February 3
2018
Endings, New Beginnings and Superheros
To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven
Ecclesiastes 3:1
Death and life are in the power of the tongue
Proverbs 18:21
Happy Saturday!
The time sure does pass quickly doesn’t it
The last time I looked I was sure it was still Monday…..
How was your week?
A busy week here for sure.
My students graduated on Thursday!
YEAH for them!
I’m so proud of them!
It was a lovely graduation
Lots of beautiful words
Smiles
A few tears
Bittersweet.
Sweet because it is over and they
and we
have accomplished all that was set out.
Bitter because it is over
and by the very definition of over
it isn’t anymore.
I remember the first day
10 months ago
the nerves
the excitement
the challenge.
And then,
10 months later
the nerves
the excitement
the challenge of the next steps.
As I stood back and watched them
I learned something
about beginnings and endings
and new beginnings.
There were tears
there were smiles
there was nervous laughter
but there was also a readiness.
A readiness to celebrate the victory
But then to move forward.
They had plans for that day
and the next day
and the day after that.
It was an ending
and they were sad,
but they didn’t allow that to take away
from the possibility of the new beginning
sitting on the other side.
Endings are difficult
But they are always followed by the possibility
Of a new beginning.
Such a gift!
Speaking of gifts…..
The students gave me a gift
A most lovely gift.
The made me (yes made me)
A superhero cape
On the back it has two of the sayings that I reminded them of all the time
“You’ve got this”
“It’s in you”
It was an ongoing joke in class
when I wasn’t quite as organized as usual
was a bit distracted
or had forgotten something
“I forgot my cape”
I would say
They would laugh……
Or when they wanted something outrageous
“where is your cape?”
they would ask
I would laugh…..
As I opened this precious gift
I learned another lesson
You don’t have to be spectacular
To be a someone’s superhero
You just have to care!
Teaching is not a job
Teaching is a calling
A calling I take very seriously.
Students are not just another name
or a number
They are unique and wonderful
individuals
with great potential
whether they or others have recognized it or not.
Most days I don’t feel like much of a superhero
But I do my best
Care for my people
Work hard
And try to have some fun in between.
And most importantly
I choose to speak life
life into each and every student
that crosses my path.
So that “You’ve got this”, and “It’s in you”
They are not mere cliches
Just words
They are life
They are truth.
So if superheros care
Superheros invest
Superpheros speak life and truth
Then maybe,
just for today
I can be that superhero
that my students see in me.
I will wear my cape proudly.
So, today, I just want to remind you of the things I’ve been reminded of:
Don’t hang on to the thing that is ending
So strongly that you miss the thing that is beginning.
Recognize it
shed the tears
remember the good things
and move forward
expectantly.
And:
Wear the superhero cape
Don’t just do your work
Live your work
Excel
Invest
Love
Speak Life
and be a superhero to someone!!!!!