June 30th - Visit #6

So, for this month I decided to spend time with myself and God and reflect on the things I have learned so far on my journey. I traveled to San Antonio to the ISTE conference for 5 amazing days of learning and food, but was able to spend some alone time and reflect and ponder the things of life. Things that help you reflect on life - turning 50, graduation and the oldest leaving the nest, anniversary #24, the death of an amazing person and friend, the terminal illness of a dear friends young wife, the end of a school year, time alone... Too much of the time I don't stop and be still long enough to ponder anything. This year long journey is a marker along the way to make sure I am headed the right way along the path of life. It has been a wonderful and fun learning experience so far.

Big ideas I have learned so far...

Be passionate about what you do!

Care about others!

Don't take yourself too seriously!

Stop and smell the roses along the way - take time for the relationships in your life!

Some times you just have to deal with "it" and move on.

The most amazing people I know are those that are passionate about what they do and care about others more than themselves. Several of these people are: Mr. Lee, the janitor at my old school. He takes such pride in what he does and is willing to always go above and beyond to help others. My husband, band director extraordinaire. He lives band and would do anything to to share that passion with others. A testament to this is how many students he has had that have followed in his foot steps. Shannon Price, one of the best teachers I have ever worked with. The relationships she builds with students allows her to teach her students to reach their highest potential in everything. I want to be passionate about what I do so I can affect others as these have affected me.

I know that I take life too seriously! I am a perfectionist, very hard on myself and expect too much from myself and others. This tendency hinders my ability to relax and enjoy all life has to offer sometimes. This is definitely an area for continued work! Stopping each month to spend an extended time with someone has helped however, this will always be an area of struggle for me.

One of the people in my life who represents all of these big ideas is my friend, Dee Rogers who recently died of pancreatic cancer. She was and will continue to be such an inspiration to me and so many others. Everything she did in life, she did with passion. Whether it was Learning @ Lovejoy, golfing, family, friends...she lived life with grit and gusto! She cared immensely about others and was always willing to stop and listen. She helped me "move on" on several occasions and helped me not take thing too seriously. I will miss her smile and friendship!

I have enjoyed my journey so far, learned a lot about myself, really connected with people and hopefully will continue to learn and grow and become more of the person I should be.