This morning my 8th grade students and I are completing videos for a Bon Jovi contest on the Animoto website. Here is my entry... Enjoy!
Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Everybody Hurts... Sometimes
You know, I've been connected to a lot of hurting this past year or so. Not all situations have been something that directly affected my immediate family, but all are things that have weighed on my heart and soul: the declining health and eventual passing of John's grandfather, the enormous responsibility of moving his grandmother to a nursing home, the tragic loss of a seventh-grade student, the unexpected death of a close friend's father, the heartbreaking end of a few marriages, the difficult loss of many friends' jobs, and the sudden illness and death of my former students' father.
Regardless of whether or not these incidents involved my family, all of this hurt has really weighed on me. I really haven't admitted it until today, but I've been in a slump lately. I wouldn't say that I'm depressed, but I definitely haven't been my usual self. All this hurt has really gotten to me. I guess you could say that it has made me be more aware of my own mortality. You could say without a doubt that it has contributed to another step in my maturity.
So... what am I to do? I know I'll face difficult days, decisions, and deaths in the days, months, and years to come. That can't be helped, so I must accept the fact that I won't be placed in a situation that I can't handle. However, in the meantime, I guess I must enjoy my life's blessings on a daily basis: my family and my friends, my health and my home, my job and my joys.
I need to delight in Max's growth into a young man, and sometimes I need to put down the camera and join in the action. I need to never take for granted John's friendship, and I need to sustain the spark that brought us together when we were still in our teens. I need to keep my family and friends close at heart if not close in miles, making sure that I tell them how important they are in my life. I need to strive to let my students know how much they mean to me, how proud I am of their accomplishments no matter how big or small, and how dedicated I am to their success in and out of the classroom.
And as for myself, I need to focus on my personal goals, my dreams, my bucket list. I need to remember who I am and what I want for myself in life... And then I need to go and get it.
Basically, I need to live, love, and laugh as much as possible. And I need to have faith that my presence on this Earth has meaning... And that I am doing everything in my power to accomplish that meaning.
Regardless of whether or not these incidents involved my family, all of this hurt has really weighed on me. I really haven't admitted it until today, but I've been in a slump lately. I wouldn't say that I'm depressed, but I definitely haven't been my usual self. All this hurt has really gotten to me. I guess you could say that it has made me be more aware of my own mortality. You could say without a doubt that it has contributed to another step in my maturity.
So... what am I to do? I know I'll face difficult days, decisions, and deaths in the days, months, and years to come. That can't be helped, so I must accept the fact that I won't be placed in a situation that I can't handle. However, in the meantime, I guess I must enjoy my life's blessings on a daily basis: my family and my friends, my health and my home, my job and my joys.
I need to delight in Max's growth into a young man, and sometimes I need to put down the camera and join in the action. I need to never take for granted John's friendship, and I need to sustain the spark that brought us together when we were still in our teens. I need to keep my family and friends close at heart if not close in miles, making sure that I tell them how important they are in my life. I need to strive to let my students know how much they mean to me, how proud I am of their accomplishments no matter how big or small, and how dedicated I am to their success in and out of the classroom.
And as for myself, I need to focus on my personal goals, my dreams, my bucket list. I need to remember who I am and what I want for myself in life... And then I need to go and get it.
Basically, I need to live, love, and laugh as much as possible. And I need to have faith that my presence on this Earth has meaning... And that I am doing everything in my power to accomplish that meaning.
Laced Up and Coughed Out
After somewhat medicating but largely ignoring Max's sore throat pleas for a few days, the game changed when my throat started hurting on Monday. I finally went to the doctor yesterday, and he diagnosed me with a bacterial infection. So, for the first time in two years, I'm at home sick.
Yuck.
Even though I had a doctor's note to stay home from school, I returned yesterday after my office visit to finish out the day. I tried to find someone to sub my last class, but it didn't exactly happen... I so persevered until the last bell. I took a 2 1/2 hour nap after getting home, and just a few minutes after waking up I was greeted by tornado sirens in our neighborhood.
Great.
As soon as we heard the sirens and saw the radar maps on TV, John and I both immediately reached for our socks - without even talking to each other. Great minds think alike! Both of us knew that if anything happened, we didn't want to be caught without shoes. So we laced up, gathered Max and the dogs in the hallway, and hunkered down for a bit. Poor Max was really scared, so I had to constantly reassure him that things would be fine. The weather passed and nothing terrible happened, so my promise worked out all right.
Thankfully.
This morning, I dropped Max off at school and picked up my horse pills and cough syrup. Now I'm on the couch, wrapped up in my hoodie and a blanket. Time to do some planning for our 2nd Annual Spring Has Sprung Deck Party, brainstorming for my Summer at the Academy classes, and packing for our trip to Greenville this weekend. Funny that being at home sick doesn't necessarily mean that the work stops!
Reality.
Yuck.
Even though I had a doctor's note to stay home from school, I returned yesterday after my office visit to finish out the day. I tried to find someone to sub my last class, but it didn't exactly happen... I so persevered until the last bell. I took a 2 1/2 hour nap after getting home, and just a few minutes after waking up I was greeted by tornado sirens in our neighborhood.
Great.
As soon as we heard the sirens and saw the radar maps on TV, John and I both immediately reached for our socks - without even talking to each other. Great minds think alike! Both of us knew that if anything happened, we didn't want to be caught without shoes. So we laced up, gathered Max and the dogs in the hallway, and hunkered down for a bit. Poor Max was really scared, so I had to constantly reassure him that things would be fine. The weather passed and nothing terrible happened, so my promise worked out all right.
Thankfully.
This morning, I dropped Max off at school and picked up my horse pills and cough syrup. Now I'm on the couch, wrapped up in my hoodie and a blanket. Time to do some planning for our 2nd Annual Spring Has Sprung Deck Party, brainstorming for my Summer at the Academy classes, and packing for our trip to Greenville this weekend. Funny that being at home sick doesn't necessarily mean that the work stops!
Reality.
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