Twenty Twenty

Twenty Twenty seemed like it would be an amazing year. Just the sound of the year. When you hear twenty twenty you think perfect vision, focus. Surely the year would have greatness! Not.

Twenty twenty came with lots of heartache, confusion and a blurred vision. Not even certain where to begin. 

New Years Eve was spent in a crowded hospital room with my mom and family. She was admitted for unknown pains in her legs that began in December. We brought in the new year in her hospital room. She soon recovered and is doing well.  

The next month, my dad had surgery to remove cancer that was found on his kidney. Blessed to know that the surgery was all he needed to rid the cancer. He still has his follow ups. I am grateful to God that his cancer treatment was minimal and curable. 

Then came March. There was a lot of fuzziness happening. An illness had reached the US. I don’t believe it just reached us then, but it was when our country began to really take note of what was happening and the communication about the virus started to become the main thing. Everything started to shutdown including schools, businesses, restaurants, and even the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. Little did we know that this virus was about to wipe us all out and transform the world and life we live. 

March was also devastating because we lost one of our best friends. He passed away from a car accident. It was such a sudden loss that still to this day is hard to believe. Many were heartbroken and still carry this loss heavy. 

April and May is when our world truly shut down. Everyone was informed to stay home. Only essential personnel were allowed to be out. School was up in the air. Each week educators wondered if they will get to return to school before the end of the year. Teachers and school leaders scrambled around trying to make school happen online with little time to prep yet expected to have quick answers. Answers began to be “I don’t know? Or we have to wait.”  High school and college graduations either became virtual or postponed. 

June hit and it hit hard. My husband’s father, my father in law passed away after being ill (not from Covid) for a month in the hospital. It was a tough month. My children lost their first grandparent.  This was a heavy loss for my husband, especially since he had just lost one of his closest of friends in March. The pain from his loss is still heavily felt. 

Most of this world wide quarantined time was spent bbq-ing and bike riding with my family. The stillness of the world was in some way calming considering all that we were coping with in our little world.

July and August was all a blur. My son’s college graduation that was originally postponed turned into a virtual ceremony. He was disappointed, but we made the most of it with a home ceremony. We celebrated his accomplishment with our family. This is one of the highlights of our year- seeing our son receive his degree. It brought about some sunshine and excitement to our little world. 

August came and schools were opening up - virtually that is. All districts had their own timeline as to how long they would remain virtual. The first day of school brought tears to my eyes as I walked the halls looking into classrooms of teachers teaching into computers. Not a student present. It was the most oddest thing to witness. The teachers pulled all the stops out to give the best instruction they could with what they knew at the time. 

September and October rolled around and plans for face to face school was in the air. Districts were beginning to have students in person. Questions were continuously asked about safety. That was the only thing that mattered. Fear was pronounced by families and educators alike. How were we going to make the most of the school year? School was transformed to be unlike it ever was. Nonetheless, everyone gave it their all.

The year ended quietly. New Years Eve was a bittersweet evening. Not only were we saying goodbye to 2020, but it felt like we were leaving a lot behind too. Praying 2021 is brought with much blessing for all!

Forty six

 I turned forty six. Celebrating another year was bittersweet. Nonetheless, I’m grateful to God for another year of life. 

This last chapter brought some lessons. 

• Health matters. Taking care of your body and keeping up with annual appointments is essential. The sooner you discover something wrong, the better opportunity you have in bringing yourself back to good health.
• Mindfulness is not a trend, but real. Just like your physical health is important, so is your mindfulness. You must take time for yourself. Read a book for fun. Practice mindfulness techniques. Play some music and relax. Journal. Anything that relaxes you. 
• You really only have one life to live and enjoying every moment with loved ones is golden. Life is short so live each moment doing what makes you happy. Don’t hesitate to tell the ones you love I love you or even I’m sorry. 
• Prayer is powerful. 

These lessons weren’t new to me. They just happen to test me this past year so they naturally stood out. 

This next chapter has begun with lots of uncertainties not just in our city or country, but in our world. However, what is certain is the perspective I will have. Positive. Prayerful. 

