Finding the Time

Funny thing, this blog, but it has forced me to stay away from writing for over a month.... okay, really it has nothing to do with the blog, but I didn't have a better excuse. I've actually been so busy that I have not had the energy, and even that sounds to me like a poor excuse, but it is the only one, and it is the truth. We do this to ourselves all the time, those of us in education; we get up in the morning and the first things on our minds are - in no particular order: students that always need something other than what you're giving them and, depending on if you are a teacher or you are in administration (sometimes it doesn't matter which), lesson plans that need to be tweaked, and grading that you didn't get finished, and parents that wanted to meet with you today, and that darn Board presentation that seems like it will never be good enough but you only have two more days before you stand before them... you get the idea.

We do this to ourselves. We run ourselves ragged. And we sometimes don't have anything left to give.

So this Spring Break, which starts today for me, I will take it easy so that I can give my time and energy to my family. They are the ones who wait for me to come home, sometimes three and four nights a week, so that they can kiss me good night and hopefully get a few words in with me before it's off to bed. That's not how I want them to remember me.

We have to find the balance in our lives. While it is important to give 110% to the work of our schools, it is even more important to find this much time and energy for your loved ones. Hard to do, I know. But it must be done. For everyone's sake. You will be a better, healthier person for it.