School starts tomorrow for our public school students in the county. I have missed them. I look forward to seeing them. I will be potentially exposed to Covid daily so I won’t be able to safely see any of you for quite some time. This is especially painful because my youngest granddaughter was born in August and I don’t know when I will be able to see her again safely.
We are still taking temperatures at school (yes, that’s one of my duties…) but social distancing is relegated to “when possible.” We still have a mask rule but by the time we remind students that it needs to be over their nose who knows how many people they have exposed? Several of my colleagues and students have had Covid despite being vaccinated. Buses are filling up again. Sports are a go. We are a nation exhausted by the restrictions of 2020 and encouraged by the brief time between unmasking and the Delta variant surge. Many do not see the value in going back to protective safety measures. Now, apparently, there is at least one additional variant of concern.
To be honest, I didn’t intend to post today. I don’t have time to post today. I still have to finish 7 hours of coursework online (which only became available on Wednesday) in order to qualify to complete the necessary testing of several of my students within a very narrow time frame. And this is what is supposed to be foremost on my “to-do” list. For sure, I will spend my evenings preparing and will get it done. At the expense of my down time, my family time, my personal needs. How many of our professions require this? I know for sure that teaching does, yet I am sure we are not the only ones. I see my children and in-loves working at all hours of the day to make sure something with their name on it is done to the best of their ability. This time is not paid, and in many cases does not contribute to their quality of life. Yet who am I to point this out to them, since I have spent so many years putting the needs of my students and the demands of my districts above the time I should have been spending with my family?
To be honest, I have no cheerful and inspirational takeaway from this post. I love my job, I love my students I love my family. I want balance. If you have found it, please weigh in.
Meandering Around the Middle 
I love this post! You will rock this year. Missing the grandbabies is a tough one, that many of us are dealing with.
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Love your post! I miss the kids so much but, ugh, 7 hours of ACCESS training-not so much😵💫
My yoga instructor has the best visual inspirations. I love when she says “Our life is a like a full glass of water, everything we give to others empties the glass of water bit by bit. We must take time to do what it takes to add water back or we are living an empty life.” Find what you love and make those deposits of water so your glass never empties. You are an awesome teacher, mother, wife, daughter, grandmother etc…show yourself some of that awesomeness!
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