24 July 2007

ten silver linings

Hug O'War


I will not play at tug o'war.

I'd rather play at hug o'war,

Where everyone hugs

Instead of tugs,

Where everyone giggles

And rolls on the rug,

Where everyone kisses,

And everyone grins,

And everyone cuddles,

And everyone wins.

----Shel Silverstein----



There are always negative things in life. I prefer not to dwell on these, but to look for and relish the positive in life. I share below ten "hugs", if you will, that have been given to me. They are my little tendrils of silver lining holding me in what can sometimes be dark clouds in life.
  1. A surprise baby shower for me where the spouses and partners were also invited. That may not seem like much to some, but spouses and partners are generally left out of showers. It is a good thing to have had my husband there. We both have memories of that evening.
  2. A husband supporting me with all my endeavours. Here are two: joining the Navy when our daughter was six (yeah, I know...Buddhist earth mother in the Navy?...but that's a story for another day)...you want a highlight: I was gone for training for four months while my husband was working on his Masters in Geo-technical Engineering and our daughter came down with chicken pox during finals week); I changed careers which involved going back to college, temporarily losing a second income for a short time, and concluded by being engulfed in full-time work while taking an average of 14 units a semester to finish up for the last two years of college work.
  3. A friend house-and-cat-sitting for a month while we went on holiday. During this time, my friend had to contend with: a stolen purse containing my house keys (the only other set was with our daughter so she had to drive four hours to Santa Cruz to get them and return back to our house), a trapped skunk and snake in different large holes (they were for posts) my husband had dug before we left (no one would come help her with the skunk), and daily watering of our 180 square foot garden plus pots.
  4. My principal giving me some of the most needy and low-performing sixth grade students. This may not seem nice but he told me he knew I was the only teacher for these students, who could help them be successful because I cared so much about my student's well-being and put so much into my lesson planning. The neat thing is: some of those students come back to me and let me know how well they are doing in school.
  5. My daughter telling me that I am not only her mother but also a good friend. Where her friends say what they would do differently in raising a child, she tells them she would do nothing different. When her friends meet me, they say "oh, this is the fantastic mom you are always talking about."
  6. My mother providing me examples of drive and focus. Going to college in another state after having two kids and a divorce, and giving temporary custody of my brother and myself to them for that time was a big commitment to her future. She also had to take private lessons for some high school classes (like chemistry) at night which were required for entry into college.
  7. My grandparents raising my brother and I for a few years. We learned values sorely missed in many homes today. A few things remain strong in my memory. Grandpa taught me multiplication tables. Grandma taught me to knit. They both taught me what love and caring for each other looked and sounded like. I learned the value and appreciation of what you have.
  8. My daughter being a support whenever I need one, knowing intuitively when a need a boost.
  9. My friend for always being at the ready on the phone for daily downloads my first year of teaching.
  10. Parents of my students who came to my classroom before school started to help out with classroom setup, bringing fresh coffee, fruit, and hot scones from the oven.

1 comment:

Sally said...

I can't believe I am the first to comment on this post - it's wonderful! Thank you for the reminder to be grateful everyday and to not take things for granted, which is way too easy to do.