Ebb and Flow
So, recently a teaching colleague convinced me to participate in the Slice of Life month of blogging, March 2015. It didn’t take much convincing. I am a new teacher and one of the newest staff members at a middle school. I believe passionately in modeling for my students the use and mastery of the skills I teach. So, I leapt at the chance.
But, when I dug into blogging a bit more I learned I have had a blog since 2009, http://speakingslowly-oicurcrazy2.blogspot.com/. I was gob smacked. Once I saw my one and only blog post I was teleported back in time to a lonely and aimless summer when I participated in a free class at our public library teaching how to blog. I promise to do a better job of blogging this time, at least for the 31 days of March.
As I read my previous post, I was humbled and grateful for the progress in my life since summer 2009. At that time I had a newly minted teaching license that I doubted I would ever get to use. The town I live in has a limited number of teaching positions and those few have little turn-over. But I have successfully worked in education, added to my skills and resume, and as of seven months ago, become a staff member at a local middle school.
But in every life, a little rain must fall. I grew up quite a bit since 2009. My mother became ill, requiring numerous hospitalizations and surgeries. For the first time in my life I saw how fragile my parents are. My intellect has always understood that my parents and I are aging and not immortal. But now I have heard the quiet only a hospital room contains. Now I have seen the pain and fear on a loved one’s face right before they wheel her into surgery. While I am grateful to say I still have both of my parents and we are closer than ever, I am much more conscious of how fleeting the times with family can be. To quote Gretchen Rubin, “The days are long but the years are short.” So go hug somebody you love, will ya?
Thank you for that powerful paragraph. You captures so well some of the difficult moments that come to all of us when a loved one is aging or needs surgery, and the reminders we get to cherish our family and treasure the moments, since as the quote points out, while days of care giving can seem so long, the years will be too short, no matter how many there are.
ReplyDeleteWelcome to the Slice of Life challenge! I think you will really enjoy it! And how fun to learn that you already had a blog waiting. I love the Gretchen Rubin quote- definitely some big truth there!
ReplyDeleteThis one sentence stuck out to me: But now I have heard the quiet only a hospital room contains. It's very powerful.
ReplyDeleteI have written a bit on my own blog about my mother aging and how hard it is to accept. She is in good health, but still, I have empathy for you here. I get it.
I'm glad you jumped in - we need more teachers like you. Welcome to our community!
I was just talking to my husband today about how quickly time flies. A neighbor just moved out today and it was crazy to think about all that has happened in the past few years. We've had three neighbors go through pretty significant life changes and move away...it feels like just yesterday they all lived here and we would sit and chat in our driveways on warm summer nights. It's a reminder that life is fleeting and that we should be sure to hug those people we love. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteIt is nice when we circle back. Life is precious, indeed.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad that we can be rookie slicers together. I appreciated your comment, "I have heard the quiet only a hospital room contains." That quiet that is most unsettling to me. The quiet that is the subject of my nightmares. I am reminded to fill each day with love and laughter, tenderness and concern, fun and adventure. Thank you.
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