Letting Go
Today is Wednesday. I try to run on Wednesday mornings around the time the kids leave for school. When I came downstairs this morning to start my day, I just felt like I was going to run fast today. I stepped out into the light rain to start my run, and I wasn't quite sure what was going to happen. The rain was a bit cold, and coming down harder than I expected. In the end, I did run faster than normal, and the rain was like a cleanser. That jog this morning was one of the best I have had in a long time!
With such a glorious run behind me, I decided that I can no longer harbor these (ridiculous) feelings about 4th grade. I am letting go of the whole situation. I am putting my trust in the teachers, and my kids, and I believe that whatever ups and downs occur this year, in the end, the girls will have learned. I expect they will learn about more than just academic subjects...they'll learn about rules, and having to follow them, even when they don't feel like it. They will learn that teachers aren't always right. And most importantly, I think, they will learn that sometimes parents don't always get what they want.
***
Speaking of learning experiences, the kids and I were out enjoying what very well may be the last warm day of fall yesterday. Aaron was up the street at a friend's house, but the girls and I were outside making piles of leaves. The elderly man across the street came out of his house with a rake and wheelbarrow in hand. He started to rake his front lawn.
This man's wife has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease. I haven't spoken to either of them directly about it, as I don't want to intrude. But I have thought about letting the man know that I am often home, in the event he or his wife need some help. I looked over at the man, just starting to tackle an enormous pile of leaves. I then looked at the girls and said, "Let's go help out Mr. S Okay?" Zoe, Talia, and Melina all smiled and said "Yes."
We grabbed our rakes and crossed the street. We headed up his front lawn and said, "Mr. S, Can we help you rake your leaves?" He looked at me, dumbfounded, and replied, "Now why would you want to do that?" Several things came to mind, but I didn't want to say any of them. I know Mr. S can be a bit brusque at times, and I can't even imagine what he is going through right now. I simply said back to him, "Because we'd like to?" He agreed.
We had all the leaves to the curb in under 15 minutes. The kids were great helpers, even Melina, and I think we all felt great. Mr. S thanked us and went inside, and the rest of us headed back to our side of the street.
The neighbor on our right came out and we started talking. She mentioned that she saw us across the street, and seeing us had brought tears to her eyes. She essentially patted me on the back for what we did, and said that lessons like that are hard to come by these days. I hadn't thought about it directly, but she is right. I don't need to be patted on the back, but kids these days don't often see neighbors helping neighbors, and learning lessons about life and giving are often few and far between. Lessons like this remind me that 4th grade troubles really aren't that much trouble at all.
With such a glorious run behind me, I decided that I can no longer harbor these (ridiculous) feelings about 4th grade. I am letting go of the whole situation. I am putting my trust in the teachers, and my kids, and I believe that whatever ups and downs occur this year, in the end, the girls will have learned. I expect they will learn about more than just academic subjects...they'll learn about rules, and having to follow them, even when they don't feel like it. They will learn that teachers aren't always right. And most importantly, I think, they will learn that sometimes parents don't always get what they want.
***
Speaking of learning experiences, the kids and I were out enjoying what very well may be the last warm day of fall yesterday. Aaron was up the street at a friend's house, but the girls and I were outside making piles of leaves. The elderly man across the street came out of his house with a rake and wheelbarrow in hand. He started to rake his front lawn.
This man's wife has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease. I haven't spoken to either of them directly about it, as I don't want to intrude. But I have thought about letting the man know that I am often home, in the event he or his wife need some help. I looked over at the man, just starting to tackle an enormous pile of leaves. I then looked at the girls and said, "Let's go help out Mr. S Okay?" Zoe, Talia, and Melina all smiled and said "Yes."
We grabbed our rakes and crossed the street. We headed up his front lawn and said, "Mr. S, Can we help you rake your leaves?" He looked at me, dumbfounded, and replied, "Now why would you want to do that?" Several things came to mind, but I didn't want to say any of them. I know Mr. S can be a bit brusque at times, and I can't even imagine what he is going through right now. I simply said back to him, "Because we'd like to?" He agreed.
We had all the leaves to the curb in under 15 minutes. The kids were great helpers, even Melina, and I think we all felt great. Mr. S thanked us and went inside, and the rest of us headed back to our side of the street.
The neighbor on our right came out and we started talking. She mentioned that she saw us across the street, and seeing us had brought tears to her eyes. She essentially patted me on the back for what we did, and said that lessons like that are hard to come by these days. I hadn't thought about it directly, but she is right. I don't need to be patted on the back, but kids these days don't often see neighbors helping neighbors, and learning lessons about life and giving are often few and far between. Lessons like this remind me that 4th grade troubles really aren't that much trouble at all.
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