School has begun. It's official, my carefree mornings of sipping coffee and taking brisk walks by the water have been replaced by frantic packings of lunches and barking commands to the young ones to put on shoes and socks so we can all get to school on time.
I kept pretty faithful to the walking as it reduced my stress level, until I caught the first flu going around the school. Then it was rushing to bed to battle migraines. My walking routine diminished, but didn't disappear. It was rushed. Everything is now rushed.
Rush to call parents, rush to the photocopier, rush to the playground, rush to the meetings, rush to get my bio-children and most importantly RUSH TO THE BATHROOM! This week we had an Open House in the evening, giving me three hours between work and the open house. I rushed to make copies, charts, and plans hoping to squeeze in a quick walk (on the road, not by the water) before the Open House.
Then in walked Pam. She is one of those people in my life who exemplifies the character and integrity I aspire to. She asked me if I'd like to go to her house for a cup of tea. I looked at my walking shoes, unanswered e-mails, unfiled RTI documents, unfinished plans and said, "SURE." I had never been to Pam's house before. This two hundred year old farmhouse just kept whispering "relax" to me. The tea, the chair in the sunlit kitchen, the amazing woman sitting next to me. These all pressed an invisible release valve in my brain. For the first time since school started I just WAS. Sipping hot tea and enjoying conversation with a friend was the Rx for my rushing ways.
The next day we were both saying how much we enjoyed our time together and I had an epiphany. Just like we need workout partners to keep us motivated to stick to our exercise, we also need Relaxing Partners, folks who keep us true to taking care of our souls. Thank you, Pam. I just took a deep breath in honor of you.
