sol25 Vestiges of the Pandemic

As I read about another "everyone back in office every day" mandate, I could not help but think of discussions, not that long ago, about the power of Zoom to change working environments, permanently. I could not help but think of the empty parking lots at the train station, month after month after month. I could not help but think of the plummeting real estate values for office spaces or the demise of "We Work" pop-up places for start-ups. I could not help but think about the moms and dads in shorts and Crocs, coffee mugs in hand, lazily walking their children into school long after the pandemic.  

I could not help but think of my own grad students in Texas, Manhattan, Queens, and Upstate New York who join together every week. Zoom has provided a means to a master's degree while working; however, I could not help but think this will change, like everything else, someday soon.

While I hope to never experience the isolation and loss of life we all felt five years ago, there are at least a few people longing for the work-from-home-in-sweats-walk-your-dog-midday vestiges of the pandemic era!

sol25 T - 37

 

There is snow/ice event headed my way in hours, long before my arms will have recovered from the last shoveling event! Then, there is another snow/ice event headed on Wednesday night and my arms ache just thinking about it! The local forecasters are also suggesting another event on Sunday and then next Tuesday. One after another as if we had requested snow and cold!

For three years, snow and ice had skirted my little spot on the map as if we had a protective forcefield around us! I dutifully pulled out the SAME bag of "safe" for pets ice melt every year and then dutifully returned it to the garage intact. To be honest, I was feeling a bit smug about the lovely if unusual winters.   

The first storms of this season passed me by, but the past month has been brutal! I've worn my boots every single day! I had to scour multiple stores in order to find another bag of "safe" ice melt. 

I was feeling "down" until I thought about my Littles sliding down that hill again and again at "take-your-breath-away-speed." If I am honest, that is what I really want to remember about winter weather!  I thought about the snow day video with my Littles dancing in the middle of a Thursday as if it was normal. Then, I got a request to come "see" my Little's new snow fort. 

If I am honest, snow is annoying and shoveling is not fun, but the joy snow provides is immense for those not burdened by shoveling. Plus, Spring is 37 days away.

 

sol25 February4 We Are Finally Starting

 

Towards the end of my undergraduate experience, I lost the bulk of an academic scholarship to a changing focus on increasing the diversity of the student body. As a headstrong young adult who had earned a 4.0 for the many semesters, I turned my head and walked away, finishing my degree elsewhere. I did realize I had many opportunities not available to others, but my heart was still sad.

Years later, I was a finalist for a fantastic teacher-leader position in a prestigious district with a salary I could have only dreamed of previously. I went to the wire with interviews, writing samples, demo lessons, but lost the position to a person who was equally qualified and filled diversity boxes in the world of elementary schools. To be honest, this time I did fully understand the need for teachers and administrators to reflect the student bodies they lead, but I still felt sad. 

In spite of a few bumps in the road, my own professional journey has been a great one. These days, I am proud to work with an increasingly diverse group of teachers and wanna be educational leaders. My students include first generation Americans, second language learners, career changers, special education students, and former members of the Armed Forces. Each and every one of them aspires to create educational environments where ALL students learn to be effective and reflective members of society who read critically, write responsibly, and create substantially. I am in awe of their passion and honored to lead discussions where we challenge the "status quo" and critically examine educational decisions. After each class, my heart is full of hope for the future of education. 

It has taken leaders with vision, quite a bit of legislation and an entire generation. These days, our schools are finally starting to reflect the beautiful tapestry of our society.  Yet, these days, I am concerned about the future. 

#sol25 January 28 Look-Alike

 

I realize journaling and blogging are "old school."

Yet, I really want to thank the TWT group for encouraging

Writing down in order to remember.

I found fresh basil at Trader Joe's, bootleg jeans at TJ Maxx, and a cheerful pillow at Home Goods. I was feeling pretty happy when I realized I was thirsty.  So, I pulled into a nearby Dunkin Donuts and ordered a hot tea!

"Don't worry," he said stumbling on the words, "this one is on me."  

To be honest, no one has ever bought me a "drink" of any kind ever, so this one caught me off guard.  "Uhhh...thank you very much," I muttered, adding more than the cost of a cup into the tip jar.

"Ummm..." he stammered with tears welling in his eyes, "you look much like my mother.

I wondered if I should engage in a conversation with a young man who with tears in his eyes that might not be easy in the empty late afternoon store.  Something in his quivering voice made me stay.  

