A Time for Sharing: July

Tom Hunter

For information about Tom Hunter, his ideas, and his music, visit www.tomhunter.com.

Tom Hunter left all of us a legacy of celebration, music, compassion and giving to our communities. Throughout his lifetime, Tom worked with people of all ages and backgrounds to teach new ways of learning and living. We all are committed to "keeping it going" by remembering his smile and his music and his voice.

There was a tremendous outpouring of support for the Hunters during this transition, and the family is deeply grateful.

TOM'S HEALTH

Tom Hunter was diagnosed on May 20, 2008 with Creutzfeldt-Jacob Disease and died on June 20, 2008.

On September 2, 2008, a letter from the National Prion Disease Pathology Research Center confirmed that Tom had what's called 'sporadic CJD' (sCJD). His was an extremely rare type of sCJD that one in 4.5 million people are diagnosed with annually. We're very grateful that he did not have the inherited form, but it's critically important that a cure for all forms of CJD (caused by scrapy proteins in the brain which can take up to 40 years to manifest and kill their victims) are found. All forms of CJD are fatal.

The most accurate and up-to-date site for learning about CJD and supporting efforts to find a cure is http://www.cjdfoundation.org/ .

DONATIONS

Please help provide financial support by sending whatever you can. We are hoping for lots of $25. hugs- or whatever works for you - to help the Hunters with medical and transition expenses. They also want to protect the wetlands, forest and farm* that have seen so much of their love over the years and to help keep Tom's work alive in the world. (*Contributions given specifically for the mortgage have been moved with overwhelming gratitude to the new Tom Hunter Memorial Account described above.) If you wish to make a donation please make checks payable to Tom Hunter Family Donation (or to Tom Hunter Memorial Account) and mail to:

Whatcom Educational Credit Union
PO Box 9750
Bellingham, WA 98227

If you'd prefer to donate safely and securely using your credit/debit card, use this button:

COMMENTS and HOW TO HELP

To leave a comment for Tom and his family please scroll to the bottom of this page, and then come back up to today's date on the left side. Click on "comments" and leave your message in the box on the right side of the comments page. Your comment will not show up immediately as all comments go through the postmaster. They will be posted as soon as possible. If your comment is not posted within 24 hours please contact the postmaster at tomhunterblog@gmail.com

There are many ways to help. Please click on www.tomhuntersupport.blogspot.com under Music, Meals, Flowers, Yard Work, Farm Work below or look for the How to Help section opposite the daily comments on the right side of the blog towards the bottom.

Words from Tom's Dad

May 26
Somebody noticed what you did today
Somebody noticed little things along the way
How you watched how you listened to what children do and say;
Somebody noticed what you've done alway
'Tis grace has brought us safe thus far,
And grace will lead us home.

May 29
And the Angels took care of him.

May 31st
The Lord bless and keep you. The Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you. The Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you, your family, the city of Bellingham, and the world, peace-- both now and forevermore. Amen

For my dad
May 20, 2008

Here I sit, feeling my feet on the floor
An image of grounding you’ve used lots before
Trying to make sense of this surreal, difficult time
While loving where I came from with infinite pride

It’s been amazing how many lines from your songs
Have been lights in the darkness when it all feels wrong
Have comforted, questioned, been profound and fun
Your capacity for humanity is second to none

This world is a better place because of who you are
And that’s known widely – near and far
In music, education, and matters of the heart
You’ve bettered lives right from the start

I’m so proud of you, of where I’ve come from
You’re a huge part of me and have taught me a ton
About being human, love, laughter, and tears
And how to keep going despite life’s fears

Please don’t worry about the rest of us
We’ll take care of each other and will always feel your touch
Your laughter, music, compassion, and voice
Will always be with us in the midst of life’s noise

So here I sit, feeling my feet on the floor
With love and gratitude deep down in my core
I’m so grateful for the time we have had
You’ll always be my mentor, my best friend, my dad.

