I had an amazing and exhausting spring. Finishing year three at SLAMS, attending all of the end of the school year celebrations, concerts, shows and dances, watching both of my children graduate from high school on the same day, and remembering to thank all the people who made this amazingness possible was a steep hill to climb.
In the midst of the mayhem of remembering deadlines, finishing grades, shopping for graduation finery, and connecting the many people who needed thanks or farewells, I made some costly mistakes. I lost my new bifocals at the mall because I was trying to wear both sunglasses and reading glasses at the same time. I parked in a no parking zone on the last day of school because I was too tired read the sign. I sustained the few garden injuries in my haste to tidy up the yard for a party we were having to celebrate the graduates. I forgot to pay my life insurance bill. My computer broke on the last day of school (and is still at the laptop hospital, so I'm using an old computer that I purchased for my older son when he was in 8th grade). Finally, I stubbed my toe on the very heavy backpack of my younger son and have been hobbling around for 24 hours.
Slow down, the universe kept telling me. I was fortunate to have some other voices added to the universe's - whenever my kids would say, "let's go for a walk, the dishes can wait" or my boyfriend would say, "I'll make you dinner, you need to slow down," or my mom showed up early to help throw a party or my students at school said, "do you want to sit and have lunch with us?"
Slowing down is not in my nature. There is always so much to do, you see. Chores to finish, projects to start, curriculum to write, food to cook, people to see and things to plant. It has been hard for me to find a rhythm in the slowing down, but in the last few days, I've been able to reflect on the events and happenings of the last few weeks and understand some of the lessons I can learn from them.
In the midst of the mayhem of remembering deadlines, finishing grades, shopping for graduation finery, and connecting the many people who needed thanks or farewells, I made some costly mistakes. I lost my new bifocals at the mall because I was trying to wear both sunglasses and reading glasses at the same time. I parked in a no parking zone on the last day of school because I was too tired read the sign. I sustained the few garden injuries in my haste to tidy up the yard for a party we were having to celebrate the graduates. I forgot to pay my life insurance bill. My computer broke on the last day of school (and is still at the laptop hospital, so I'm using an old computer that I purchased for my older son when he was in 8th grade). Finally, I stubbed my toe on the very heavy backpack of my younger son and have been hobbling around for 24 hours.
Slow down, the universe kept telling me. I was fortunate to have some other voices added to the universe's - whenever my kids would say, "let's go for a walk, the dishes can wait" or my boyfriend would say, "I'll make you dinner, you need to slow down," or my mom showed up early to help throw a party or my students at school said, "do you want to sit and have lunch with us?"
Slowing down is not in my nature. There is always so much to do, you see. Chores to finish, projects to start, curriculum to write, food to cook, people to see and things to plant. It has been hard for me to find a rhythm in the slowing down, but in the last few days, I've been able to reflect on the events and happenings of the last few weeks and understand some of the lessons I can learn from them.
- I am more prepared to plan. Without the computer (and the bifocals for really precise reading), I have had to do more thinking and less writing. This has actually helped me to be more focused. I've read some books about math, which helped me to refine some units and the scope and sequence for next year's learning. I was surprised by how much I remembered - without even looking at the units or the kids' work - about what we learned and how well the students were able to access the content. Armed with new ideas from the books I've read and the thinking I've done, I'll hopefully be more precise with my planning when the computer is repaired.
- We're healthier. I've made better meals, taken more walks, slept in a little longer and taken in the fresh air and Vitamin D on perhaps an hourly basis. Over the last 3 years of SLAMS and their last 4 years of high school, we've always said as a family "we need to eat less take-out." This was hard and I gave us a pass on both the expense and unhealthiness of it all, just because we did the best we could. Sports, theatre rehearsals, meetings and school work made for busy times. Lately, there has been time for salads, planting vegetables, cutting up cantaloupe, slow cooked chicken and rice and lots of extra water. As Martha Stewart would say, "it's a good thing."
- We are better connected to eachother. Slowing down means more time to listen, laugh and learn from one another. It's been a gift to hear about the hopes and dreams for life's next adventures from both of the boys, to be reminded that Charlie can stay up really late chatting and that George can get you anywhere you need to go. I've been able to see Mike's subtle smile more often and be with my parents and sisters as they celebrated along with us. These are the moments we get to hold onto when we are not afforded the luxury of slowing down.
- We are better connected to others. Last winter, a dear and wise friend opened a session at EduCon with these words: "Whenever I walk into a new space, I assume that everyone is on my team." It took me a whole year to tell Zac Chase that these words transformed the way I interact with the world. But they have. As a recovering shy person, it is sometimes hard to for me to find the courage to include folks on my team. But as a grateful human and mom of two kids who have benefited tremendously from others placing us on their teams, I have since worked hard to do so. It was incredibly gratifying to hear and read the words that others shared with us about the ways both kids have enhanced their community. And it was a delight and a true gift to be able to thank all the people - whether they wanted the thanks or not - for being on the team with us over the last several years.
Slowing down has not been easy and I am sure that I will struggle to do so when the computer is fixed, when I can afford new bifocals, when the school year ramps up again, when we work to get Charlie ready to go off to college, when I feel better rested and when I get tired of cooking... But I hope that the lessons I am learning from slowing down remain: reflect, eat good food, go outside, chat with others, express gratitude, say that words that are in your heart, connect with others, and always, always invite people to join your team.
Comments
Post a Comment