Christmas break

THE SEMESTER IS DONE!!!!

Okay, it is a cause for celebration (grades were in a day early…whoo hoo!), but it is also a time for reflection.  To be quite honest, I have been very, very fortunate this semester to have some amazing moments with students. Things got real with them this semester.  I heard about broken marriages, broken families, broken hearts, anxiety, depression, and just how hard life can be.  I watched the final videos for an interviewing and assessment class this weekend (that was four hours of my Saturday).  These therapy sessions weren't fake.  No wonder they didn't want to watch these in class.

Out of all of this, I had been fortunate enough to have 6+ years of therapy and enough wherewithal to teach my students some introspection.  I listened, I loved, I challenged, and I reached out to my students.  The reciprocation was heart warming, tearful.  I realize that I could not have done this if I was working a full time therapy job.  Haha…I told one of my friends about my videos and she said "and then you were depressed."  I just shrugged.  She acknowledged that she does not know how I do it.  Yes, having a day (or string of days) listening to people who are hopeless, depressed, and downright angry at life can be difficult.  But then I challenge them to tell me what they are thankful for.  They can't.  At least initially.  I demonstrate for them that we only have 7-10 things that float in our consciousness and most of theirs are negative.  What happens?  They agree.  We talk about changing those negative thoughts one step, one day at a time.  It works?  How do I know?  Because I've tried it.:)

So here are a few things on my late list:

993.  Living with my parents (I haven't bought groceries in a month)

994.  My mom's surgery went well

995.  Working part time to help her out

996.  All the people who have brought meals, bought flowers, and reached out to her

997.  Spreading Christmas cheer.

998.  Christmas traditions.  Ours includes making over a dozen kinds of cookies to hand out to our nearest and dearest.

Our annual Christmas cookie plates.