-Aeden

Laugh Lines

i’ve always loved your laugh lines,
the way you smile ear to ear
and you always have this easy way
of crushing any fears.
we’ve shared so much so far in life
and i’m so proud and glad
that i can say with confidence
i have the very best dad.

from raspberries to hasty moves
and the cutting edge again?!
to times when you have comforted me
over troubles with my friends.
you know how to relieve the weird feelings
when things don’t feel quite right
you let me put them in your hands
and throw them into the night.

we’ve shared trees against the sky
and books, poems, songs and walks
you taught me respect by looking again
and i’ve always loved our talks.
from dream stories to lake padden eagles
and coloring outside the lines
i can say with ease and confidence
you have the most lovely mind.

i remember all those wakeful nights
and running down the hall
you and mom sang lullabies
and sound asleep i’d fall.
i’m your goofball now—
i’ll always be whether we’re near or far
i’ll hold you close in who i am
no matter where we are.

i know it’s getting harder
to take in this fantastic world
just know i love you—i always will—
as daddy’s little girl.

Irene

"I've been visiting schools to sing songs for almost 30 years. I've been in a lot of classrooms, presented a lot of workshops, talked with a lot of teachers, and sat on a lot of floors with kids. If I bring reminders of what's important in education, they come from finding those moments when the heart shows up, moments that peek around the corner and need to be invited farther into the room so we can see them. Such moments might seem ordinary but they are way too important to be captured in test scores. They fill teachers (and sometimes children) to overflowing."

Quoted from Tom's introduction to his book of essays : "Visits to the Heart of Education: Remembering What's Important" (available from Song Growing Company - see link below)

Clarification -- How to Comment

To comment, please click on the "comments" button below todays date. On the comment page - please write your comment in the box on the right side of the page and then sign your first and last name. Your posting will go through the postmaster - and will be put on the blog as soon as possible. To read comments from others, click on "comment" and read the left side of the page. Thanks
If you have questions about the blog or if this does not work for you -- send your message to the postmaster at: tomhunterblog@gmail.com and it will be posted for you.

Sunday, July 13, 2008

July

14 comments:

Anonymous said...: Thank you, Irene, for continuing to write and let us all know how you're feeling. It was incredible to be able to spend time with you at Teachers' Camp last week and exciting to think of you being part of it again. What a pleasant surprise to have those 5 days turn out the way they did!
I want to be careful what I say because "what happens at camp stays at camp." I was just thinking about all the times we spontaneously burst into song, like when a person had to leave and we sang, "Goodbye ___, goodbye ____, goodbye ___ we're sad to see you go." Or during the fire "drill" when we stood out in the dark night looking at the moon and sang, "Shine On Silver Moon." That desire and ability to find a song to fit the moment is one I want more kids to experience. Not just in my own classroom but beyond.
I think Margie summed up nicely many of the things that Tom has been telling and demonstrating to us for years. My list of how to keep it going is still milling around in my head. It's motivating to know that there are people who have already figured some of that out and I'm going to be deliberate about identifying specifically what it means to me.
Irene, there were several times at camp that I thought Tom would walk in the room at any moment. I would forget, briefly, and imagine that I heard him or caught a glimpse of him out of the corner of my eye. He has been so much a part of camp it was very natural to think of him there.
So now you begin another part of this journey and I know you'll find your own way through it. You have a most amazing family and community support and all the wisdom you received from Tom over the years. I hope you're able to find the time for yourself that you need.
Much love,
Debbie; July 16, 2008 at 11:17 PM
Anonymous said...: Dear Irene,

There is no skipping the stages of grief. At first you are so busy taking care of your loved one, then there are all the details, when it finally gets quiet it hits that it is real. I'm still stuck somewhere between denial and anger. It too think he's just on a trip and will be back soon then I realize that's not the case and I'm angry because it's not fair that such bad things happen to such good people. I'm looking forward to acceptance and feeling whole and bathed in the love and wisdom your Dad gave me. I think time for yourself is a smart idea.
I love the picture of Tom, in the purple shirt looking up to the left grinning-that was taken at my house on our last day care reunion -that's how I always think of your Dad, twinkling eyes, a big grin, actively engaged in listening or telling a story.

