Wow. Many years ago I began this blog. Apparently, I did not get very far with it at the time AND, then I also realized that my path took me in a different direction at the time that was the perfect detour I needed to take! Life has changed. Life does that. Life will always continue to do that!!
Currently, I’m in my favorite yet least favorite time of year … the season of going back to school! As a mom, I get excited knowing my kids will be returning to more structure and routine. I also know that it will bring a myriad of new routines, schedules, and craziness that I’m not quite ready for!! As a teacher, well that’s a whole other story!
This year, more than ever, I am realizing how these 2 distinctly different worlds of mine are more intertwined and alike than I’d ever recognized. Maybe because my ‘personal’ kiddos are older; maybe because I’m teaching 3rd grade and that’s the grade my sweet boy is in; or maybe because I have yet to master the art of separating the two worlds and need to find a healthier balance so they don’t feel like one giant combination, I can see the constant in my life is me and the words I choose to speak .
The past few days at school we’ve created our “Class Social Contract” to ensure we have a space where we feel we‘re being treated and spoken to in a respectful and caring way while at home, I’ve been focusing on the way I guide my son through those frustrating situations with patience and grace so that we can both learn from them. And the one thing that truly jumped out at me was how powerful words can be through it all. My words - the way I express things, the way I work hard to feel that I am acting and behaving in a way that embodies the life of Christ - have the ability to impact my life and all of those around me.
As an author and someone who ‘thinks’ through her fingers on the keyboard, finding the ‘perfect’ way to say what is in my head can become all-consuming. I think that is why the beginning of the school year as a teacher is so exhausting because I am consciously choosing what I say to help build those relationships and provide an environment that allows my students to feel safe, loved, and valued. My words can either enhance our connection and budding relationship or will bring the journey to a crashing halt.
AND!!
Yes, AND!! You see, I have the ability to embrace how I experience each and every interaction and the way I choose to ‘see’ it. Yes, I get to do that!! And that word “AND” is key to enabling me to recognize that while I may not like what is happening, while I may not want to do something, I can always navigate it with an attitude of joy and grace.
So in my world, I work really hard to avoid saying the word ‘but’, replacing it with the all-powerful ‘AND’. For example, I don’t want to get up and clean my house today and do the mountain of laundry that is in front of me AND once I do, I’ll get to enjoy the rest of the day with my family! Or, when I talk to my kids about a choice they make that was not so great I can use it as a learning opportunity with that one, single word and spin it on its head!! For example, I can share that the choice they made may not have been their greatest, AND together how can we learn and do it differently next time.
Let’s be honest, this is not an easy skill to put into practice. It take time, effort, energy, and more ….. AND …. the shift I experience as a result is worth every conscious decision I make to say it!!
Here’s to a 3-letter word, yet one that has the ability to be more powerful than almost any other word I know!! How will you use it today?