Under Construction

Dear Mind and Body,

I decided that this month, you will be part of an under-construction plan of action. That may seem strange, but I will explain why the logo above is my opening thought. After several weeks of deliberating on my one word for 2026, I chose restore. Of course, I need you, Mind and Body, to challenge myself. I would like to see life differently than just gray skies and feeling forlorn. Did you know that an Arctic Blast has spread across the USA? Today, temperatures are dipping lower than before. Layers of clothing and acceptance are needed. 

I am not ready to shoo away the gray sky of winter, but I am willing to stop feeling like the morning routine is regimented and boring. I need to take a fresh approach to start each day. Last night, I ended the evening by reviewing one of the mounds of paperwork that sits on my desk, table, and bed. All of this is a start to a new year that is not about renewing life but restoring it. I invite you both, Mind and Body, to help me restore my heart and soul with positive intentions, stillness, and less anxiety.

💝It is time now for me to settle in

and be comforted by words that flow.💝

"Heart's Reset"

at day's end,

I sit in silence

surrounded by darkness

my one word, restore,

will guide me to

re-store

my broken heart 💔

to a growing heart 💗

draft  ©CVarsalona, 2026  

💝After a stressful week, I sit here at my computer listening to the music video, Restore My Soul.

The lyrics bring comfort,

especially these words: 

Restore my soul, revive my heart.

Renew my life in every part.💝

A Golden Shovel poem evolved from listening to the song many times. The strike lines for my poem are above.

Time to Restore

2026 is time to restore

what is in my

grieving soul

and kindly revive

what makes me strong - my

mind will open my heart

my faith will renew

me and my 

family's life

there is love within

nature's every

beating part

Amen! 

 draft  ©CVarsalona, 2026 

Thank you for listening.

 Carol

💝

Even though it is late, I am offering my blog post, Under Construction, for the Poetry Friday Roundup, hosted by a dear friend, Jan Annino at Bookseed Studio. Jan is sharing her thoughts on one of the honored leaders of the 20th century, Martin Luther King. Jan's statement on MLK is strong. "This weekend, especially, I wonder where a leader is, who can remind us and begin to renew us, with the principles of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr." Let's band together to lift up prayers as Martin would for peace and justice. 

Take Heart - SJT

For three weeks I searched for available COVID vaccine appointments for my family. Frustration mounted with each new search. I looked, wished for a canceled spot, and persevered. The search left me drained and frustrated. Availability was an issue being faced by so many across Long Island. What am I looking for? A needle in a haystack could be found easier than an appointment.

With faith, I continued the search on Long Island, NYC, and Virginia where I will be moving. I did find two single openings not together for my husband and me. One was in NYC and the other at Jones Beach. These appointments seemed like an answer to prayer but the dates were near the time we should be closing on our house. 

Moving on, I changed direction and confirmed my upcoming doctor appointment. With that final task for the day completed, I opened my email to find a message in my patient portal-Complete your COVID 19 Screening Questionnaire. I rushed to do this and to my surprise, I received a text a short time later. It was a gift, an appointment for the first dose of the COVID vaccine at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center near my home. Grateful, I paused to remember a scripture quote Karen Eastlund shared. "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above." (James 1:17). 

What a beautiful surprise, a good gift from above. Being in remission from lymphoma for the past 18 years has been a miracle gift and a testament that "the testing of your faith produces steadfastness." (James 1:3) 

Fran Haley, host of Spiritual Journey Thursday this month chose "Take Heart" as our theme. I take heart that I can begin my new life in Virginia without the worry of feeling safe during trying times. Knowing that I can endure snags along the way that test my faith, will lead me to steadfastly continue my journey of celebrating life. 

Finding a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. solidified an idea for me. The following digital inspiration provides the reflective action step for me to take during the month of February. 

*Begin is my one word 2021.

💕

Thank you, Fran, for the theme for this month's Spiritual Journey Thursday here.