Here is to making forty six powerful and purposeful. While we can’t control life around us, we can control what is within us. How we carry on even through tested times can only keep us growing stronger. Cheers to more blessed years of life with family and friends. 

December Gratitude

My most grateful moments in December- 

1) Decluttered garages- This actually happened over Thanksgiving break, but I can’t help to feel grateful that it was in my past and was accomplished so feverishly. I still had boxes full of things from when we moved into our home three years ago. Today all boxes have been discarded.

2) Texans vs. Patriots game- Tailgating with family and friends. Texans won. End of story.

3) Rediscovering the Book of Luke- Did you know reading Luke chapter 1-24 by taking a chapter a day you discover or affirm the meaning of Christmas? Some days became tough because of late nearly nights, but I would double up to complete. Beautiful words and guidance we should follow on earth. 

4) If Happiness was a Skill session- This was a refreshing session on taking the time to pause and be in the moment. All administrators were required to attend. It was well worth my afternoon and then some.

5) Postcards from other Leaders- Last summer I signed up to be a part of a “pen pal” circle with other leaders across the country. We provided our contact information and were assigned a group of about twenty leaders to send a postcard with an encouraging note. The post card could be sent an any time of the year. I started receiving mine this month. It was heartwarming to receive a handwritten encouraging note from another human being. 

6) Gatherings- I love hosting gatherings in our home. I enjoy providing that hospitality for down time to relax, unwind and just enjoy the company and moment. Nothing fancy. This year we got to host a Christmas gathering. We invited family, friends and co-workers. It was a ton of fun. 

7) Shop with a Cop - I have been blessed to be connected to a police union who sponsors this program every year for our school. We get to take students for an evening of shopping at Walmart. It’s such a rewarding experience for us and even more so for the families. 

8) Christmas Eve mass- I joined a dear friend for the Children’s Christmas Eve mass. It was a beautiful service.

9) Road trip- Took my parents down to Louisiana for a casino trip. Dad hit big with $1,000! 

10) Christmas Day- What was a small gathering turned into a much larger one with our family joining us. It was a perfect evening of bbq around the fire. 

Mindfulness

It has become the buzz word. Mindfulness. Is this another fad or is it something we need to pay mind to?

I attended a Social Emotional training back at the beginning of the school year by Keeth Matheny. It was a great session. The focus was about being mindful and in the present. Our district brought him back this past week. We had a choice to attend one of the three sessions being offered. The session was titled “If Happiness was a Skill.” I chose the last session of the day.

The first thing he had us do was mark our happiness at the moment on a scale. We were going to mark ourselves on the scale at end of the session too. At that point I inferred I would most likely leave this session with joy because this guy was about to take us on a ride. 

What I was affirmed with at the end of the class are in the list below. I say affirmed because I know these things. I’ve been in bits of practice with this since a year ago when I was in my Leadership class. One of the first topics covered during class was about how to leave work behind and get to enjoy your life with family. However, the lecture was one thing. Putting it into practice hasn’t quite shifted to habit just yet.  Here they are:

• Happiness is a decision.
• Our thoughts elicit emotion that creates our behaviors that impact our world.
• Be in the present.
• Savor your moments.
• Pause
• Multitasking isn’t real nor is it effective
• Technology is suppose to make work efficient but not keep you at work all the time. 

To be in the moment and happy with the place you are in is challenging for many people. We are always looking for the next best thing. The next best job, car, home, etc... that we forget that the moment we are in is something we most likely prayed for at one time. We expect the next thing to make us happy rather than being happy in the moment we are in.

My life experiences thus far have taught me how to see the bigger picture. It’s not about what the next day holds or where I will be in a year. What matters most is being happy in the moment you are living. What matters is today. 

How will I spend today living my best life? 

The Work Bag

I tried something last week that was quite refreshing. It was simple. I left my work bag at work.

Every day I carry my work bag to and from work. It is heavy. It contains each of my daily notebooks I use on a daily basis. I do not know why I carry them back and forth. Perhaps I may need it when I am home. I do not know. Most times, I am so exhaustingly tired I do not even open up my bag. It still comes home with me. It gets even heavier on the weekends. I guess I feel I have more time, let me take more home.

