 Photo by HT Photography "Be someone's sunshine when their skies are gray." Sunshine in the classroomWe had ourselves "a grand time" in Room 21 this past week. In honour of the anniversary of my mom's passing, at the end of the month I threw a sunshine themed party for my students. For many years before she passed away my mom, Mrs. Lear, came faithfully every Friday to my classroom. Bursting through the door each week she was bombarded with hugs and squeals of delight from the students in gleeful anticipation of what she may have brought with her this time. There were always fun songs, cool games, exciting stories, themed parties, treats and more mentorship and priceless life lessons than the kids ever realized. She loved on those kids hard and brought joy beyond measure to the classroom and their little hearts. My mom was literally sunshine in human form. Pair that with the fact that her home was adorned with more "You are my Sunshine" items than you thought possible, and a sunshine party in her honour was certainly most fitting. At this party, the students were challenged to "be the sunshine" just like she was and the theme was what Mom would say on repeat "You never go wrong by being kind." The students were delighted and enjoyed cupcakes, and made cards for their special people in their lives. I highly recommend this type of celebration as it brought so much fun to an otherwise average Friday and it really helped me on my grief journey to keep Mom's memory alive and share her with another bunch of sweet students.  Photo by Little Lessons Learned by Dana  Photo by Little Lessons Learned by Dana Be the SunshineMy mom was one incredible woman and I strive to emulate her, and be the sunshine to this world of ours, just like she was. It is a challenge that I extend to everyone. We often think it takes a big effort or grandiose gesture to make an impact. That is often not the case, as many times it is the smallest things or acts of kindness that are the most cherished. In the past at times when I would contemplate reaching out to different people who were going through hard times, I would oddly become hesitant. Perhaps it was because I didn't know them that well, or was concerned that they would be private about their concerns. My mom taught me to be different, put fear aside and instead ask myself "Why am I hesitating?" Then again she would chime in with a sparkle in her eyes saying "If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times... You never go wrong by being kind." No truer words were ever spoken. Little Things Go a Long Way Photo by Jeremy Bishop on Unsplash Perhaps you would like to spread more sunshine in your corner of the world, but you don't know where to start. My first piece of advice is to look at the people closest to you. Share appreciation statements with them. Tell them what you love and appreciate about them. It needs to be vocalized. Often we can assume that those closest to us know how we feel, but they need to hear it as well. It might be obvious things or other things that no one has every acknowledged before. An example could be the fact that they have excellent organization skills, or they are a very generous person. Call out the greatness that you see in them. Trust me. You will make their day. Another suggestion I LOVE to do is the drive thru challenge. I have done this several times and it is so rewarding! How it works is you pay for your order and the one behind you in any local drive thru. It is so surprising to get to the window and realize that the order is already paid for. I have been the recipient of this very kind gesture as well. It has been such a blessing as it has often come on a day that I really needed encouragement. As simple as it may sound, a free coffee can reap very large dividends on a deep and meaningful level.  Start TodayTomorrow is never promised my friend. Don't hesitate like I used to do. Our gestures of kindness do not have to be perfect. It is the heart that people see and the love behind them that really lingers. You have so much to offer and the world needs your light. Call to Action:
Until next time my friends, I am sending so much love and sunshine your way. You light up a room just be being YOU! Love ya! Dana XO Copyright: © 2025 littlelessonslearnedbydana (Dana Romualdi)
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 Photo by M Venter at Pexels.com A World Torn ApartLast week, myself along with the world watched in horror as the details unfolded about Charlie Kirk's murder. A 31 year old dedicated husband, father and Christian was gunned down in front of thousands as he simply shared his views in front of others. To add to the sadness, another school shooting took place where innocent lives were lost, again. Why? Why does this happen? I have so many questions, and no answers. My heart was filled with extreme sorrow as these senseless acts of violence took place with hate as the key motivation. It brought to the forefront how very present evil is in in our world today. As a nation and world we are in need of peace like never before. We are desperate for it. Peace comes in many forms. Sadly we are in short supply in all of them at present. What are we to do? I have thoughts. Let's unpack this together. Choose to Forgive Photo by Magda Ehlers at Pexels.com As much as we wish we could, we cannot control what is going on in the world right now. We can however control our reaction to it. This is where the true power is. We can draw our line in the sand. We can stand firm, decide to live in harmony, let go of grudges and choose to forgive those who have hurt us. It is not easy but so freeing. It is liberating to break free from unforgiveness and live in peace with others. It is God's plan for us and this is one of the key secrets to having true inner peace day to day. We forgive to set ourselves free. We can agree to disagree, and still walk away with our integrity intact. The choice is ours. I invite you to strive to develop respect for those who are different than you reminding yourself that all people are dearly loved by God. Love Your Neighbour Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash As Christ followers we are called in the Bible to love our neighbours - period. It doesn't say our kind and thoughtful neighbours, or neighbours we actually like, but all neighbours means all people in general. I think of the song, What the World Needs Now which speaks of "love sweet love." We sure need more love and peace today. There is no question about it. Find Your Peaceful Place Photo by Natália de Rezende on Unsplash In class we talked about finding our "peaceful place" to balance our hectic lives and find solace in the day to day stress our lives can bring. I shared my peaceful place is my backyard. I love to be silent, listen to the birds and just take the beauty of it all in. The noise of the classroom, and busy world just melts away and I feel so close to God there. Kids shared of different places they find peaceful solitude like when they are tucked in bed, while quietly reading or playing at the park. One little girl shared how try as she might, she cannot seem to find her "peaceful place." She looked ready to cry about it. I assured her that it is out there, and worth pursuing. She will find it and I am happy to assist with her search. She is not unlike many people today. So many feel lost like my sweet student. They seek peace but cannot seem to find it. They are looking in all the wrong places. So where do we find true peace, which is more than a temporary feeling or change in scenery? Make Peace With God Photo by Patrick Fore on Unsplash True peace comes from having a relationship with Jesus. I heard a lesson in Sunday School which simplifies it very well. No Jesus - No Peace or Know Jesus - Know Peace. That is it in a nutshell. Very straightforward indeed. My friends we don't know what the future holds but we know that with Jesus by our side we can ride the waves together. We will never be alone and that in itself brings peace. Call to Action
Until next time my friend, I am wishing you peace in the midst of the storm. Dana Tags: peace, God's peace, forgiveness, live in peace, finding peaceCopyright: © 2025 littlelessonslearnedbydana (Dana Romualdi)  AuthorDana Romualdi is a Canadian elementary teacher, blogger, author, and speaker. She is dedicated to "loving God and loving people" with all her heart. With a passion for helping others and spreading much-needed encouragement, Dana makes a positive impact wherever she goes. She resides in Ontario with her husband and their two grown children. |
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