Smile and Go About Your Own Work

"No matter who says what, you should accept it with a smile and do your own work. " ~Mother Teresa
I guess I have been thinking about school, school, school. This is a meeting week, meetings every day during my planning time, and it feels way too spin-y. I get tired of listening to what people say (not the kids, the "grown ups") and I wish I could find a quiet pocket to huddle and shake my head a bit so ideas and concerns could fall into place. I like Mother Teresa's words, don't you? I keep trying to arrange the papers on my desk so I can see my way clear and recognize what's done and what is crying out to GET DONE. Then the kids come in, in a cloud of middle school angst and bounce. Yesterday, my challenging class was so full of buzz that I quite felt like one nurse in a crowd of one hundred sick people. Most likely today will be quieter, that's the rhythm. I think I may eat my lunch alone today, door locked, the hum of quiet, and a savoring of twenty five short minutes of peace. Sound like a good idea?

"It is sad to grow old, but nice to ripen." ~Brigitte Bardot
One of the students asked me if I gossiped when I was in eighth grade. Yes. I was very much a busy body. They complain about all the "drama" generated at school. Ugh. I'm so glad that grown ups can put all that crazy talk aside and seek peace. But, can they? I hear plenty of crazy talk from the adults, too. Oh, I'm starting to feel the urge for a brownie.

Okay, so go about my work. I can do that.
Remember, I have ripened and that means I'm juicy, bright, and ready.
Smile a lot. Okay.

And don't talk so much, Pom Pom.

Time to read and journal.
Thank you for stopping in and reading to the end. Have a few of those hugs and kisses at the top of the page please!

Wedding, Words and Wonderful Ointment

Bill just emailed me pictures from Cambodia. Our friend is getting married and it is occurring right at this very moment. Jeff is taking pictures with his fancy camera, too. Another friend is officiating. Isn't the bride lovely?

Have you ever heard it said that sarcasm is a form of hate? What do you think? In the last year or so, I've really been on the look out for sincere, kind people. I don't like funny anymore if funny is mean. I find myself drawn to individuals who speak their heart instead of their mind. I honestly wonder if we realize how permanent our words are. I'm trying to be less careless with my utterances. It's hard. When I'm tired, I get lazy about measuring my words. Sometimes with our children, I can blurt out things that don't benefit anybody. I've noticed that at our dinner table, our conversations can get very careless. We make harsh and arrogant statements, as if we can say whatever we want. Can we? Do you ever get a little shiver when words are too quickly spoken? I do. Today at the teacher lunch table someone said, "Quiet people often come off as stand-offish." I have NEVER thought of quiet people as stand-offish. I respect quiet people and I admire them. It's as if they hold a thousand secrets under lock and key. I want to be more like them. I would like to be less of a chatterbox and more like the quiet ones. I don't think it's too late for me.

I close this post with a tribute to my friend Vicks VapoRub. Last night I arrived home after 8:30. It was a long day. I had two meetings after work. By the time I walked in the door, I felt fuzzy-headed and bone tired. I found the pretty blue jar on the shelf by my sink, rubbed it all over my chest and then proceeded to smear if all over my feet. I put on a pair of cotton socks and crawled into bed. All night long I smelled the "get well, Sweetie" smell of this magic elixir. Today, I felt better. Tonight I still feel pretty good.
I am praying for snow and lots of it. I'd like a Snow Day so I can catch up. This week has already gotten away from me. Sigh.

Oh by the way, guess where I've found many of the truly kind people I've been looking for? Yes, I have found you. The bloggers. My heart soars with hope. The blogs I read (all of YOURS) are my favorites because the writers speak the truth with care, share their triumphs humbly, are genuinely interested in others, and often wobble out there to the edge of the high dive and perform amazing leaps that say, "I trust that what I write will be received and savored." It's true. I'm doing a lot of savoring.