The School Year is Ending! Summer is Starting!

It's been a great year: ups and downs, but the downs were not as low as the ups were high.

Life has its challenges, and sometimes it has its tragedies. This year... no personal tragedies.

A few big challenges got resolved: things like collective bargaining agreements, under-staffing to support needy students, and doing more with less at school. I'm grateful for reasonable resolutions to difficult problems. It's not always easy, but it's not impossible either. For that I'm grateful.

The ups? A smooth transition to a new co-worker/aide, some meaningful give-and-take in my credential program, but the biggest up? My son-in-law got a job at the local college, and he's bringing my oldest daughter and their children to town. I can't remember ever crying for joy... but I did. Big sobs. Big joy. Awesome up!

There are only twelve working days left in the 2010/11 school year: my thirteenth in the profession. It's been a good year, and summer looks promising.

Savoring the good times... looking forward to new joys. I'm grateful.

But it's not the big events that define a year, it's the daily laughter, the student growth, the meaningful meetings, the small groups, the kids, the moms and dads, the co-workers, the yard, my wife, and my children: scattered but doing fine.

I even got a new car. But look how far down the list that is! It's not the stuff that makes life good, it's a good life that is the stuff. Life is good... especially this year. ;-)