It Takes a Village

Today I am feeling thankful.

This is actually surprising me a bit, because it was a crazy day.  I met myself coming and going, sometimes at a rate of speed that made everything one giant blur.

But on the way home tonight, as I was reflecting on the day, I was overcome with thankfulness for the many people in my world.  People whom I work with. People whom I call family. People whom I call friends.

Let's rewind to first thing this morning.  This year I have the privilege of serving on a team at school with some amazing folks.  They are rock stars. We gather at 8:00 on Wednesday mornings.  No teacher should have to come to a meeting at 8:00 a.m....during their time off....in the months of June and July.  These are the months when teachers are trying to recoup their sanity and gear up for the 70 hour weeks which are right around the corner.

But this team does it, even though their contracts don't start until August 1st. Like I said - rock stars.

I am thankful for the colleague today who gave of her time to sit with me through an interview, who walked with me at a hurried pace from place to place so we could collaborate on the run, and who took a load off of my shoulders by making a supply run that I had scheduled in my day.

I am thankful for the colleague who texted me today and commanded that I remember the vacation rule this weekend when I am gone - no texting about work unless someone else texts you or unless you absolutely have to.

I am thankful for the colleague who is helping me graph and analyze test scores this summer who was completely understanding when I had to regroup and reschedule our meeting due to the crazy day.

I am thankful for the colleagues who came in on their own free time today to help unpack supplies and curriculum and get it all organized.

I am thankful for the colleagues who met me for lunch to discuss curriculum and plans for this coming year (with some great wedding conversation thrown in, too!).  It was a nice reprieve to relax, talk, and laugh. 

I am thankful for the colleague who made phone calls for me, emailed documents, answered phones, and always keeps me on track.


I am thankful for the colleague who texted me a picture of herself working on curriculum guides at home!  Not so much because she was doing school work (which, of course, I am in favor of!), but the fact that she noted that fun rings, painted nails, and good coffee make her work experience so much better. Seriously made my day.

I am thankful for the colleagues who have worked like mad to prepare for the upcoming work day at school and who are stepping in when I am out of town.   

I am thankful for the colleague who let me drive to her house and steal her keys when I locked myself out of my office this afternoon. Yep, it was that kind of day.

Folks, it takes a village to make it all happen.

In the midst of all of that, I was receiving texts from my Illinois family, whom I have the pleasure of spending the weekend with. Those texts were full of plans of family dinners, swimming, pedicures, Rook tournaments, and birthday parties. Ahhhh....pure bliss.

Last night at our board meeting, the board member who led devotions talked about soaring like eagles.  He challenged us to look at life from the vantage point of the eagle -- to take in the big picture instead of always looking at life from the ground level viewpoint. 

I am guilty of that.  I am always scurrying around, seeing the piles of things to do that are stacked near me, and sometimes I forget that there is so much more to life than crossing things off a list.

I want to soar.  Not for success, but for vision. Vision to see clearly the big picture.

And if I know anything, it is that this cannot be done alone.  So, to those of you who I have the privilege of seeing often, to those of you I rarely get a chance to catch up with, thank you for being my village.

May we all soar like eagles.