Through a Glass, Darkly

The joy I have felt about getting in the zone at work has been tempered somewhat by the fact that the beginning of school has been particularly hard on Atticus. He is doing great at his own school, playing with the other kids and singing songs and showing off how much he knows. He is clinging to daddy a little bit less, though Mike still spent more nights on Atticus’s floor than in a proper bed. And our afternoons have been touch-and-go.

For me, though, this has been the best beginning of the school year that I have ever had: working with the students, being helpful to teachers, making plans for the future. I love the liturgy of the school day, from greeting the students in the morning to practically pushing them on the buses at 3:55. I am thankful for ways to express myself other than through my home and family.

I have processed iPads, turned in repair orders, connected cords, used my best technology tricks to get things to work, used my best technology tricks and failed to get things to work, processed books, checked out books, shelved books, pulled materials for teachers, unlocked cabinets, welcomed students back, guided students in the right direction, made piles of things to discard, written to-do lists, and crossed things off my to-do lists.

I love summer. I love to stay in my house and be lazy. But I also love my job and the people I work with. I love what I do and I love my students. In that way, it feels like more than a job. It is saving my life to be in a place where I feel that way.

What is saving your life this week?

(Honorable mention for saving my life goes to my mom, who kept Atticus last night so we could get some sleep. Mike’s still sleeping. After 11 hours.)