A slow release vitamin. I’ve never been referred to as such, but it might be one of the greatest compliments I’ve ever received.
Humbling, for sure. God’s perfect timing, as always.
I’m sure it is the desire of every teacher to impart sage life lessons to students that will serve them well for years to come. Or at the very least, that they’d leave your classroom with an arsenal of useful party trivia like the difference between waxing and waning moons, chemical vs. physical reactions, the fastest land animal, and where mangrove trees grow.
Bonus teacher feelies when I got this message from former third grader Keenan’s mom last week:
‘So the kid who has always HATED running got up at 6am on the first Sunday of summer vacation and announced he was going to run a mile. Went, did it and the next day got up and did it again, and again and again. Monday he decided to run two miles, so he did. The next night he announced, “I’m going to run a 5k in the morning,” so he did.’
She also shared some funny memories like when I’d come into class on Monday mornings with my own version of show n tell in the form of race medals. Keenan even went so far as to do an impression of me. Not sure how that went…probably involved me limping and grimacing every time I had to stand or sit. Hope he nailed my crying as I walked up and down three flights of stairs from carpool to our second floor classroom the day after a marathon.
But the words that I’ve been digesting, processing, and feeling the benefits from are these:
“Your impression and impact is like a slow release vitamin!!! Who you are and what you invested is still being released in your students lives…for a lifetime. Thought you’d like to know.”
Ummm, yeah! How did she know I needed to hear that? Actually, I didn’t even know I needed to hear that. Of course, God knew.
The past few weeks – and months – have been spent preparing and obsessing over the arrival of our newest family member, Miles, the mini aussie labradoodle puppy. Not coincidentally, the whole fam got to stay with us when we brought Miles home. This puppy got a whole lotta lovin’ and socialization for two weeks. And so did I. The day they all left, I suddenly felt a void similar to when Natalie and Meagan left for college. The nest was once again empty. That was even a blog post of mine titled “Empty Nest or Emptiness.” Part of the emptiness back then and last weekend was a feeling of uselessness. Like “Okay, now what?” As adorable as this new puppy is and has me wrapped around her little paw, my life certainly can’t revolve around her pee and poop schedule.
But this feeling didn’t just start when we brought Miles home a few weeks ago. It’s been months really. I could easily, conveniently attribute the unproductive, lack of purpose feelings to COVID quarantine life. Don’t get me wrong; the depression and effects of long term sheltering in place are very real. My blog post from exactly one month ago was a huge step for me. Saying the words “We moved to Indiana” was like finally exhaling. The move had very little to do with COVID and California, but it has had a lot to do with our current circumstances. It’s changed the way we run our businesses out here. It’s changed our finances. It’s changed our lifestyle. So has Miles.
There’s a reason puppies, toilet paper, and baker’s yeast were hot commodities during quarantine. Folks suddenly have a lot of time at home. As a result of COVID and Miles the puppy, I cook almost all the time now, get up precisely at 6:30 am, and go to bed before 11 pm. I’ve also started running in the morning instead of late afternoon when Miles usually takes her longest nap. She’s napping right now as I’m typing.
It’s been a struggle to get good habits established. Probably why I loved being a teacher. Every minute of your day is accounted for down to your recess/lunch restroom breaks. After I retired from teaching, my bladder didn’t. Dave and I would be driving down to Monterey for a day trip and at precisely 9:45 and 11:35 I’d summon Dave to pull over for restroom stops. Teacher bladder schedule still alive and well. With exception to the restroom thing, I thrived on the structure and control of the classroom environment. It fed my inner OCD monster daily. Regular feedback (good and bad), progress, and accountability also fueled me. I cherish when Facebook memories pop-up now reminding me of so many incredible, touching, silly, funny, and life-giving moments. They also remind me of the feeling of daily purpose I had back then.
I’ve come up with lots of good excuses for why I don’t have more intentionality, structure, motivation, commitment, etc. in my day. For awhile, living in two states was one. Then COVID. It’s been discouraging and depressing to say the least. Lots of stuff in Indiana has reopened recently, so there goes that excuse. We made the leap and moved, so no falling back on that excuse anymore. So NOW what’s my excuse? Encouragement. I needed some good ol’ fashioned words of affirmation that I could still make a difference in this new chapter of life.
Encouragement does two things: sustains and fuels.
And like a slow release vitamin, encouraging words release nutrients – life giving, essential building blocks – into our systems over an extended period of time.
Some say dogs give you a reason to get up in the morning. Miles has certainly done that. Nothing gets you outta bed quicker than knowing your doggo is about to explode. But what about the other 16 waking hours of the day? I don’t know exactly what’s in store for me next. I do know that hearing and seeing how Keenan is pumped and showing the self-discipline to be a runner after almost seven years of hearing me talk about it ad nauseum in class every week has breathed new life into this tired, middle-aged runner.
Slow release vitamins. Consumed and transported into the digestive tract, bloodstream, and tissues with slow, steady release for maximum absorption over time. Reminds me of what I used to tell the class: “Slow and steady wins the race.” And “No excuses – PERSEVERE!”
Thank you, Jennifer and Keenan.
“Let’s see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out…” Hebrews 10:24 MSG
“Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!” Hebrews 12:1-3 MSG
