A Pause for a Breath

Picture yourself running with all you've got. Now imagine that you've reached the end of the run, and you're standing there trying to catch your breath and trying to find a place to sit and rest for a minute to recover.

It's been a while since I posted, but since then I've made it through the last legs of a race, took time to catch my breath, and have mostly recovered. The month of May was filled with the ending of my first year of teaching, a trip to MN, enjoying some time doing nothing, and company coming into town. There were many wonderful opportunities to rest a little after a rapid race that went on since...well, I guess it feels like it was that way since before I moved. 

This is the very first true summer break in a few years...no classes to take, no moving...and it's glorious so far. 

Things on the agenda for this summer include: 

- Traveling to places near and far. 

- Adventuring. 

- Bike riding. LOTS. 

- Photography work. 

- Creating things. 

- Revamping classroom things/lessons. 

- Catching up with many people whom it's been WAY TOO LONG since I've gotten to talk to. 

Goodness, I'm excited...

Sometimes God Whispers His Love

...through the cold, wet nose-touch that precedes the lapping tongue of dog-kisses.

...in the inexplicably random urge a kindergartener has to encourage the 17 bodies surrounding him to smother the teacher in a group hug.

...through the quiet voice of a child whose words reassure the teacher that something went right after all (despite it feeling like a depressing flop).

...in the way two sets of arms fit perfectly into the kind of blissful hug that makes the world melt away.

...through the colors in the sky as the sun starts sinking.

...in the mounting stillness of the night as less and less people are awake, as even the dogs doze for the night.

...through the passing days full of lessons, growing knowledge, and things coming together beautifully.

Another Summer Project

This is going on the list of things I am going to do with the summer.

...because the big blocks were the most awesome thing in the classroom aside from Mrs. Z.

 

Powerful Words

Oh, hi there. I'm resurfacing for a little while because of a video a friend shared on Facebook.

This is one of those that I plan on watching over and over again, especially on days where I feel like what I'm doing doesn't matter or is doing more harm than good. 

If you work with kids, have kids, or just love kids....this video is for you, too. 

Spring Cleaning

It's tough to ignore the writer within demanding time to slow down and truly contemplate things, savoring them until they dissolve into some semblance of meaning. 

Ideas have been rolling around in my head. 

Words are threatening to spill out of me whether I want them to or not. 

My mind has gotten too crowded to hold the must-dos and to-dos and need-tos and want-tos and should-dos while these ideas pile up unused. 

I not only want to write, I need to. 

My head can't handle it when I don't. 

And neither can my attention span. 

Or, truth be told, my heart.

I could claim that life has kept me too busy or shape some other excuse, but the reality is that words can be powerful, sometimes too much so. Within them can lie some truths we don't want to face, possibilities we don't want to consider, or stories we just aren't ready to revisit. Writing challenges us to look reality square in the eye and examine it boldly. Honestly, it takes guts sometimes, and sometimes I lack them. 

I'm challenging myself to get back in the habit of squaring my shoulders, anchoring my feet, and holding my chin high as I look life in the face and consider all it has to offer. 

I'm done holding so much in...it's time to open up and free up some space in this head of mine again. 

Nebraska Fans to the Core

Scene: A kindergarten classroom where the teacher is reading a book about the Easter story to the kiddos.

Students: What does "victorious" mean?

Me: Well, think about a football game. What's Miss M's favorite team?
Students: The Huskers.
Me: What's Miss M's other favorite football team?
Students' Various Answers:
The Corn...Huskers?
Nebraska Huskers?
Nebraska Cornhuskers?
Me: What team do I tell you is why I always put blue and orange together, guys?
Students: Ummm....
Me: (sigh) The CHICAGO BEARS!
Students: OHHHH.

The scene continued with me using the Bears playing against the Huskers to explain "victorious."

Oh, they make me laugh so much sometimes. I love them. :)

The Aching Truth

The truths begin trickling in, but soon the tiny stream is a rushing, raging river welling up. It slams into the walls of realizations.

She is paralyzed by the forces at work within, powerless to stop them, so she allows them to well up and escape her lips.

She isn't quite sure how much time has passed, but she notices after a while that the rush has begun to slow down. Soon it has become little more than an occasional drop.

She inhales fully, comfortably, peacefully, and begins to move forward.