So, last Tuesday I was at work late and figured why take it home. I'm coming right back. So, I did the unthinkable and left it all at work-including my laptop! Then the next day my husband said we were going to have dinner with our daughter. So, I left it again figuring I would not have an ounce of time to do anything with the contents of the bag. Then it was Thursday. I was ready to leave by 4:30, however I still had a to do list to take care of. So, I decided to go ahead and clear the list. I left a bit later- 6:00 p.m. However, I was able to leave without the bag!

There was something about leaving work at work that week that was so refreshing to my soul. I was able to come home with a clear mind. Each morning, I got up and dressed and walked out the house with just my purse. It felt so liberating! I shared this experience with someone and they assured me to keep doing it more often. The feeling was too great that I do think I will make it possible. Even just taking it one day at a time.

This forty something thing is really getting the best of me. Why does it take forty something years to realize what now twenty somethings already know- to take time to care for ourselves. Feed the soul. We only live one life. It's time to make the most of the life I have been given. This includes making the most of the time I have and spending it doing what I love and enjoy most.

Chapter Forty Five

When I was young I thought forty five was quite old. I mean, it seemed like only parents are that age. But then I got here. It doesn’t seem so old anymore.

Forty five is just getting started and I reflect on what I’ve learned thus far in my forty five years of life. No particular order. 

1. People don’t necessarily change. We just grow.
2. Our health becomes more important.
3. Home is always the best place to be on a Friday night. 
4. Prayer is powerful. 
5. Not everyone is nice, but you can be nice to everyone. 
6. What you consume does affect your body and mood.
7. Reading is such a relaxing hobby. 
8. Mediation is so healthy. 
9. You don't always have to be in a rush. Slow down. 
10. Traveling is necessary. 
11. Speaking another language is beneficial. 
12. Dreams can come true. 
13. Water is essential for a healthy life. 
14. It is necessary to take care of yourself. If you don't, no one else will. 
15. Life is very short. 
16. The work will always be there. You won't. Choose you. 
17. Children are a true blessing. Cherish them. 
18. Chocolate helps any bad day. 
19. So much can change in one year. 
20. Love is above everything else. Forgiveness is a gift. 

Live, love, hope and dream. 

HoUSton Strong

It is day 6 of Hurricane Harvey aftermath. I'm still home. It's been a tremendous storm that hit the southeast region of Texas. We never could have forseen the consequence this storm would bring us.

Day One: Friday night in Houston was rather calm. Some rain came in, but it was light. It appeared to be not as strong as anticipated at first. But the news did continue to warn us that it wasn't over yet. Thursday night the Texans game played side by side from the weather reports.

Day Two: Saturday is when it really hit. It hit. It. Hit. Hard. First it hit the southwest and southeast areas of Houston. I have a teacher in southwest and a sister in southeast. I couldn't sleep. I stayed up most of the night. I may have doze off for an hour around 3 a.m., but jumped up and immediately checked back in with my sister. She was still safe. So was my teacher. 

Day Three: Sunday got even worse as the rain continued to pour in with no end in sight. Streets began to flood. Rivers, creeks, reservoirs...you name it! It all began to slowly rise. It became a nightmare. Television stations ran around the clock coverage with no commercials. Celebrities-JJ Watt, Kevin Hart, The Rock- started challenging each other and the public to donate to the recovery of this what we didn't know at the moment to be the most catastrophic storm disaster to hit the United States. 

Day Four: Monday was a day of saving grace. All day long the news reporters reported all the lives being saved from flooded neighborhoods by first responders, neighbors and strangers. The sight of water everywhere was unimaginable. Water continued to rise in neighborhoods. Freeways looked like oceans. Streets were no where to be found. People climbed into the second story of their homes (if they had a two story!)  Others were on the roof of their homes. All desperate to be taken to safer grounds. The 911 emergency line could not even keep up with calls. Fortunately, dozens of volunteers from Louisiana-Cajun Navy showed up with boats ready to work; ready to rescue and save lives. Shelters began filling up. More shelters were opened to accommodate all the people needing a safe haven; a warm dry place to eat and to wait the storm out. All the while the rain continued to pour in. We still anticipated the last of the rain. Voluntary and mandatory evacuations continued. 

