Return to Normal?

Rainbows have long been an image of luck or hope. Well 20 days is almost up on my quarantine and I am longing to see a rainbow. I am back to my more “normal” life tomorrow and I can’t believe that I will be at work with my students. I haven’t been with the kids in-person since the end of October. I wonder whether my life will go back to normal or something new is ahead for me. Maybe a new rainbow? Today I am patiently optimistic that things will settle into a “new normal” routine. I can’t go back to life before the diagnosis but I can take steps to find my new path forward and maybe a pot of gold. The bumps in life don’t make life better but they help us see life in a new light and appreciate the rainbows more.

As I step back into the classroom with my 6th graders, I have a new appreciation of life definitely as I teach the human body systems having a whole new level of understanding. Don’t they say hands-on training is the best? I guess that I wish that it wasn’t my own health for the training, but I will use my new understanding to maybe inspire someone to be the scientist we all need.

So as we pack our lunches, prepare our first day of school outfits, and make sure that we have all our materials, I think that it is important to be thankful. Thankful for my job, my colleagues, my friends and each moment that we will experience, each person we who will cross our path, and just being here where I am right now. It might not be where I planned or dreamed of; it might not be the way that I wanted to feel or look but I am here. I am thankful for being and breathing. It might seem silly or cliche but it is true. We often look at life as events and moments to get to. Sell the house, make that birthday party, run to the next sporting event, lose the 10 pounds and so on. We are always on the calendar that I have alerts set up for so that I don’t forget an appointment or a call. So in this moment before I engage back in the full rat race, I am taking a breathe to be ultra-present – aware that I am human. I am one person with struggles like everyone else. I have it worse than others and better than some. It is scary to say the least to go back, but I have a purpose greater than worrying about myself that gives me strength. I am to be a mom, a wife, a friend, a colleague, a teacher, a sister, a daughter, a mentor, or maybe even a farmer. I am going to be each one in my way knowing that with each breath that I take I am grateful to just be.

So before, I head back I look to the backyard knowing that I did not get all of the things done that I wanted to accomplish this summer since I started this blog. I am hopeful that this fall brings lots of gardening experiments, fun with the animals and precious time with the cheer team. As for the cheer team, they are still helping me each day and I know that they will be the first one to see me when I get home tomorrow. I am forever grateful for their love and support. So aloud to everyone, I am setting some goals for myself and this blog. I want to return to home-made cooking, developing a vegetable garden, looking into self-sustainable practices, and I would like to try some art. I know that my time is shorter as I head into the classroom but I am eager to continue the backyard as it gives me life and a sense of joy. I hope you enjoy it too.

Quick animal update….

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Our sweet Lego torn his ACL so he had surgery yesterday and has a long road to recover. Meadow misses playing with big brother and is my constant buddy. Of course Tallulah is having a blast chasing Meadow or maybe it is the other way around. The girls are still figuring out the coop. They are always happy for treats and we have 3 to 4 eggs coming a day. I need to try a quiche. Next up for our to do list is the shade garden paths and maybe some lunch options for school. Enjoy this moment and give yourself 5 minutes to just love yourself for who you are right now.

I often dream of a time long ago

or a time not yet here.

Never spending time with the present me.

Each step in the garden, sprinkle of feed to the girls, hugs from my family or a strong breeze kissing my face,

I experience life one heartbeat, one breathe, one second at a time.

Rejoicing in life.