SOLSTICE

In the past two weeks, we had the pleasure of attending the Arbor Winter Solstice, the annual performance by the kids from each grade.

Nicholas went first. He and his classmates re-enacted the Odyssey. Nicholas totally nailed his lines. One line is shown below.



Cate and the kindergartners and first graders performed the following week. Our little one played the xylophone and drums and sang songs.



Fun was had by all. I hope you enjoy!

BESTIES

The other night, I sneaked away to watch the final episode of "The Honorable Woman" on Netflix. This is a BBC series about a British woman of Jewish ancestry whose foundation seeks to foster peace in the Middle East. The series is compelling on so many levels, including just how suspenseful and timely it is because of current events in the Middle East.

Nicholas came upstairs and found me. I told him I was watching an adult show that was not suitable for kids. He said he wanted to hang out. Again, I explained to him that I hoped to have some alone time and that we could hang out a little later. He began to get upset and said he had looked forward to hanging out. I then said, "Please leave."

Tears were shed, and Nicholas went downstairs. I felt terrible immediately, but I did want to see the conclusion of the show. It did not disappoint.

A few minutes later, I heard a sound outside the door and saw a piece of paper appear underneath. It was a hand-written note from Nicholas that is shown below.

Heartbroken. That is the best word to describe how I felt after reading this.

I found Nicholas and apologized to him. I tried to explain my point of view and that sometimes mommies and daddies need some alone time. He seemed to appreciate what I was saying, but he also said that I had really upset him. He said he just wanted to hang out with me!

I was so touched by what he wrote that I decided to write Nicholas a note the next day to more fully explain myself. That note is excerpted below.

After I shared this with Nicholas, I promised to be more kind and understanding. We hugged and hung out together the rest of the night. 

This little boy is my best friend, and I hope he and I remain this close for years to come!

WE AIN'T DEAD YET!

Today, Barca played an inspired game and defeated Atletico Madrid 3-1. This victory was quite momentous for several reasons. First, it has been a tumultuous week in Barcelona for all the reasons described previously. Moreover,

Coming into today's match with Atletico Madrid, many people had written off the Blaugrana who were said to be too distracted with internal struggles described previously here, too disorganized with their neophyte coach, and too old with aging stars to compete with the top clubs. Indeed, Barcelona had not beaten Atletico Madrid, the reigning La Liga (Spanish League) Champions in the last six tries over the previous eighteen months. Therefore, today's dominating 3-1 victory over Atletico Madrid was quite tremendous.

Barca played an inspiring game of football with intense defensive pressure, amazing runs into space, and precise passing. Barca led at halftime with goals from Neymar and Suarzez, two-thirds of the Barca frontline. Importantly, Lionel Messi assisted both strikes. The collective play in the first half was as good as I have seen Barca play since the 2011 Champions League Final against Man United. Like that game, this was a one-sided affair, and today's Barca would have given Guardiola's 2011 Barca quite a challenge.

Messi added a third in the second half to complete the hat trick by our three attacking players. Quite a fitting end to the day, and quite a deserving goal for Messi, this game's best player and the best player in the world.

I was reminded today of just how much this Barca team means to me and so many others as I watched the game and followed comments of other cules on social media. Barca is a club that can beat any other club in the world when it is "on." However, it is not wins that inspires me and so many other fans. It is the way Barca wins. Like an organism with 11 limbs that continuously work in coordination, Barca breaks teams down. Barca does so by pouncing on every mistake with imperious precision. Indeed the frontline of Barca is nicknamed "SNM." This stands for Suarez, Neymar, and Messi just as it also stands for Show No Mercy!

As I said, when Barca is on top of its game, it has no rivals. In those moments, only Barca and internal distractions can stand in our way and defeat us. However, I will continue to support this team through ups and downs, wins and losses, board room disputes, and dressing room rows. I do hope that we can continue to focus on the pitch both for the sake of my sanity and the players' because this team ain't dead yet!

TROUBLE IN PARADISE

This was one of the most contentious weeks in the recent history of FC Barcelona. In the spell of one week, Barca lost another match and failed to gain ground on Real Madrid. The incompetent sporting director Antonio Zubizarreta was finally fired for a litany of mistakes. Messi and the coach Luis Enrique appear to have had a falling out. All of this led to a widespread concern that the team was in free fall and on the verge of self-destruction.

The only bright spot in this madness was the call for new elections for the Presidency of Barca this summer. The club members are the owners of Barca who vote on all important matters. Hence, they will have the opportunity to vote out the current President Josep Bartomeu and the current Board that has brought so much ill repute to Barca.

Indeed, in the matter of three short years, those in charge have failed to revitalize the squad with the right players, and they broke rules on youth transfers; this action has resulted in a one year ban on players to Barca's senior squad. So while the other top clubs in Europe fortify this month and this summer, Barca will be on the sidelines unable to sign new players.

It is enough to make one go mad! Except for the fact that our team is still comprised of some of the most brilliant men to ever play the game. We were astounded just two weeks ago to see Barca play in person and dominate Cordoba in a 5-0 victory. However, that seems like ages ago given the drama of the past few weeks.

Today, Barca won again by the same scoreline with a dazzling display of football. Let us hope that these players can focus on the task at hand-winning every trophy at their disposal-rather than the gutter politics of this club. I will be focusing on the pitch and cannot wait for this sordid chapter to end.

Visca Barca!

CARTOONS AND TERROR

Today, gunmen killed twelve people at the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo in Paris. The killers were reportedly Muslims who were offended by cartoons published in the paper. News reports suggest that one of the killers is in custody while at least two others remain at large.

What could incite a man to kill another human being in such a way? Reportedly, the killers were offended by cartoons depicting the prophet Mohammed and Islamic figures. Everyone has a right to disagree and even to be offended. However, violence is never the answer.

There is a tremendous amount of irony in these shootings today. Indeed, the gunmen's actions validate these cartoons-many of which depicted the hypocrisy of Muslim fundamentalists who claim they are agents of God.

Perhaps the events of today are a rude reminder of just what kind of world we live in. Speech is indeed free in the West. However, speech is not without consequences. Nonetheless, we must refuse to give in to the terrorist and speak out when we see injustice. For if we do not, the terrorists will have won.

Today, we are all Parisians, just like on 9/11 we were all New Yorkers. I will leave you with a quote for the French author and philosopher Voltaire, "I may not agree with what you have to say. However, I will defend to the death your right to say it."