Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

I'm participating in a health challenge called Elf for health.  You are paired up with an elf who you contact via email or through networking sites. Each day we are given challenges to complete.  Today's challenge was to  look in the mirror and name 3 things you like about yourself.

I posted 3 things on their Facebook group site but then I read some of the other responses.  My 3 things were all physical features but then I thought about it.  There is more to me then my physical features.  So what are somethings that I like about myself.

1.  My photography skills - I love documenting important events in our lives.  I also love finding the beauty in the world.  Sometimes the simplest things are the prettiest.  (I know I'm not the best photographer but I think I do a pretty good job.)

Here are some of my favorite pictures:

2.  I've been facing some of my fears.  One of my fears is heights.  I don't like the feeling as though I'm going to fall.  This summer I went to Chicago with hubby on a kid's free vacation.  Something that doesn't happen very often.  We went to the Willis Tower.  He wanted to go into the sky box.  No way was I going to do that.  However with the help of a woman I did do that and lived to tell about it.  Here's the blog post about it:    How I Stood on a Ledge.

3.  Being a teacher - I've had a difficult year.  At the beginning of the school year, I was at the high school working with the 7th and 8th graders.  It was like I was first year teacher even though I am in my 13th year of teaching.  I faced discrimination (students accusing me), disrespect, and frustration.  They had me teaching a subject I never taught before and doing my usual job also.  I never knew whether I was coming or going.

The year before I had a great year and felt very confident.  This year I was feeling defeated which is not a good feeling.  Three people found out there was an opening at the elementary school and encouraged me to request to be transferred back to there.  It took a month but I was moved.  Even though the class I'm teaching there is a challenge, I'm feeling more confident and not so discouraged.

During my 13 years of teaching, I've had my highs and lows.  I've had my moments where I was so proud and moments where there was deep sadness.  Proud moment - Watching 11 of my special education students graduate from high school in 2011.  Sad moment - Attending the funeral of one students who drowned.  Proud moment - One of my lowest students taking a spelling test by first spelling out the words using tiles and then writing the word out.  Sad moment - The Connecticut shooting (Even though it didn't happen near me, I still feel a sense of sadness.)

4.  My faith - Almost 3 years ago, my family took a leap of faith and left the church we had attended.  (My hubby grew up at that church. And I started attending there when I started dating him in '97.  With another group of people, we started our own church.  In May, it will be 3 years since the church began.  I'm so thankful for my pastor because he also the leap of faith and went to the new church.  He is still our pastor.

Thanks for reading.

Sadness

There is a feeling of sadness over the tragedy in Connecticut.

As a teacher, I am absolutely heartbroken.  My classroom is connected to the office - one door goes to the main hallway and the other goes to the office.  I keep the office door locked 99% of the time.  I'm so glad I keep that habit.

Then my thought goes to what would I do with my students.  I don't have that many students at a time - 8 at the most.  However, I have only one tiny closet/cabinet.  I have 2 portable cabinets but they aren't places you could hide.  The tiny closet/cabinet couldn't hide anyone.  Plus it's behind my cramped desk area.  The area behind my desk would be the only place to hide.  However I have fifth and sixth graders at the time the shootings occurred.  They're bigger so not all of them would be able to hide in that cramp place.  (Plus they would fuss about people touching them or they would want to know what is going on - they are nosey like that.) 

Then I think of the innocent boy who sat in my room during my lunch time.  He is a Jehoveh's Witness and doesn't celebrate Christmas or birthdays.  His class was going to the holiday shop and was celebrating a birthday.  I told the teacher that he could sit in my room.  He sat there and colored. 

My thoughts then go to my two boys.  They are between the ages of the students that were at that school.  What if happened here?  There are 1,600 kids at their school!  (I think that's how many students are there.)

I know I can't dwell on it.  But as a teacher and parent, it really hits home.  What would I do?

So many innocent lives gone.  Please pray for their families, first responders, teachers, and staff in that town.  They need lots of prayers.