5 Reasons to Smile

This week, I'm beginning to pull out of the funk I've been in.

Just to clarify, I'm not wondering why things have been so hard for me lately. For the last few weeks I've been really preoccupied with Archie's death, my grandma's hospitalization (she had a heart catheter put in, then went into sepsis, but is doing better for the time being), and Matt's Nana's hospitalization (she's been dealing with stroke/seizure issues for awhile now). I'm a realist-bordering-on-pessimist, so I was trying to compartmentalize my emotions and it really got the best of me and wore me down. (There was one day that I cried in my classroom during planning, then got it together to greet my kids at the door minutes later. Any teachers relate to that?)

Doesn't it seem like when things fall apart, they all fall apart? (That reminds me of one of my all-time favorite Yeats poems...)

Anyway, I think things are looking up. I'm beginning to get a handle on the storm of emotions I've been dealing with. And that means it's time for some purposeful positivity.

1. LeadingEdge - I applied for a promotional program within my charter school family and was accepted! I'm really excited for this. I'll be training to be a CRT (curriculum resource teacher), and while it means I may eventually be leaving the classroom, I'm excited for the chance to challenge myself and put my skills to good use. A CRT helps train and guide teachers, which I really enjoy doing.

2. Running with Montana - I was in 8th grade when I met Montana, aka Pretty Lil Mudder, but we weren't exactly friends. We reconnected randomly when I saw her in one of my running Facebook groups, among 3000 other members! Small world. We got in touch and buried the past, and this weekend we'll be running a virtual Harry Potter race as part of a long run! There are so many things awesome about this, I don't even know where to start!

For you HP fans out there...can you guess what House I'm sorted into? (I'm not even a little ashamed of my continued love of HP.)

3. Jenn's wedding - My little Jenn is getting married this weekend! With all the kitchen brouhaha going on, I wasn't able to go to her bachelorette party last weekend, but nothing could stop me from being there for her big day. Jenn has been one of my most steadfast friends, and I can't wait to celebrate with her.

Matt and I visited Jenn in Panama for our first wedding anniversary. She's from the Netherlands, so she speaks Dutch, Spanish, and English fluently. Amazing.

4. Lightbulb moment in class - This week I introduced memoir writing to my students. When we begin this project, the kids read an excerpt from Annie Dillard's An American Childhood that's heavy on metaphor. I literally got goosebumps the other day as I listened to a student work his way through the metaphor of the mason jar and then watched as his face cleared and his eyes lit with understanding. That, folks, is what I live for.

5. Furiously Happy - Jenny Lawson, the Bloggess, has a new book out. I loved her first collection of crazy, true stories about her life growing up (Let's Pretend This Never Happened) and was sure I'd like Furiously Happy, especially because it's focused on living with mental illness. Even as an avid reader of her blog, I had no idea how absolutely hysterical it would be! I've been reading it during reading challenge in class and literally laughing out loud. I can't share snippets with my students because it's mostly inappropriate, and they're all totally baffled by my laughter. If you like really random, insane, hilarious, non-fiction vignettes and can identify with having a kooky family, I highly recommend it!

 

So there we go...five reasons to smile this week. And here's hoping next week brings along five more.

What are you smiling about this week?

ABK