Pink Giraffe Musing

I am an art teacher.  I know lots of teachers.  My children will have 16 teachers combined this school year.  And yet, I don't think I fully realized the impact of teachers until recently. In some ways,  teachers have a lot of power.  They have the power to inspire, encourage, and build up; or to the power to tear down and destroy.  I like to believe most teachers aspire to be a catalyst for positive change, growth, and lifelong success. While I am a teacher.  I am also a mom.   My daughter is growing up before my eyes.  These days the growth is less physical and more emotional and intrapersonal.  She is becoming a person.  A real grown up person separate from me.  She has thoughts about her life and future that have nothing to do with my thoughts ( I don't know about you but this came as a shock to me !).  She has dreams and plans beyond the seeds I have planted in her head.  Sure, I see my hand in it. ...

Stress is bad for us.   There are a lot of things in my life that are stressful.  I am not alone in this.  I am sure you can relate.  It seems that middle age comes with more stress that I could have ever dreamed existed. It is downright depressing some days when I take in the full weight of it all.  I see my friends balancing kids, sports, homework, demanding jobs, and aging parents needing care.  I have friends and know of children battling cancer.  Some struggle with kids doing poorly in school and need tutors they cannot afford.  There is car trouble, car accidents, broken appliances, broken hearts and homes, and then there is work.  For many of us work is the biggest stress producer of them all. If you are lucky you love your job.  But love it or hate it we all NEED our jobs to pay for the mortgage, car payments, car repairs, the new microwave, calculus tutor, and of course, margaritas. Over the past 6 years, I have w...