Beautiful Things and an Update

It seems impossible that we should have arrived at this latter part of the year already, but here we are. Time has been going so quickly and has been so full of planning and preparation for a great many things. It is nice after this holiday of thankfulness to be able to pause and collect myself. In the repose that accompanies this holiday break, this was kind of floating around in my subconscious.

Oh the beauty of the world!

Of stars hung high 

And leaves wind swirled

Of gardens wild

And birds on wing

And these are just

 the ordinary things.

Best friends walking

Arms entwined

A gentleman getting the door

For his age worn wife.

A child’s smile

And eyes alight

A mother’s voice

In soft lullabies

A friend who in comfort

Cries along,

When life seems bad

And things gone wrong.

A family around

 the table gather,

To share food and

Memories and laughter.

A customer who lets another

Precede in line.

Warm hands holding 

As christmas lights first shine.

Beauty is moments shared

And joy that’s spread.

It’s life awakening us

From our hollow dead.

It’s reaching out 

And holding close.

It’s trust and faith

And what the heart knows.

We are the beauty of God’s earth

Our choice? to fill with joy or mirth

How we act, and speak and live

To the broken world its beauty gives.

In other news, I avoided the popular Facebook trend of each day of thankfulness in favor of just making a list of things that I am thankful for. The poem above actually includes many of the things that struck me, but there were so many more that my heart was almost too full to share. As I reflect on the blessings that are in my life, I try to not let anything be too small and yet I know that on a daily basis, I am not grateful for even half of what I should be. I find though, that life always seems to find a way to help you appreciate it at some point. Some things that I have come to appreciate this year in a new way are the different smiles of my kiddos. There are the "You are such a goof!" smiles, the "It finally makes sense!" smiles, the surprised smiles, the friendship smiles, the laughing smiles, and the good morning smiles. Each one finds a way to warm my heart and make each challenge or stress about work seem insignificant. I'm thankful for my amazing coworkers who show me everyday what it means to be selfless and dedicated to kids. We laugh together, we make it through rough days together, we celebrate successes together, and we make our school into a warm, loving place together. I have the utmost respect for each of them and feel so incredibly blessed that these are the people God gave me to inspire and encourage me as grow as an educator. I am thankful for my parents who have modeled the same selflessness my whole life. It's sneaky selflessness and they wouldn't even realize some of the ways that they were selfless. For instance, they were selfless in that they never made me be someone that I wasn't. They never pressured me to believe as they do or to fit into any gender stereotypes or to fit into a societally appropriate mold. They gave me the skills and qualities to care about people, work hard, and succeed as myself. I am also thankful that we can now sit and have invigorating conversations that last for hours. I am thankful for my siblings who are now and have always been partners in crime and in everything else. My parents always told us that friends would come and go but our siblings would always be there and would have to love us and that has proven itself true time and time again. I'm thankful for each of my friends, close or far, old or new because each one is a bright light in the canvas of my life and the warmth they shine in my life never lets the dark times overwhelm me. I feel so blessed to have so many people that I connect with and who challenge me to be a better person. I am thankful for memories I got to make this year and for all the ways God provided for me this year. I am thankful for my faith communities and the way they have cultivated my growth in Christ this year. I am thankful for modern technology and the way that it simplifies many aspects of my life. I am thankful for the low points of my year that broke me a little bit and out of those fractures, the wisdom that came. I am thankful for each victory in myself over fears, doubts, insecurities, and goals. 

Overall, I am just so thankful to be alive and to be living this life, however imperfect it may be at times, it is the one God gave me and it is the one I will keep finding beauty in. Thank you each for your part in making it beautiful. 

Love to you all,

Kate