After a Storm

Audrey

Last night was a tremendous lightening storm.  It was amazing to watch move towards our house at such a fast, relentless speed.  I sat, in my completely dark bedroom, listening to the rain pelt the windows.  The wind pushing against the walls made me think of the big bad wolf huffing and puffing, trying to blow our little house down. The lightening was flashing a few times nearly every second.  Mother nature was definitely in charge.

There is a sense of serenity that overcomes me when a storm takes over.  While I admit that begin inside helps a lot, I know people who are very frightened or anxious when the winds pick up and thunder rolls.  Something inside my head gets very calm and every decision is crystal clear and individual.  This is how my mind reacts during intense situations or crisis, it does not "lock-up", but rather it attempts to slow things down to scrutinize them.

These past few weeks have felt like a storm of sorts, with everyone returning to work/school routines.  My school schedule has felt like a storm in many ways, with my time being completely re-prioritized and having to communicate and present for nearly sixty students, not to mention an entire school staff, as well.  I see fellow teachers, overwhelmed by the sheer volume of emails, phone calls, assignments, and general paperwork screaming for their time with deadlines and quickly-closing dates.  Even now, as I type this, a pile of math quizzes stares at me from across the room, begging for a grade in their upper right corners.

This is where my mind slows down and takes things on an individual basis.  It is essential that people understand how they operate in different situations, and also to recognize how others work through life.  I have been trying to understand how my daughters respond to different situations, and address behavior when I recognize it.  I also do this with my students, and pretty much anyone else who I encounter on a regular basis.  I think we all learn to adjust to different modes of learning and responses as we progress through life, but I don't think we all take the time to examine and really think about our different processes.  How do you respond to intense situations?

So now the morning light breaks as I peck away at this keyboard with a cup of coffee at my side.  The children and wife are still asleep, and it is peaceful.  The extra day of weekend is blissful, and I am sure I could be more productive, but it is brilliant to simply sit and be.  The Chicago Marathon seems to be in my future again, so thoughts of Gatorade and new running shoes dance in my mind.  Getting to run and exercise is becoming a staple in my life, and I get queasy thinking about a time where I cannot run distances any more.  However, I get excited thinking about helping Audrey to run one day, or just to see her grow into her athletic abilities.  Her swimming this summer was so much fun, and the winter months have promised more swim lessons in order to get us active during the darkest months.  But those months are a little while off.  We still have football, and the fall colors, and Thanksgiving before the first snowflakes are even a possibility.

So as all this begins to happen, and the storm of life swirls all about me, I do my best to sit calmly, taking it all in, one thing at a time.

Violet