I am so not ready for winter!  My brother and his wife are heading south to Mexico today with their camper for three months.  I wish I could tag along!  Guess I can’t complain....I get my respite in a couple of weeks and am really looking forward to it.  I have never been to the big island but everyone I know who has been there says it’s fantastic.  I am hooked on helicopters now so am planning a helicopter tour of the island to view the volcanoes from above.  Should be great!  Still feeling a little flat today but should start to rebound in a day or so.  On Friday I am going in to the school for the wrap up Terry Fox Event.  Am looking forward to seeing how much money the kids raised this year.  I got the nicest email from a parent and friend yesterday.  I’m sure she won’t mind if I share it with you.  I have taught all the children in this family and believe me they are special kids.  All the boys shaved their heads multiple times and last year Abby, the youngest in this family, her Mom and a friend who was going through chemo for breast cancer attended our event and shaved their heads.  Abby had the most gorgeous hair I have ever seen on a little girl and I am not just saying this.  It was right down to her bum and was thick and beautiful.  We have had many children donate their hair over the years and I always sent their hair to “Angel Hair” which is a Canadian organization that makes wigs for children going through chemo therapy.  Whoever got Abby’s hair is one lucky person!  In any case Abby was only in grade 2 last year and you wonder if she really understood the goodness of what she was doing!  Not only did she shave her head, she raised a substantial amount of money and was the recipient of our annual Terry Fox Award.  The Terry Fox Award is given to the student who most exemplifies the spirit of Terry Fox.  Abby was our youngest recipient ever!  Below is her Mom’s message to me!  It made my Day!!!

"You made Abby happy Leslie. Her only comment afterwards was, "her hair looked different". When she was told it was a wig, there was this moment of total shock and then total clarity as she realized that the hair she has donated twice could have possibly been made into a wig for you. It was astounding to watch her make all the connections - of course she hadn't understood the potential impact on other people that she was having by cutting off her hair, she just knew she was doing a good thing. So, thank you for teaching her - even now! “

I have never underestimated the power of children!  When they believe in a cause or care about something they can make wonderful things happen.  I have been so blessed in my career to meet many such kids.  These kids are our future and it is so gratifying to see that even at a young age they are learning the tools to make a difference in this world!