Day Five: Tuesday arrived and shelters were ripping at the seems with people from across the city. Those that could get away from their homes lined up at shelters to provide dry clothes, toiletries, blankets, towels, diapers, baby formula etc... Others lined up to volunteer. Most did both. The amount of service from people all over the city was astounding! Reservoirs were released early Tuesday morning which led to more flooding in neighborhoods. There was recession in some areas, while other areas began to get more water. Grocery stores and some restaurants began to open to provide warm meals. People slowly came out of their homes; those that could anyway. Grocery stores were only opened for a limited time. They opened under controlled conditions.  Lines began to form to get in because their staff was limited and they could only service so many people at a time. Breads, meats, milk and produce was still scarce, however most other foods could be found in some stores. The news began to report the loss of one of the Houston Police Department officers. He was missing since Sunday. He was finally found under water. He had taken over 2 hours to find a way to get to work. He had left his home at 4 a.m. and never made it. He had unknowingly driven into flooded waters and lost his life. He had served the department for over 30 years. The Chief of Police spoke on the unfortunate news. It was an emotional message he had to deliver. I cried.

Television stations still ran 24 hour news about the storm and its effects- with no commercials. Then mid day came and a beam of light peaked through the clouds. It was a beam we had not seen in days. The sun shined upon our city. We knew the end of this horrific storm was near.

Day Six: Wednesday morning appeared like a normal morning if you looked out the window. The sun shone like it should in the morning.  Much of the water had receded. Many people were starting to venture out to see where they could go. More restaurants and grocery stores opened; the ones that could anyway. Bread and milk was still difficult to find in most places. Social media continued to run rampart with stories of saving lives and long line grocery stores. Since much of the water was beginning to recede, missing persons announcements became evident. People searching for people they have not heard from since the storm hit. A family of six who had attempted to evacuate the flooding waters had gotten swept away in their van during the storm. Their van was located. None of them survived. There was talk of a possible plant explosion. Local television stations started having breaks for commercials.

Day Seven: Its 6 a.m. The news is covering a story of the plant beginning to have explosions. Its a plastics plant. The chemicals from the plant needed to be kept at a certain cool temperature. Due to the flooding, they lost not only their normal power but the power to their back up generators.  A fire is burning and several officers were taken to the hospital as a precaution from their exposure to the chemicals. I was able to finally get out of my vicinity. All freeways leading out were blocked with water the past days. My kids and I visited with a couple of my staff members that had been displaced and took them groceries. Grocery stores still had controlled lines. Fast food places began having long lines as people needed something else to eat. Television stations slowly started returning to normal programming. Some of my teachers went to help another teacher who needed help with her home.


Day Eight: The first day television program returned to normal. The news still covered the aftermath of the storm through most of the broadcast. However, the regular shows where shown. JJ Watt's fundraising efforts had reached 15 million. I got away again. This time going to assist our senior high hand out supplies to people in need. It was emotional to see the wealth of volunteers out in the heat there to help others in need. 

The freeways began looking like freeways. Stores were opened with exception to the ones that flooded. The sun was shining on our city again. 

The city has slowly begun to come back to what will be a new normal. It will take time to heal, time to rebuild and time to feel normal again. We are getting through this in each other's own way. Those who suffered floods, home damage, relocation all have to gain their strength and their persistence to feel normal again. Even those who were saved from the physical damages of the storm still have rebuilding of their own. It isn't a physical rebuild, but rather a spiritual rebuild. 

This city has truly made a huge impression on our country. The city endured the storm together and is rising above it together. When you can say there are so many volunteers that you have to turn them away? That is a blessing. When piles of donations continue to pour in to shelters and churches that you have to start denying some. That is a blessing. 

Harvey taught me more about determination, persistence and the basic foundation of human kindness. There is still many more ramifications from the storm that we will hear throughout the coming days. These stories will bring tears of sadness, but not without strength. We will stand strong through it all. Texas Strong.