I have another Mary Oliver poem for you

Wild Geese

You do not have to be good
You do not have to walk on your knees
for a 100 miles through the desert repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal in your body love what it loves.
Tell me about despair, yours and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the sun & the clear pebbles of the rain
are moving across the landscape,
over the praries & the deep trees,
the mountains & the rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clear blue air,
are heading home again.
Whoever you are, on matter how lonely,
The world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh & exciting-
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.

Love, Linda B; July 17, 2008 at 10:14 AM
Anonymous said...: Dear Irene (and all)~
That Mary Oliver poem is one that Tom had shared at camp with us and seems so timely. You and I have had conversations about this very thing...that there is no shortcut through grief, that the only way through is indeed slogging through the thick of it until the going gets easier, somewhere on the other side. May it help to remember that you are not alone (that others are here to help pull you through when it seems to threaten to swallow you up) and that you are stronger than you could ever imagine.
Debbie is so right that breaking into spontaneous song was a wonderful surprise we inspired in one another while together...and I have a feeling we will continue to inspire our "camp selves" to surface more often in the days to come! Staying connected in our real lives will take effort but I know it can be done and the rewards will be many~ As Marla said at the sing this weekend, this blog has become a virtual community that helps us all feel a bit stronger and connected to something bigger than our own grief! Whoever is keeping this blog going now (Sue, Irene?)...thank you from all of us who need that connection! With love and gratitude~Billie; July 17, 2008 at 12:49 PM
Robin said...: Dear Hunter Family,
I’m sure there are thousands of stories like mine, but almost a month after Tom’s passing it is still hard to find the words and say what is really in my heart, yet not to try seems selfish, so here goes.

I first met Tom at a NAEYC Conference in New Orleans. It was my very first conference like this and I was determined to see one of my “gurus” in Early Childhood, Bev Bos. I had been warned about getting there early to get a seat because the popular presenters like her fill up fast. So I got there really early, like more than an hour early in this theater that would easily hold three or four thousand people and took a seat in the third row. There were these two guys hanging out and talking on the stage. I later learned one was Michael Leeman and the other was of course none other than Tom Hunter. I sat reading my conference program planning the rest of my afternoon, some long while later the place is filling up and I look up and there’s Tom wearing his guitar and leaning over the rows in front of me, “Hey what’s your name? (Robin) Where are you from? (Vermont)” Our conversation was very brief, mostly we exchanged pleasantries and then Bev walked in and not long after that it was time for the presentation to start. Tom looks at Bev and Michael and says, “I’ve got one to start with. Let’s do We’ve Been Waiting for You, because some of us like Robin have been waiting here for a really long time.”

In a crowd of four thousand people at a conference with twenty four thousand more, Tom made me feel special. So I went to see and hear Bev, but I came away a Tom Hunter fan too. A couple evenings later the conference was winding down and I was with some colleagues at a little Cajun café. And as we are finishing our meal Bev, Michael, and Tom walked in. They sat several tables away and I being a star struck groupie – I mean it’s BEV BOS – for goodness sake, wanted to respect their privacy, but also appreciate their work so I asked the waitress to send over beverages with my compliments. They raise a toast and I smile and wave in acknowledgement. My friends and I are getting ready to leave and who comes over but Tom and Michael they are both sporting Ace Hardware flashlights and doing this funny routine sneaking from table to table shining the flashlights on other tables and customers and their plates on the way over. Michael presents me with his yellow flashlight and says, “Keep letting your light shine.” Tom presents me with his blue flashlight and says “Keep it going.” (Now just what on earth do you suppose they were doing walking around downtown New Orleans with Ace Hardware flashlights? I’m sure that is another story.)

In the years to come I made it a point to add any workshops and presentations given by Tom at NAEYC to my must see list. His message and his music inspired me to pick up my guitar and play and sing more with my preschoolers – I’m really not that good, but the beauty is they don’t know that.

