The Hook, The Gift

It's been a tough week--Halloween costumes and parties, the end of the first quarter, report cards, next week an out of town presentation about our last year's reading festival, followed by conferences next week, and parent and student issues popping up all over the place. And there were busy times at home with Halloween, visitors, and my brother Jon's birthday coming up.

I have not been gracious to myself. I kinda' feel like I'm treading water, and I'm using all my energy to throw life preservers to everyone else--and I don't even have one yet. It makes me resentful with tight shoulders and a knot in my stomach.

So when I feel this overwhelmed I need a hook that will start the momentum going the other way. It's crazy how that hook can sometimes come in the most unexpected moment.

I was walking my students to buses today, and the thought just popped into my head that at conferences I want to thank my students' parents for sharing their children with me, because everyone is truly a gift. I'm learning how to deal with kids in different ways than I ever have before. I'm being challenged. I'm learning more about my own personal and professional limitations.

The hook is. . .I get to choose what to do with the gift. I'm holding on to that. It's my life preserver. I think it's going to get me to a place of calm and safety where my needs will be met. I'm looking forward to saying a genuine thank you to my students and their parents at conferences next week.