Posts Tagged ‘Jeannette’

“Grandchildren are treasures! Merry Christmas!” – Doc & Jeannette Meek

Tuesday, December 25, 2012. Today I am grateful for friends, spouses, significant others, children and grandchildren. And good good memories! – Doc Meek 

Here is a treasured letter I received from one of my grown sons (“All growed up”):

Dear Dad,

Christmas is here again [2012].
I am sitting here, alone yet surrounded, and I think I have some thoughts to pass on. Take them for what they are worth:
(1) Make a big deal about holidays & birthdays.
(2) Give children/grandchildren your unconditional love and support — and at least one big squeeze of a bear hug each time you first see each other.
(3) Play with your children and grandchildren when they are young, regardless of your differences with anyone.
(4) Sing to your children/grandchildren — [even if it’s torture to listen to you wreck perfectly good music]. 😮
(5) Share a laugh when kids make a mistake or spill something. I haven’t yet met anyone who hasn’t spilled something or made a mistake.
(6) Have patience. You will never look back on life and think you were too patient, but the opposite is not so true.
(7) Make your child’s favorite food, from scratch… no matter the inconvenience. Do it often!
(8) Create special family traditions that can be continued for generations, even if you have to be the first generation to do it.
One day all children will spend important moments without you, and he or she will look back and remember everything… and that will be all they have. I’m doing this today.
Love,
Your Son
……………
Thank you, Son! You’ve made my day, in many more ways than one!
.
Doc Meek, Tues, Dec 25, 2012, South Jordan, Utah, USA

“I was in Tonga as a Learning Specialist.” – Doc Meek

Tuesday, September 13, 2011. Today I am so happy and grateful for my good connections with Tongans and the Kingdom of Tonga in the South Pacific Islands. ~ Doc Meek, Neurological Learning Specialist

Beautiful Tongan sunset

Tonga Sunset

Tongan sunset image from:

http://photo_artist.webs.com/apps/photos/photo?photoid=6231056

Watch a gentle Tongan sunset-time video at this link below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKbnBHlUM4M

Lucky me! I got to see the Tongan culture and lifestyle first-hand, and for more than two years, thank heaven!

I was appointed as an Adjunct Professor of Education out of BYU-H (Brigham Young University-Hawaii) in 1999,  and sent to the Kingdom of Tonga with my beloved wife Jeannette. Both of us were appointed to participate in the ITEP (International Teacher Education Program) sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The teachers and students and the administrators all worked together to raise the student achievement dramatically.

Way to go Tonga educators!

They helped the students get higher marks and they also helped them change attitudes, behaviors, and cooperation with other students and teachers.

The results? Happier students and healthier students (and wealthier students, wealthy of mind). 😮

They took the meaning of active learning beyond expectations.

And they took my “heads-hearts-hands-hope” inclusivity to a new high.

The Tongans taught me more than I taught them.

Tongans are generous of heart and mind, non-judgmental, and they loved and respected me.

And Tongans loved and respected my wife Jeannette even more.

Naturally! She’s better looking than I am! 🙂

And we loved and respected Tongans.

Forever.

Jeannette was a real hit with the students and their parents. She directed a 150-voice Tongan choir, mostly youth, and learned to appreciate the saying, “When Tongans sing, the angels sing with them.”

Tongans can sing 7-part harmony a capella, with ease and grace.

And they can dance too! Sometimes wildly. 😮 Wow!

Jeannette also taught an English class for young adults who had all failed to pass their “big English Test” in high school. Thus their gateway to higher education was closed to them (at least in their minds, and in the minds of their parents).

Permanent “doom.”  No hope.

Until Jeannette showed up and pointed out (dramatically):

“I don’t care how others have graded you. I am going to grade you up!”

She added (as some of the students thought this palangi [Caucasian] teacher might give them all an easy “pass”):

“We are going to study and write that exam again; then we are going to study and write that exam again; and then we are going to study and write that exam again!”

The students were stunned.

The thought of writing that dreaded exam again and again was not part of the cultural norm at that time.

If you flunked, you flunked. That was it. You were an “educational failure for life.”

Jeannette faithfully taught a class of 32 students (who came from far and wide when they heard about her famous English class).

Twenty-eight (28) went on to higher education. And the rest carried their newly-found self-confidence into other great opportunities.

We are forever grateful to the first student in Jeannette’s class: Uini, whose dear father asked Jeannette if she would help his daughter with English.

Thank you Tongans for the greatest two years in any land!

A special salute to the parents and teachers and students and administrators in all the Tongan Islands.

And a dozen “high fives” for Mele Taumoepeau, who was Principal of Liahona High School on Tongatapu during my time in the Kingdom of Tonga.

Mele made the hard work sing! Thank you, Mele!

Kindness, Doc

Doc Meek, Tues, September 13, 2011, Sherwood Park, Alberta, CANADA

P.S. My beloved wife Jeannette is now building her new health and wellness business, which is giving new hope and health and wellness to people with heart disease and diabetes:

http://www.amiraclemolecule.com/themeekteam

“Healthy brain needs healthy heart.” ~ Doc Meek

Click on image to enlarge; image from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heart

Friday, February 18, 2011. Today I am grateful for those who know that good brain health requires good heart health. Such a one is my wife Jeannette. She says:

“For brain health, ensure heart health” (short video):

http://www.amiraclemolecule.com/themeekteam

More on heart health http://www.themeekteam.info

Ph (801) 971-1812 (Jeannette); Fax [801] 282-6026

Than you Jeannette for reminding us to watch our heart health if we want to ensure good brain health!

Doc Meek, Fri, Feb 18, 2011, Sherwood Park, Alberta, CANADA

“It’s Valentine’s Day, eh?” ~ Doc Meek

Monday, February 14, 2011. Today I am grateful for my romantic sweetheart, my spouse, Jeannette! ~ Doc Meek

Image from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affection

Valentine’s Day

File:Victorian-valentines-cards-two-cherubs-red-hearts.jpg

Victorian Valentine’s Card
Also called Saint Valentine‘s Day
Valentine’s
Observed by Many countries
Type Cultural, Christian, commercial
Significance Love and affection celebrated between lovers
Date February 14
Observances Sending greeting cards and gifts, dating

Image/text above from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valentine’s_Day

Doc Meek, Mon, Feb 14, 2011, Sherwood Park, Alberta, CANADA

P.S. “Get Happy” Video, with a “Celestial” Valentine Heart at the end. 😮

From Abraham-Hicks Publications
Click here to watch video clip on Get Happy!Get Happy