JulieAloha

So 2012 is upon us – I wonder what it will hold? According to some the world is about to end…again, but I don’t have enough time for world’s end this year. I need to get my diabetes under control, which means my “resolutions” will include diet and exercise, and stress reduction is critical – where to start? To reduce stress I must diligently eat right and use willpower (unknown quantity of supply) to establish a consistent schedule of exercise. To maintain a good diet one must have money; bad food=cheap; good food=pricey. To get money, one must have a job (and/or win lottery…unlikely), which is currently the greatest source of stress, which is what I’m trying to reduce. Trying to find new job?: too much stress right now even to consider. Dealing with current job: while not optimal given certain negative relationships, I love my actual work with my kids – they are really what keeps me going and Childcare is truly my calling. Why else would I put up with the crazy hours (6:15-9:10am and 3:15-6:30pm), the low wages (no one gets into education to make money), and the neverending political hassle? I actually LIKE lesson planning and trying to figure out how to encompass writing, math, literature, art, science, music, history, cooking, social skills and games into a theme which will engage kids’ imaginations and inspire them to dig into ideas and make connections with the world around them. For our classroom, 2012 holds the exploration of the deep sea, something we’ve heard the kids talking about and have had many discussions about at group time. We’re going to dive (heh) into marine biology, read about oceans and the creatures within, play with sand and shells and sea water, visit the beach, have a guest speaker or two in the classroom and hopefully go to the aquarium. We’ll draw and paint and sculpt from what we experience and learn, and we’ll see where it all takes us – together.

So…I know where my classroom is headed, or at least how we’ll begin…but my own path is harder to see. I thought I had things fairly well balanced and under control, but 2011 taught me better. I’ve never been more fearful, starting a new year – afraid of losing my way, of having others with more power isolate me and bully me off my path, of failure and losing control. On the other hand, I can’t help feeling a surge of hope as I step into the unknown, having faith and Faith that whatever obstacle presents itself, I will persevere and I will not be alone. As many do, I take stock of my life at the end of the year and I acknowledge that 2011 had some horrifically savage lows, some fairly average highs, and a few brilliant moments which struggle desperately to outshine the surrounding shadow, but all in all I have survived and find myself with an incredibly positive outlook for 2012. A dear friend sent me a text just before midnight crossed the threshold between years: “Let’s send a BIG BEAT IT to 2011. Happy New Year” and that’s just what I intend to do.

Happy New Year, everyone! May it be a blessing to you all!

– Julie