At my last NAEYC Conference in 2006 I had the honor of being invited to a conference party that Tom also attended. We got to chatting and I shared a couple of stories about how his work and his music had touched my work over the years. How one day in my classroom I was sitting at a table painting with about six kids and just started singing “I am One Voice.” I was just singing with the six children at the table, but from way over on the other side of the classroom one of the four year olds came over after the song was finished and put her hand on my shoulder, she said to me, “Isn’t it great Robin that we are never alone?” I told him another story about my other four year old friend who remarked after hearing the “Memories” song on the CD, “I wish that song would never end. I love that if you are feeling bad your brain can reach out and take your heart by the hand.”

His work and his life made a difference. His work and his life will keep making a difference. He had and gave so many gifts. I mentioned that in a crowd of four thousand he made me feel special, but it was more than that. He was a person who listened not just with his ears, but with his heart too. He was a person who listened so carefully that it seemed like what you had to say mattered, really mattered. After sharing my stories with him at the party he clapped his hands to his chest and patted his heart as though I was the one who had given him the gift even though it was the other way around. I have now inscribed “Keep it Going!” on my blue Ace Hardware flashlight in permanent black marker and it holds an important place and reminder to me to “keep it going” especially when times get hard. I will remember that “we are never alone,” and that truly his song will never end.

Sending you all love and light,
Robin Ploof; July 17, 2008 at 1:10 PM
Robin Douglas said...: Billie called last night and one of the first things we talked about is that we are both campsick. We've only been apart for a few days, but I miss all your faces, the hugs and the singing...Debbie, we kept the ritual going in the days after we left Bellingham, singing to each person as they went to the airport. Back in my office now, I'm a little at loose ends, can't seem to settle down to work despite sooo much to do. I was blindsided coming back to the blog, my eyes welling up again. I, too, am thinking about how I can keep it going, not just with the kids and families in my program, but with my college students, future teachers. Tom and I had a conversation by e-mail last fall...I had known Tom for over 15 years and over that whole time he spread the same message about the importance of not letting meaningful music slip out of children's lives. Somehow it hadn't dawned on me that the situation had been going on for so long that we now have a whole generation of young teachers who didn't have music as part of their elementary school experience. A chance conversation with a new staff member on campus brought that reality crashing home for me and I had to talk with Tom about it. How can we expect teachers to provide something for children that they never had themselves? Can we make the kind of heartfelt music that Tom created and that we've enjoyed at NWTC meaningful to college students if they didn't grow up with it? I think this is one of the ways I'm going to work on keep it going. I'll be teaching Creative Arts Experiences for Young Children in August and I'm thinking about what I can change in the way I teach the music portion of that class to reach my students at a level where they can understand how much emotional support and comfort is in the music. I like The Wheels on the Bus just as much as the next teacher, but how much comfort does it bring you when you lose a friend?!?! I can feel a rant coming on and here I'm preaching to the choir...Jen and Mike, in case you read this, you were fondly remembered at camp this year in many conversations. We missed you and I hope we'll see you there again. Thank you Gwen, thank you Aeden, thank you Irene, thank you Morgan, thank you Richard, for being part of camp this year - my heart is very full.
Love, Robin; July 18, 2008 at 5:36 PM
Anonymous said...: I write this as I remember back at my last conversation I had with Tom at a conference. He said
"What's your story, We all have a story." My story is about the song that was never written. To Tom and me, this was not a sad story. It started once at a workshop that I attended and he made the comment that he could write a song about anything, just send him a list and he could do it. So my children in my classroom gave me a list of comments about our worm bin and I gave it to Tom the next time I saw him. He laughed and said he would try to compose something. But, every time I would see Tom at other conferences or events after that, he would look at me, laugh out loud, shake his head a bit and rub his beard and say that he just could'nt do it. He said that the list was too precious to make a song out of and said that he carried the list with him in his notebook. The list has to be about 15 years old or more. So if anyone finds a list about worms in Tom's papers, it's about the song that was never written and that's OK. My memories of Toms comments to me about the worm list and song will always bring a smile to my heart.
Susan Dillinger; July 19, 2008 at 2:27 PM
Kbsamuelson said...: Tom Hunter!!! what a strong soul you are and what a loving spirit you have. I remember your smile being just as contagious in real life as a little girl as it is seeing it in photographs now. It has been a long while since I have seen you. A memory I have is when you invited me to come sing on one of your albums as a girl with a group of other kids. Singin was GREAT, but my memory is of you and Gwen singing this song, it was BEAUITFUL. I am going to completely destory the spelling of lyrics here but I am pretty sure it sounds like " Somo salbarto, somo sal mar....We are the ship, we are the sea....I sail in you...you sail in me....." It has been with me, that moment of you two singing together (whatever the words were I know the melody), for about 19 years now. You two will sing together forever in your hearts. The other memory I have is eating dinner with the fam on the back porch (again as a little girl), and you and Gwen introduced me to home grown tomatoes with sugar on top.

