Earlier this week, after writing the blog post that was heavily based on 'Christmas Vacation' and my own life, I met with the women in my Bible study and heard about similar stories that typify family and conflict and goodness and what you get when you realize that some people, this family of yours, are in your heart and your bones, and it doesn't leave.
For two days, I carried a lot of tension and story and ricocheting thoughts with me as I lived the days, and when it came to Bible study on Tuesday night, it all just melted away. The stories landed in one big pile on the floor in front of us, and we laughed about a lot of things. I know really funny people in a lot of different areas of my life.
On Tuesday night, I went home and slept better than I had in a week. I felt like I was coming out of a cave yesterday morning, and when I got to school I was still sort of a yawning faraway teacher. I didn't feel like a morning person, probably for the first time in a year, and it was sort of beautiful. This gave me the courage and fortitude to stay late and have a grading party.
When you put the word party after the word grading, you're of course trying to make it manageable. Here's what you get. Piles of grading taken care of, lots of side conversation, all of your copies made for the week, Pandora music, and moments where you're rifling through the desk looking for food to eat. In the first year of teaching there was none, now I have learned...fruit leather, honey roasted peanuts, and yes, even pixie stix (sick) save me. The very best part is the friendship...that's what gets you through it. I have found a tribe of people who are great people, through and through. They make the grading party fun.
Today is December 1. I woke up on this day and felt like my soul was stretching out again. I did ballet, thought about Advent (my mom made us paper boxes with candy and quotes in them, which was overwhelmingly exciting this morning), enjoyed my tree with coffee, talked with my mom...all of the best things. The song by Sara Bareilles and Ingrid Michaelson came to me, and felt appropriate, especially since we just got snow.
So that's a great song. Timely and seasonal and life appropriate and good. This morning I am thinking as well that it matches the quote I love by Roald Dahl.
“And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it.”
And by magic I mean the hopeful, beautiful kind...soul-filled life happening in front you, whispered and said the way that Meg Ryan says it in 'Sleepless in Seattle'. Of course Meg Ryan does this so well. I taped this up in my classroom, in a place where I always seem to stand, and it has been a good reminder to me all week. Who doesn't want glittering eyes and magic? Especially in the snowy month of December. I am paying my rent and welcoming the new season.
I didn't know you knew how to do ballet. Fun.
ReplyDeleteI also really like the Roald Dahl quote you included. I hadn't heard that before.
Happy Winter.