I am currently enjoying my summer holiday here in Australia. I am resting, rejuvenating and refueling ready for the year ahead. As part of this process I have been catching up on my reading. As I read today I stumbled across this phrase in a beautiful book I am reconnecting with titled Infinite Purpose.
“Joy is not for the faint of heart. It is not a fleeting amusement, but meant as an everlasting state of being, which requires dedication and fortitude, particularly when professing misery is quite popular and when seemingly joyless challenges arise.” – (Lane and Porka, 2016)
This made me smile deeply. I profess to be the ‘joy-fueled teacher’ yet sometimes this can feel like a seemingly impossible task in the midst of piles of paperwork and hectic, fast paced days.
Holidays provide me with the opportunity to refuel with joy ready to gleam upon every student that walks into my classroom. I haven’t had to hand in that piece of paperwork, file absentee notes or track outcomes for three weeks; I haven’t had to sit through a meeting that did not require me to actually be there in the first place; I haven’t had to tell my own children that they would have to wait a moment while I just finished what I had to get done. Holidays are for joy and I have been drinking it by the bucket load.
I have found joy in family celebrations
- feasting, laughing, giving gifts, making new memories.
I have found joy with my children
- long hugs, dancing in the rain, splashing in the waves, licking the cake batter off the beaters.
I have found joy with my husband
– sharing dreams, champagne and stolen kisses.
I have found joy with my friends
- taking walks, swapping stories, soaking up sun.
I have found joy by myself
- watching the sunrise, journaling, swimming in the ocean.
As I become reenergised and begin to think about the teaching year ahead, I need to remind myself to allocate time to refuel - not just during the holidays but all year round - so that joy can continue to be the breath of me.
“Joy is not for the faint of heart. It is not a fleeting amusement, but meant as an everlasting state of being, which requires dedication and fortitude, particularly when professing misery is quite popular and when seemingly joyless challenges arise.” – (Lane and Porka, 2016)
This made me smile deeply. I profess to be the ‘joy-fueled teacher’ yet sometimes this can feel like a seemingly impossible task in the midst of piles of paperwork and hectic, fast paced days.
Holidays provide me with the opportunity to refuel with joy ready to gleam upon every student that walks into my classroom. I haven’t had to hand in that piece of paperwork, file absentee notes or track outcomes for three weeks; I haven’t had to sit through a meeting that did not require me to actually be there in the first place; I haven’t had to tell my own children that they would have to wait a moment while I just finished what I had to get done. Holidays are for joy and I have been drinking it by the bucket load.
I have found joy in family celebrations
- feasting, laughing, giving gifts, making new memories.
I have found joy with my children
- long hugs, dancing in the rain, splashing in the waves, licking the cake batter off the beaters.
I have found joy with my husband
– sharing dreams, champagne and stolen kisses.
I have found joy with my friends
- taking walks, swapping stories, soaking up sun.
I have found joy by myself
- watching the sunrise, journaling, swimming in the ocean.
As I become reenergised and begin to think about the teaching year ahead, I need to remind myself to allocate time to refuel - not just during the holidays but all year round - so that joy can continue to be the breath of me.
One of the most wonderful sources of my joy.
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