God knows all hearts. Yours is so full of life and love. God's gift to you was life, and what you have done with yours has been and is still a magnificent gift back to Him. Thank you for being the wonderful human being that you are, and for making me smile at the music that I danced to as a child. PEACE- Kaasha Samuelson; July 21, 2008 at 12:41 AM
Anonymous said...: Tom’s Guitar

This guitar full of songs
Is wondering where your hands are.
It knows every tune you ever played.
This orphan instrument
Sits quiet in the corner
A sphere of silence round it
As your echoes slowly fade.

The frets are worn more deeply
Where your fingers pressed a million times
In joyful re-creation of
The chords you loved the best
The ghosts of notes you played here
Are inscribed in wood & silver
But they can’t ring out your joyful sound
Or help our hearts to rest.

A lifetime filled with music
This guitar was your partner
It wove a web of harmony
That lifted up your voice
Shaping one another
You reached for hope and beauty
And the power of speaking every truth
That makes the heart rejoice.

Your songs ring from a thousand strings
The world still sings and listens
But the silence of this box made out of wood
Lingers in the corners
Of the hearts that loved you dearly
When Silence spoke the final word
This guitar understood.

Fl!p Breskin; July 21, 2008 at 12:08 PM
Anonymous said...: Happy Birthday Irene!
This birthday will be different than any you have had in the past and it's almost guaranteed that every birthday after this one will be better.
I know this has been a difficult day no matter what the plan was but you got through it.
I wish you could be in the center of the singing circle and surrounded by the love, comfort, and peace you hear in the voices of those singing to you.
I'm sending you my love and birthday hugs. A CD with some music is on it's way to you (via your parent's house). I hope you enjoy it!
Debbie; July 21, 2008 at 9:13 PM
Anonymous said...: I remember the day I heard your father speak and the day I became truly inspired.....I am a young teacher of toddlers who has a firm belief in caring for the whole child and connecting with the families of these children genuinely....it was a Childhood Matters Conference held at Renton Technical College a few years ago where he would be the keynote....I typically do not listen to the keynote but on this day I was told by 2 women I admire that Tom Hunter would "move" me...so I stayed and was intrigued...Tom Hunter spoke and sang and I hung on to his every word and felt it and at the end of it I was balling.....he gave me goosebumps and I was a forever changed teacher/woman/& person! Thank you simply thank you!

Eva Carroll; July 22, 2008 at 1:37 PM
Deb Curtis said...: I found this quote that was apart of an art show that a group of children had prepared in honor of a beloved teacher. I think it is so fitting for all of us holding together around our love of Tom. Thanks to all for continuing to visit and write for the blog. There are fewer but still wonderful words and stories. It is the place I can come to for comfort and celebration.
Deb

It is a deep mystery this matter of life and death.
That same person who brought us a thousands joys, one day leaves us shedding a thousand tears.
So suddenly somtimes that we grope blindly for words left unspoken.
And for the hug we need to give to say good-bye.
And we wonder, how this thread that holds us all to life can be so thin and fragile.
Until one day, we find the courage to accept that the living aren't meant to understand death,
Only to celebrate life,
And to remember that the only real death is forgetting.
Children's School at Quinsigamond Community College; July 25, 2008 at 10:06 AM
Anonymous said...: Dear Gwen, Aeden and Irene,

I know that it must be overwhelming, after all you've been through in the last many months to try and comprehend how deeply and profoundly the four of you are loved by this community and the world. I hope that you can let it seep in, let it reside within you and truly know and feel, that we are ALL holding you.

