Just Keep Going
Today I am grateful for phone conversations with my sisters Mary Jo and Leonice yesterday, and for an early morning run today. One footfall at a time, I just kept going.
Just keep going. I was thinking about some people in my life facing current challenges. Serious health issues. Ongoing grief. Just keep going. The late miles of a marathon are a good place to apply this as well.
My first full-time teaching job, at age 23, was a bit of a blur for the first year. I got the job just weeks before school started. I had three or four different courses to prepare for during the year. I worked very hard to stay ahead in my lesson plans and having materials ready. This was before computers and even readily available copy machines. I made many copies on a ditto machine.
I also did some coaching. I worked a lot. Long hours. I was tired. A lot. I got a callous on my finger from writing so many notes. I lacked confidence in my teaching ability. I was in my last year of drinking too.
Living in the community I taught in, less than a mile from school, I would walk on nice days. But if things weren't nice in my head, I often wanted to keep walking right past the school and just keep going. Walk where? I don't know.
Instead, I just kept going to work. Ten years of teaching went by. My confidence and experience grew. Now twenty years as a school counselor have gone by. I just kept going. And I am so very grateful that I did.
The early days and months of sobriety were difficult. I just kept going. A day at a time. I am so very grateful I did.
Today, I know the value in "just keep going." Living gratefully has better taught me the value in "just stop" though too.
Just keep going. I was thinking about some people in my life facing current challenges. Serious health issues. Ongoing grief. Just keep going. The late miles of a marathon are a good place to apply this as well.
My first full-time teaching job, at age 23, was a bit of a blur for the first year. I got the job just weeks before school started. I had three or four different courses to prepare for during the year. I worked very hard to stay ahead in my lesson plans and having materials ready. This was before computers and even readily available copy machines. I made many copies on a ditto machine.
I also did some coaching. I worked a lot. Long hours. I was tired. A lot. I got a callous on my finger from writing so many notes. I lacked confidence in my teaching ability. I was in my last year of drinking too.
Living in the community I taught in, less than a mile from school, I would walk on nice days. But if things weren't nice in my head, I often wanted to keep walking right past the school and just keep going. Walk where? I don't know.
Instead, I just kept going to work. Ten years of teaching went by. My confidence and experience grew. Now twenty years as a school counselor have gone by. I just kept going. And I am so very grateful that I did.
The early days and months of sobriety were difficult. I just kept going. A day at a time. I am so very grateful I did.
Today, I know the value in "just keep going." Living gratefully has better taught me the value in "just stop" though too.
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