So I’m in my kitchen on Sunday making what feels like the thousandth batch of Christmas cookies I’ve made so far this year, and turning up the local Christmas music station to try to stave off the holiday blues, yelling along DO YOU HEAR WHAT I HEAR and generally annoying the hell out of the longest-suffering husband on the planet, and this sticks in my throat:

Said the king to the people everywhere
Listen to what I say
Pray for peace people everywhere

Because it’s not enough to pray for peace, where prayer means mouthing words in pews. It’s not enough to wish for the best for this world. It’s not enough to take ten minutes every year for goodwill to all. You live it every day, as best you can. It’s cold out right now, and dark, and TV’s telling us to buy everything and decorate everything and also to be more thoughtful about what really matters, and it’s enough to drive you batty.

So what I do, in these situations, is find something to fix. We’ve sent care packages overseas and collected coats and brought one another some holiday cheer in the past. And because the TV news has forgotten let’s remember large parts of this country recently got flattened and they need help, so let’s help:

My Students: We have finally started school again Hurricane Sandy destroyed our community in Far Rockaway. Most of our students and many of our teachers lost everything. I want to do anything I can to try to improve their lives right now, even if it’s more opportunities and resources in their classrooms.

Music is a skill and a passion that a child can take pride in for the rest of his or her life. It is time for our students to experience the power and joy that music can have in their lives.

Our school is a Title I elementary school with a culturally diverse student community. Our little scholars have not had music in their lives for over two years, and we are struggling to provide them everything they deserve. They are creative and bright students who crave music and the varieties of activities it can bring with it.

My Project: My students need a printer, ink cartridges, and paper for basic supplies in our classroom. The printer will be used to print student work, worksheets, and pictures to display in the room. We have shows coming up and the printer can be used to make programs and print accessories. The ink will be used to maintain the printer throughout the school year. Lastly, the paper will be used to print on.

Let’s give this classroom what they need so they can start off 2013 just a little less needy. Let’s adopt PS197 Ocean School, and help clean up what the hurricane destroyed, andmake peace and joy happen.

A.