I spared a moment of generosity this week and placed my leftover candy in the main office at work. I'd been stealing "fun size" candy for days now, weeks. I had originally bought it for a meeting I had this month, thinking, "Yeah, Elizabeth, you can control yourself with candy in the room. Just three … Continue reading 154 days
Category: adulting
Stories abound
From even before we are born, we are told stories. Maybe they're bedtime stories. Maybe they're daytime stories. Maybe they're stories told to us before a nap. But they're there. It's long been debunked that we humans are born as a "clean slate," without context, completely free to be molded by our environment. To say … Continue reading Stories abound
Fooling myself
For a good chunk of my life I had no idea how to relax. I would be so excited for what seemed like endless amounts of time on the weekends or school breaks, and then it would feel like I squandered it by doing... I don't even know what, exactly. By the time I reached … Continue reading Fooling myself
Coping through COVID
Every day seems like a new opportunity to observe, rework, and rewire the workings of my mind. When there is so much changing and the change doesn't seem to quit, it can feel like a daily attack to my human brain that likes to predict everything. "Taking things day by day" hits a little too … Continue reading Coping through COVID
Making amends
For a long time I was at odds with my own past. My own experiences. It's a weird place be to because there's animosity and sadness and regret, but the only person it's directed to is the person in the mirror. Or out into the void. It's very confusing. I went to a small private … Continue reading Making amends
Plan A is Plan A
In a one-on-one session with a student today, these literal words came out of my mouth: "Bear with me with biology; it's been 20 years since I've had this class." (For the record, I teach ESOL but a student came to me for language help with her bio class.) I became a teacher long before … Continue reading Plan A is Plan A
Snap out of it
The world is at a fever pitch right now. Everything is heightened, stressed, tenuous, uncertain. Almost anything could be the straw that broke the camel's back, as it were. Everyday I resist the urge to actively look for said straw. It's tempting to fall into a feeling of hopelessness and live just for today. I've … Continue reading Snap out of it
On the edge of thirty-five
There's been a lot that's come up in recent months that I haven't expected to address right now. And lots that I have expected. On the surface, I will be reaching "advanced maternal age" when I turn 35 in April 2021, notwithstanding the fact that I don't have children over whom to be maternal. They … Continue reading On the edge of thirty-five
Routines are hidden self-care
I have always thrived on routines. Though I held them with disdain as a child I know that children thrive on routines. It feels safe and comfortable to know what's coming next in the day. The feeling of safety allows you to be more present in the current moment. That said, shifting to a work-from-home … Continue reading Routines are hidden self-care
The Year of No Zero Days – Garden Edition
Disclaimer: This is not a tutorial. There are no "here are 5 steps to gardening." Nope. I came home one day from work (well, from actually being in the school building) and found a little green bean peeking out from the chicken wire I tried to nicely place around the garden bed. I felt such … Continue reading The Year of No Zero Days – Garden Edition
MPM 2.0: mercy unmasked 