Summer is a sacred time to all teachers. It is the 8 weeks during the year (that ALWAYS seem to fly by) where we don't have to worry about lesson plans, disciplining students, dealing with parents or wondering if we are going to be observed tomorrow.
Today, I was for lack of a better term "pouting" about the fact that I really wanted to go to the pool all week and it has been cloudy and rainy all week. Mind you, we need the rain badly, so I KNOW this is a good thing..but come on, can't I just get 1 pool day??? Then, I quickly snapped out of my funk when I started thinking about this summer as compared to last summer.
Last summer I was depressed because Chris had come home for his 2 weeks of R and R from Afghanistan and then left again. This is one of those things that is hard to understand if you are not an army spouse but letting them go back the second time (after r and r) is WAYYYYY harder then sending them off the first time at the beginning of deployment. I think it has something to do with the fact that you already know how much life stinks while they're deployed and you don't want to return to that stinky life after 2 weeks of bliss during R and R. We had our R and R in June last year so yes, a year ago from today, I was definitely depressed and missing Chris.
Last summer I was also stressed to the max with my graduate work. I had a professor (the same one for BOTH classes) who took over my life with assignments and papers. It was ridiculous! Not only was I stressed about my masters classes, but I was stressed about the beginning of the school year that was creeping closer and closer. I was feeling like a 1st year teacher all over again because I was about to begin teaching science in a different state to a different grade than I was used to with an entirely different curriculum at a new school! Yikes!
After reminiscing about all of that, I realized that my life is pretty darn awesome this summer (despite the fact that I was unable to go to the pool this week haha). Chris is home! Not only is he home, but we just returned from a fabulous week in Savannah and Charleston where we celebrated our anniversary and ate and drank to our hearts content! I'm NOT stressed at all. I'm done with my masters (in fact, I just sent in my paperwork to receive my pay raise woo hoo!!!) I'm not worried about the upcoming school year because I'm teaching the same thing I taught last year. Of course there will be some tweaking of lesson plans involved,. but overall, I'm ready for this school year. On top of all of that, with my extra time, I've been going to the gym (sometimes twice a day) and I LOVE that my body is in much better shape than last summer!
It's amazing how much stress your body can take when it needs to. However, I'm very glad that all of the stress from last summer is behind me and I'm able to have a relaxing and enjoyable summer! What a difference a year truly makes... I'd have to say that 27 is treating me much better than 26 :-)
I say all of this, not only to help me put my own life in perspective but to challenge all of you to do the same. Whether you're in an UP or DOWN in life right now... If you're in an upswing, great! So am I! Enjoy it and be thankful for it. If you're in a downswing in life right now, it's ok...I was there a year ago. Think to the future and how this too shall pass.
Happy Friday Yall!
