By Pat Haggerty

As many of you know, I work part-time doing workshops for teachers and administrators in various school districts.  I can’t tell you how many Power Points I have created!  While putting one together recently, I chose as my last slide the saying:  “teachers make a difference every single day!”

How do they do that?  Is it by creating a good lesson?  Is it by complimenting a child?  Is it by assisting a colleague with a difficult task?  It could be one of the above or all of the above!

By Pat Haggerty

As a young girl growing up I lived across the street from my great-aunts.  There were five of them---five unmarried sisters living together and being family all on their own.  They devoted much of their lives to me and my siblings.  My father was their only nephew, and his mother was their sister.

I spent lots of time at “the Aunties.”  They contributed greatly to my development and even my Christian formation.  I often went to seven o’clock mass with them on Sundays.  One of the Aunties brought me on my first retreat.  They showed me the example of prayer by praying daily and sharing that with me.

By Pat Haggerty

My husband and I have been planning a trip abroad for almost a year.  Now, it’s almost here!  I marvel at the amount of time and preparation we have put into this trip.  My husband is very detail-oriented, so you can imagine what I have been through to finalize our plans.  It’s all good!  I need someone to keep me on task and help me prioritize.

As I put the finishing touches on our plans, it occurs to me that this journey can be analogous to the spiritual journey we travel every day.  How much time and preparation do we put into our journey toward Eternal Life?  We know we are supposed to be thoughtful travelers, caring travelers, and Christ-like travelers.  But, are we?

When I am not writing blogs or babysitting my grand-children, I serve as an educational consultant working with educators across the state.  August has been a busy month, because lots of school districts are trying to get in some professional development for their staff members before school starts.  In my work, I talk a lot about collaboration and risk-taking as necessary catalysts for school change.

When discussing the importance of collaboration, I often use a quote by Martin Luther King, Jr.  This is a very timely quote in light of the 50^th anniversary celebration of Dr. King’s famous “I have a Dream” speech.