Friday, August 14, 2009

The importance of every day

Teach us . . . that we may feel the importance of every day, of every hour as it passes." ~ Jane Austen

I spent the first week of July immersed in all things Jane Austen. It was a fascinating and inspiring week, researching her life, her works, her surroundings. I was writing a teaching unit on Austen that required several multi-media presentations plus 60 pages of content. I got a good head start on the project, but once the week ended, have not had time to finish it. I have until the end of September. Good thing (although who am I kidding if I think I'll have more time once school starts?!!! I tell myself I work better under pressure. We'll see, won't we?!)...

One of the things I had fun with was using my Jane action figure to create photos to illustrate my presentations. I got a kick out of the way I could use her to walk through books about her life.

I found the above quote in a Victorian catalogue earlier this evening. It is engraved on a copper cuff bracelet with her name signed on the back. It was a timely reminder to me of the importance of living our lives to make a difference. I was thinking that earlier today when watching Eunice Shriver's funeral service. I don't know if it was televised elsewhere, but Massachusetts TV had it well covered. I thought Maria's eulogy for her "Mummy" was wonderful. Such a different kind of tribute than we witnessed back in June! Such a different realization of your responsibility to humanity! "To whom much is given, much is expected." Eunice Shriver "got" that. And lived it.