After the hub-bub of holiday week at school, I’m left with a pile of things to take care of to get our home ready for the holidays. The tree is far from perfect, the light up holiday hedgehog I put in the yard got wet in the floods of Houston’s December rain, and blew a fuse, and yes, THAT locked up our garage resulting in a locksmith call. I could only laugh. It’s almost like a scene from Christmas Vacation. I prefer not to comment on which of us, my husband or me, is Clark Griswold.
And if I’ve learned one thing from teaching, from learning, and from life, it’s embrace the chaos. I’m still modeling this for my daughter, who wondered in the car while the rain poured and the locksmith was on his way, “If we’d be in the car until Christmas.” And then she offered to help me break a window out in the house. Glad we’ve raised her to be helpful.
Through it all, as the season draws in, I’m thankful for so much. How can I even put it into words? There’s certainly no way I can. But I’ll try.
I am blessed because of…
Family that loves me, supports me, and fills our home with a happy kind of chaos.
People who “get” me.
People who push me to grow as a professional.
Google Teacher Academy.
My daughter’s school, that is exactly what she needs right now, and what she’s always needed.
Online connections who’ve become a daily part of my life and learning.
Work that focuses on improving learning and teaching outside the box.
Innovation and humor being listed in my job description.
Opportunities that both scare me and invigorate me.
A job that feels like a hobby.
Full sets of Sharpies.
Time for creativity.
Leaders who ask me giant questions that make me think.
Colleagues who’ll take a risk with me.
People to laugh with on a daily basis, even if that means laughing at myself. Especially that.
The perspective that kids who think differently, need different.
A daughter who wrote, “To the smartest and nerdiest lady I know,” in my holiday card.
Two dogs, 2 hedgehogs, and a kitten… like I said, happy chaos.
The ability to choose joy.
Oh, and locksmiths.
And with that? I can’t think of one thing I’d ask for this Christmas. Except maybe a waterproof extension cord for our holiday lights in the Houston rain.
