Life is hard.
If we aren’t careful, we can fall into the comparison game with “oh look, so-and-so has their life together.” We forget that social media is a teaser, a preview of sorts, not the full feature film. AND it’s not always “happily ever after.”
Personally, I’ve struggled a lot over the last two years—what used to be my outlet has become a dangerous line I’m so carefully walking. How much sharing is too much? What will hurt feelings or cross that line? Things change when you open your home and your kids begin to read.
Over the last three weeks, I’ve enjoyed time ‘away’ from work (let’s be honest, there is no real ’away’ when you are doing social media). I’ve taken the time to just be Taylon—and I remembered a few things I like about her. This time has been good for the soul.
My new school year begins Monday. I won’t be entering a classroom for the first time in 14 years. It’s bittersweet, but it was time. Teaching isn’t what it used to be, and my heart wasn’t in it anymore. I’ll miss seeing my besties every day. But what I’ll miss most is the kids—the relationships you get to build when teaching a multi-year class, seeing them make academic connections, as well as social/emotional/mental ones. Their excitement and annoyance with my many outlandish ideas. Their highs and lows. Every year, my prayer has always been that my kids leave our classroom knowing they are loved, not because I tell them, but because they believe it. I hope I’ve done that.
As I step back from the classroom, I am excited about the opportunities to work with students of all ages, to get to know teachers from every building, and to really tell the story of our district and town. I have BIG ideas, and I look forward to executing them…somehow.
For now, I’m going to spend the weekend loving on my babies, soaking up the sun, finishing a book or two, and remembering that the movie is typically better than the preview (but the book is 99.9% always better).
Diary of a Girl from Nowhere 