I feel it is necessary to start this blog post by addressing
my lack of writing over the summer. I find it difficult to find my creativity during
the summer: I become uninspired when the heat outside is oppressive, I
experience a serious dip in productivity, and to be honest, I become a fairly
grumpy person. (Yes, I am working on that
– I know grumpy is not a good look). It
is still hot outside and shows no signs of letting up anytime soon, but I have
gone back to work and that has given me the spark I needed to get back to the
craft of blog writing.
And my work is where I want to start. I work in an elementary school. And over the past few weeks as we have
prepared for students and conquered our first week of school being in session, I
have been overwhelmed by the number of things that have popped into my head as
ideas for blog posts. But I want to
start with my favorite subject: gratitude.
I have been bombarded in the last few weeks with moments
that have brought gratitude bubbling to the surface in my heart. There are the easy ones: that I have a job,
that I work with an amazing group of people, or that I get to be close to my
own children throughout the day. But
there are some moments in an elementary school that come at me subtly, quietly,
and without any fanfare. They happen
organically and quickly; and they can easily pass me by without an
understanding of their power in the moment.
These are the moments that I reflect on at the end of the
day. These are the moments that I remember
when I realize that while I am exhausted, I am not empty. These are the moments that keep me filled up
and ready to pour out all the love and energy that somehow is being replenished
without notice.
It is the second grader who stops every time he sees me to
give me a hug. It is the third grader
who replies to my queries with “school is awesome”. It is the co-workers who smile at 7:15 every
morning even though it has been crazy hectic at their house since 4 am. It is all the kindergarten students who are
so excited about learning activities that it shows on their tiny cherub
faces. It is first graders who look so
big since the last time I saw them in May.
It is fourth graders who are coming into their own, really stretching their
personalities, embracing their last year of elementary school. It is moms and dads who wear a look of trust
and peace on their faces because they know that leaving their children at our
school will not only bring to their babies an education from books, but also
life skills and love; so much love. It
is the electric atmosphere that occurs when so many talented educators come
together to help create a brighter future for hundreds of growing minds.
It is every single moment that fills my days for which I am grateful. Because, truth be told, I get so much more
from my job than I could ever give to it.
And that fact is not lost on me.
I am filled with gratitude for all those moments and for all the people,
grown and growing, that I get to spend my days with.
It is my intention that my gratitude will be evident in all that I do, for this school year and beyond. It is my intention that I pay attention to how blessed I am to be where I am and that recognition of my personal blessings will spill over so that I may be a blessing to others. So, for my first blog post back from hiatus, I really only have one thing to say; and that is THANK YOU!
