As a coach, I tell my athletes there are always two things they can control: their effort and heart. In life, these are two things I can control — how much effort I put into my actions and whether I have positive or negative thoughts. A majority of the time, I...
Early in my teaching career, I took a strengths assessment, and I was not surprised at what was at the top of my list: achiever, discipline, learner and focus. I can see the many times in my life where all of these qualities are alive and thriving. For this specific...
Anxious. Nervous. Not ready at all. Excited. Overwhelmed. Ready. My emotions and thoughts were all over the place as I prepared for the first day of school. The planner in me was not prepared for any day beyond the first day. I was even more nervous knowing that the...
I remember it quite vividly. It was the second Sunday in cold, cold January, and I was sitting on the couch sobbing uncontrollably on my mom’s shoulder. I didn't want to go back to college. I had a rough first semester of college and was about to embark on a new...
For 17 years, Shelly has wanted to renovate her kitchen. When the time finally arrived, the dream project didn’t start off exactly as she’d planned.
During my morning walk, I caught myself reminiscing about being in the school building with students and missing everything about it. Not only do I miss teaching, but my kids miss school, their friends and the activities. And, all I can do is plan for and hope that we will be back in school buildings this fall. Without thinking too far in advance, we must experience summer first.
The thrill of the jump ball. The adrenaline rush running onto the court to be the first sub into the game. The final buzzer sounded and the tears of frustration flooded down her face. As I hugged my daughter, encouraging her there was still hope in playing another...
Last week, our two daughters and I were sitting at the kitchen table—all of us working on schoolwork. At one point our middle daughter said, “I have ‘eighth-graditis’.'' I looked at her and said, “There is no such thing.” Then our senior daughter chimed in, “I really...
It's snowing outside, the Christmas lights are shining bright on the tree, and I am sitting in the recliner enjoying my cup of hot cider watching holiday movies. I'm enjoying the silence and reminiscing about the most wonderful time of the year. Then I hear it, “Mom,...
