Today was hard.
It was long, and it felt heavy in my hand and in my heart.
It was full of colleagues, and students, and friends, and family members, who are struggling in one direction or another, and who needed time and love and attention and compassion.
And I gave it, in one direction or another, as many times and in as many places and to as many people as I possibly could.
And I hope that this day, as heavy as it was, might have been made just a touch lighter in one direction or another. Because I know that there will be a day when I am struggling in one direction or another, and I will need time and love and attention and compassion.
Until then, there is cake.
Soapbox: The Way I see Things 
In these times we need to be there for each other because when we are having a tough day we want someone to be there for us.
Absolutely! And the good news is, I have faith that there are those around me who can and will provide that support. I count myself as a lucky one.
Thank you for being there for your colleagues, students, their families, and friends who needed you today. You are awesome for lending them such compassionate support. A virtual hug from me to you! You remind me so much of one of our most beloved teachers – my boys’ TAG teacher. She was so invested in my three boys (and, really, all of “her” students). It is for that investment that you will be repaid tenfold for in the future. Those you helped today will remember you tomorrow. I hope your days are better soon. Take care.
Thank YOU. That virtual hug is quite welcome, as I’m running quite low on the real-life ones. And as a teacher of gifted children, I *have* been able to see the ripples of my work come back to me. Boy, is it ever fulfilling. I do hope your boys are in some kind of contact with her, if it’s still possible. As I say…once a lovey, always a lovey!
Yes! We are all in contact with her. We love her! She is one (if not THE favorite teacher we’ve had for the boys). She’s no longer with our district but before she left I started a TAG parent support group for our district at her request. I think I told you this in one of our first commenting sessions. She was so important to us! When she left, I contemplated going back to get an MS in teaching gifted and talented but I did not have an education degree so it was not going to be an easy path. The GT students need so much support that they typically do not get from their school districts….. if they have someone like you in their corner, it can make all the difference in the world! Thank you for what you do! I know it is a 24/7 job!
That makes me so incredibly happy to read. And the fact that you started a parent support group is absolutely amazing. And yes – gifted/talented students DO need more support than most people believe – which was the founding purpose for this blog. =)
And yes, it is 24/7. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Thank you for your encouragement. It means the world.
I was walking with you, feeling the heaviness, the giving away of self in so many directions, knowing it was what was needed (there’s colleagues and students, then there’s husbands and children and dogs and and and …). There are times we are able to be the necessary wellsprings of compassion and empathy for others, and times when we need them to be for us. A mutual outpouring, in turn, so that we do not run dry. Yes, I was nodding in commiseration, it’s sometimes so hard, we so need each other. Then – bam! – that final line and – OH MY! – that CAKE. Glorious! It was the perfect light note – the perfect icing on this post. Masterful.
Absolutely, Fran. This exchange of energy and love is so important, especially now. I consider myself lucky that I have enough people in my life that I don’t see a danger of running dry. I can’t imagine an existence that way, though I am sure there are people in my midst who do. And…I guess I got to end with the *literal* icing on the cake – which, as a cream cheese frosting, was the very best part of the whole thing.
Have you read Anne Morrow Lindbergh’s “A Gift from the Sea”? She talks about this very thing, being at the center of a wheel, our time and energy and influence spanning out along the spokes to our family, friends, colleagues, pursuits. You echoed this theme succinctly. I love the ending; I hope you savored every last bite of that cake.
I will have to read this! You know, I read her daughter’s memoir – “No More Words,” and the funny thing is I hadn’t ever read any of Anne Morrow Lindbergh’s writing to begin with! I’ll have to check this book out. Thank you! And…yes. The cake was delicious, and it aged quite well over the week. =)
Please send me some of that cake. 🙂
Ruth, thereisnosuchthingasagodforsakentown.blogspot.com
Wouldn’t it be great if I could! Especially since I’ve been chomping slices of it all week. Usually I manage to give baked goods away before I eat too many of them. Not this one!
These are unbelievably hard times, and I sometimes find myself looking after the students who cross my path and forget about the adults. We carry so much weight, and your colleagues and the others around you are blessed by your gifts of time, love, attention, and compassion. May we all learn to give as you do, and may we all be recipients when we’re in need. Oh, and the cake looks fantastic. 🙂
Thanks for the reassurance. I’ve come to realize that favors and support have an interesting energy cycle. We give some, and we get some back. It doesn’t even have to be from the same people but somehow, like the menu at a potluck dinner, things even out.
Maybe there’s another blog post there…
And…the cake WAS tasty. One of those that gets better as it sits!