"Your mom certainly raised a kind son," I offered with a smile. 

"She's gone now," he offered, "lost in bombing.  I miss her."

"I'm sorry," I offered sincerely, taking a deep breath to regain my composure.

"I come here, but she stayed with my brothers. The bombings in Kharkiv were brutal and they are all gone with all the apartments and schools. Like that" he snapped his fingers, "all gone."

"Your mom would be so proud of you and all you have accomplished," I offered sincerely noticing his Asst Manager badge and thinking he had worked hard to earn it. "I am pretty sure you are working hard and making a difference in the lives of others every day." I added. "I am so glad I stopped here today. You are going to do continue to do amazing things and continue to make her proud."

A part of me wanted to give him a hug, but I settled on a heartfelt handshake across the counter and a wave as I left.

I had tears in my eyes when I got to my car thinking about his experience and how it mirrored those of so many immigrants to our country who give up so much for a chance at something better. As I drove home, I did find myself wondering about his immigration status.

I am still not sure how or why our paths crossed, but he left an imprint on my heart.  

#sol25 January 21 Only Magic in the Snow

 

I spent the evening Watching mindless Netflix and the dreading the steady snowfall; however, as I headed to bed, I noticed the ice encrusted trees and the snow coated roads waiting patiently for the snowblowers. I felt a shiver run down my spine as I crawled into bed knowing what the morning light would mean. 

I woke to the sound of plows and blowing snow along with a desire to stay in bed and avoid the inevitable shoveling. Several chapters and a few cups of coffee later, I finally layered up and headed into the frozen tundra where I pushed and prodded the snow off the driveway for a very, very long time. 

I was cold and there was snow in my boots, gloves and a few other places as well when I finally finished. I was so exhausted I could hardly heave myself into the shower to warm up!  

Then, my perspective took a 180 degree turn when I got a text about a marvelous igloo lovingly created from that same ice and snow. I suspect shovels, similar to mine, and energy, perhaps more than I expended on my driveway, were used to create this masterpiece. At first glance, it might look like a hole in the snow, but that ice and snow melded together with a bit of elbow grease into something memorable and wonderful, much like the igloos created by parents and grandparents when they too saw only magic in the snow. 

#sol25 January 14 OLW25

To be honest, I feel selfish and even smug posting about a OWL

while this great disaster is still unfolding in California.  

My thoughts and prayers are with those whose lives have been turned upside down. 

On a frigid day at the end of the year, I was leaving a magnificent office building when my OLW first appeared. I am not a fan of the doctor appointments that accompany growing older, but I appreciate having world class medical care close to home in a magnificent building that looks as if it belongs in NYC! I really do appreciate the closeness that lets me get to the pool before my appointment and home in minutes, instead of spending the day on the train and subways.

I appreciate this chapter of life filled with eager-to-change-the-world grad students, grateful-to-be-in-the-pool friends, and not-too-far-away grands. Those grads force me to read and reflect on the challenges of languages and cultures. My friends hold me accountable to attend classes, even those at 6:45 AM. They share the joys and challenges of getting older and encourage me to attend luncheons and concerts that I would never notice on my own. The opportunity to watch my grands grow and explore their ever-changing interests is a blessing that I never take for granted. 

I appreciate my children who share snippets of their successes and challenges allowing me to live, again, through their experiences. I appreciate those nieces and nephews who still reach out to share their experiences and concerts allowing me to maintain connections with my "old" life. 

Sure, at times I wish there were more trips and I would still like that house at the beach, but I appreciate the opportunity be semi-retired, semi-busy, and semi-loved. I appreciate the opportunity to "grow older" that so many are not afforded. My goal is to look beyond the day to day challenges, aches and pains and with respect to all those who have lost so much, I hope to try to appreciate someone and or something in each and every day.

appreciate: to grasp the nature, worth, quality, or significance of: to value or admire; to judge; to recognize with gratitude; to increase in number or value

#sol25 January 7 ENDings

 

While I am thinking about the "new" year, 

I am still focused on the ending of 2024.

She was the first

To sleep in the cradle

Crafted for her.

She was the first

To read, graduate, marry,

Becoming a Mom

Defined her.

She was the first

To leave this chapter

With so much still to do.

With a partner and children

Who needed her.

With clients and closings

Pending.

She is a reminder

To savor each sunrise,

To treasure each sunset,

To broker truces,

To make peace, amidst

The drama and demands

Of this life.