It gave me a spark of inspiration to finish this post and add a reflaction

(reflection with an action step) for this month.

Timeless Words

Last week, I had the privilege of teaching an ELA Summer Institute for graduate students at Molloy College. During the four days, we engaged in discourse on student-centered learning, created an interactive digital notebook, and filled it with wonderings.  Words became our tool to power up conversations and activate new pathways to learning.

I take the time now to reflect on the power of words, the foundation of conversations, the conduits for our actions. They can be inspirational or destructive. They can lead to bonding with others or entanglements. Words are the superpower of educators. With positivity, they encourage students to collaborate, think critically, and ultimately to create as learners.  

An early morning Twitter conversation among global friends inspired me to reflect upon an important quote from an inspirational leader, Martin Luther King, Jr. 'With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair the stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood."  In a post that I wrote last year,  I used MLK's words as a call to action question. "Are we ready to hold the stone of hope in our hands, open the doors to positive discourse, unite as a brotherhood of peace, and never lose infinite hope?"  I revisit this question again considering the timely events in history. 

As educators, are we ready to have courageous conversations? My class discussed this topic last week as their call to action. It is my thinking that words should be used to promote inspired thinking and create plans that encourage students to collaborate as a harmonious group of learners. We must listen intently to others and be mindful of the words we use to express our thoughts. Let's model this.

Are you ready to use words as your positive superpower?

Thank you Steve Kelley, for starting the conversation with a tweet this morning.

It's Slice of Life Tuesday, so I am joining the Two Writing Teachers' community of writers to exchange words that encourage positive conversations.

Celebrate the Words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The words of Martin Luther King, Jr. still ring true even though decades have passed. On this day of tribute, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, a nation pays tribute to a man who held peace and hope in his heart and provided us with many inspirational thoughts. 

"With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair the stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood."

-Dr. Martin Luther King from Remaining Awake Through a Great Revolution

Are we ready to hold that stone of hope in our hands, open the doors to positive discourse, unite as a brotherhood of peace, and never lose infinite hope? Are we ready to be change agents and messengers of kindness. Beside paying tribute to a great man of peace and non-violent interactions, we need to consider random acts of kindness this week as an alternative to "me" thinking.

I am sending the Kindness Dove out around the globe to share the love of giving. Kindness leads to additional kindness. Let's stand in the shadows of Dr. Martin King, Jr., firm in our commitment, and quick in our conviction to be kind. I #choosekind! Do you?

Celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. tonight!

Importance of Voice

As I sit at my desk after #NYEDChat's convo on being the digital change, I realize how important voice is. Tonight participants from across the states joined in to discuss the topic, "Be the Digital Change". A chorus of voices rocked the Twittersphere as I hoped. While tweeting with Marialice Curran, co-founder of Dig Cit Summit and Dig Cit Summit UK, and her 3rd grader son about this, I realized that educators have a challenge. It is our duty to provide students with writing and speaking opportunities for their voices to rise beyond their classrooms. Teaching them to do so with respectful and responsible behavior is a necessity. 

I think how apropos it was to have this conversation on Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday. As an important figure in history, King's powerful voice proclaimed his beliefs despite challenges faced. His words still ring true today. 

Intelligence plus character define what a digital citizen is in this Information Age. During the era that King lived the words digital citizen were an unknown thought but if King were alive today, he would be an ideal model-a powerful, ethical voice speaking out on freedom across social media.

I look back on a post that I wrote two years ago, honoring his words. The image below was an ending thought on my blog. King posed this question that is still a most urgent one decades later.

How often do we stop to think how we are affecting and impacting the lives of others, especially our students' learning lives? How often do we stop to teach our students what it means to have a responsible and ethical voice? Having intelligence plus character is what makes a digital citizen a voice to be heard. I am moved tonight to ponder King's question and ask my readers to do the same as a call to action. 

Each Tuesday Two Writing Teachers offer space for teachers and writers to offer their Slice of Life. Please visit the site here to read other slices.