers.

I feel so happy to know you and I hope that you leave a day like today feeling as appreciated as you deserve.

Thanks Lucy.