The “jingles” of Madison Avenue stick with us either because they resonate with our ear, with our heart, or with both. The now old telephone message, “reach out and touch someone,” or its updated version, “Reaching Out” (a la Foxcroft’s 2006-07 leadership theme) underscores Donne’s No Man Is An Island (1624), Friedman’s The World Is Flat (2005), and/or Charlotte Noland’s “to whom much is given, much is expected.” (1914). While this magazine defines “reaching out” in a myriad of ways, my focus remains the heart—the “touching someone.”

A recent moment in time unexpectedly and profoundly affected every fiber in my being. Yes, I was proud of my seniors for last spring’s walkathon that raised $15,343 to build a school in Malawi. Yes, I was proud that Malawi’s Ambassador Bernard Sande had recognized their yeoman efforts and had come to walk with them — a powerful gesture on several levels. Yes, I knew the Bishop of Northern Malawi, Christopher Boyle, was coming to say a personal thank you. Knowing and experiencing, however, are light years apart, and reminiscent of Mark Twain’s: “The difference between the right word and the almost-right word is the difference between the lightning and the lightning-bug.”

In modeling “reaching out,” the Bishop illustrated the full circle of caring. Yes, the dollars sent to Malawi will transform the lives of children there, and yes, the Bishop’s F-O-X-C-R-O-F-T message (see box below) changed our lives. Does one receive more than one gives? May one receive without giving? These questions represented the subsequent lunch conversations and created a platform for each member of this community to share her personal reaching out. The volume and variety of those personal tales, some of which follow herein, honor the expectations of our founder and, even more importantly, embrace a shared humanity. All—from a moment in time!

“The heart is a muscle, and muscles must be exercised,” says Assistant Head of School Sheila McKibbin. The connective tissue generated by that heart exercise transforms lives and feeds souls. What truth lies in the old adage “life is not measured by the breaths we take, rather by the moments that take our breath away!”

MLL


The Bishop’s Words
Bishop Boyle shared this Foxcroft acrostic in Morning Meeting on January 17, 2007.

F is for Fabulous. That’s what your Walkathon effort was.
O is for Opportunity. I’m delighted to have this opportunity to be here to thank you.
X is for Xenophobia. Xenophobia is a great fear of foreigners and you have shown me there is no xenophobia at Foxcroft.
C is for Change. You have changed the lives of hundreds of students for years to come.
R is for Responsibility. It’s easy to say that someone else can do it. You have said, ‘The responsibility is ours.”
O is for Offered. …You offered yourselves -- and that makes a difference, because most change in the world is made with lives, not with words.
F is for Friendship. You have offered us a lasting, sustained friendship that is deep and real.
T is for Thank You. … On behalf of the 1.2 million people in Northern Malawi, I say Zikomo kwambiri (Thank you very, very much, indeed) to you.