Anyway, enough whining about stopping ... and here's to a fresh beginning (after revisiting the past for a little) ...
Past year: Reached tenure, did the one-income deal for 8 months as newlyweds until Westley scored an amazing job, played piano often (church choir tour, local camp, district concert), performed in a show for the first time since college (ironically, in the last musical that I had performed in college too), etc. Loving married life. Marrying Westley = best decision I've ever made (unless you want to count going to GradSchool where I met Westley ...) :)
One of the most exciting things for me in this past year is that I'm making a name for myself. In my life, looking back, God always placed amazing opportunities in my path - opportunities that would further strengthen/develop my skills to help me become the person I am today. Myriad opportunities. So many opportunities that I simply decided to "try" for even though I had no real hope that such opportunities would come to fruition for me. Somehow, the majority of the opportunities did work out ... and have become part of my tapestry of experiences woven together.
Then there was a dry spell - also known as - the time period in which I began my first job, survived, and, well, began to excel. This year, people have started to notice. This is exciting! I was asked to co-present at a [semi-local] conference (out of the blue ... I hadn't applied ... I had only 2 years of experience ... How and why did they think of me?). Then my co-presenter and I decided to submit our materials for a [broader regional] conference ... and we've been accepted! We'll be revamping our materials for late this summer ... exciting! I was asked to take on a [semi-local] service opportunity in an administrative role. I had a wonderful time, I learned a great deal ... and there's talk of me taking on a more challenging position next year!
There have been many times where I've felt disheartened (an increase in people who question how I do my job - being vague on purpose here), overworked (with no raise since I was hired), and under-appreciated. (Our society doesn't value teachers as they once did, and the media is fueling the let's-get-those-overpaid-whiny-teachers frenzy which seems to be spreading around the country.) When I get in one of those sad little poor-me mindsets, I have difficulty compartmentalizing; I love what I do. I am what I do because I pour my heart, my energy, my being into what I do. It's not a job; it's my life.
Then I have to remind myself to reflect on the beauty in my life: the smiles and greetings I share with my students, the sweet little surprise gifts (I have a collage of hand-drawn illustrations which cover the large wall space above my desk in my room), and the wonderful moments when the music becomes magic and we're all within the embrace of the song.