Love and hugs, Heidi; July 25, 2008 at 3:38 PM
Anonymous said...: Deb Curtis and all~ That poem is so timely...and so true of our connection with Tom. The reason we are feeling this loss so deeply is because we felt the joy so deeply...both having the same strong roots. Remembering is the way we are keeping his spirit alive in the world and will continue to do so in our own ways. I had a conversation with a teacher from VT the other day who had known Tom from conferences and even in that setting, he had managed to make her feel special (he had a gift for that as we all know!)and she posted on the blog about that experience.She said something so true..."even though he is gone, he is still doing what he does best... bringing people together!" Who knows-maybe this teacher will end up at teacher's camp and be welcomed into a whole new community of people who love Tom and what he stands for in the world. I think we are going to continue to be amazed at the strength and reach of this web of human connection that Tom is at the center of and we will help each other through the rough spots. I really like this L.L'Amour quote..."There will come a time when you believe everything is finished...that will be the beginning."
So much love~Billie; July 26, 2008 at 2:41 PM
Deb Curtis said...: My heart keeps breaking for you Irene and your mom and brother. If we all feel this grief so strongly, it is incomprehensibe to me how it must be impacting you. Your writing is so very powerful and I'm grateful you keep opening yourself up and showing the rest of us how to do this hard work.

Thank you for letting us come to your birthday party. I felt as if I was there and you know in preschool being invited to someone's birthday is BIG!

I was thinking today that it is getting near the time when Tom would drive up to my house with guitar in one hand and homemade applesauce in the other as he and Margie and I met to plan our work for NAEYC. I am so profoundly sad at the loss of these times with him, both personally and professionally.

I think that this is just the beginning of the deep hurt of missing him.

Sending my continuing love and support.
Deb; July 31, 2008 at 9:28 AM

Click the link below to read more updates about Tom from his family:

Singing together somewhere in time

Tom Hunter

TOM'S HEALTH

Tom and Gwen

Tom and Aeden

Tom and Irene

DONATIONS

PHOTOS - NOW ON A NEW PAGE

Pictures of Tom, Family and Friends

Singing with friends

Laughing at a story

Tom and Irene

COMMENTS and HOW TO HELP

Music, meals, flowers, yard work & farm work

The Hunter Family

Jeanne Herrick has put many photos from the blog into a beautiful slide show. Click below to watch

Words from Tom's Dad

Tom with the love quilt

Aeden, Tom & Willard Hunter

Tom and Cindy

Aeden and Tom, April '08

Irene and Tom last summer

May 22, 2008 After baptizing little Maddie

To My Old Brown Earth by Pete Seeger

May 22, 2008 At the Shepherd's

Tom in his backyard Labor Day 03

Northwest Teachers Camp

Photos

Clarification -- How to Comment

Sunday, July 13, 2008

July

14 comments:

May Your Life be Filled with Love, Dec. 22, 2009

Ramblings from Gwen, 6-13-09

Belated Thank Yous

October 24, 2008, proclaimed "TOM HUNTER DAY -- A DAY FOR SINGING!" by Governor Christine Gregoire

A REQUEST FROM THE HUNTERS

A July Gift

From Gwen

THANK YOU....

MUSIC FOR THE HUNTER FAMILY

MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR TOM

From Gwen, Aeden, & Irene

June 2008

From Gwen Hunter June 16, 2008

Dear Gwen,

Tom with Jenna, Allegra, Erin and Boone

Tom and Richard at N.W. Teachers Camp 04

Brother Bill and Tom singing songs

Brother Bill, Dad and Tom

Winter Wonderland

Tom, Helen and Richard

The "When" Prayer

A Gift to the Hunter Family

How To Help

Support Link for the Hunters

To Help with Food and Flowers please click on the calendar link below

To Order Tom's Music and book - please click below

Cards and Letters

PHOTOS?????

Photos of Tom, Family and Friends

A Song for Tom by Judy B

Blog Archive

Tom was honored by San Francisco's KGO Radio on Sunday June 8th

Click below to listen to KGO radio on Sunday