Tag: life lessons

Double Rainbow

Posted on June 30, 2011 by

“Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away” – Anonymous
One of those moments for me is seeing a double rainbow.  Now, I’m not a science teacher, and I would be hard pressed to give an accurate description as to the reasons for this phenomenon.  Something about refraction and reflection I think, but what I do know is that no matter what I’m doing, a double rainbow stops me in my tracks.  The sense of unpredictability, fragility, and instability hits me, and I can’t take my eyes off it.  I’ve given up trying to snap a photo-it never seems to capture the intensity of color or splendor.  It is a moment that could be gone in an instant, best savored in ‘real-time’.
A friend of mine passed away last month.  He was exactly my age, was a teacher, married, and had two young kids, a boy and a girl-just like me.  Also like me, all he had really ever wanted to do and had done for a career is teach junior high.  He was a really, really nice guy-one of those people who everyone likes and is just happy all the time. Now, he’s gone.  He passed away as the school year was winding down, causing all of us who knew him to stop what we were doing and just grieve.
A few weeks ago his family held a celebration of his life.  Hawaiian shirts and baseball gear were the requested attire.  Although he didn’t live in Davis, he made an enormous impact on our community, especially noted by the numbers of former students who turned up at the memorial.  Teaching is one of those professions that doesn’t always allow us to see the impact we have on our students in the moment.  We move from day to day, month to month, and when we hit the 180 day mark our ‘term’ is over.  We say goodbye, sign yearbooks, give hugs and best wishes and they leave the classroom.  For me, it often seems like our time together was too short and I’ve still got more to teach.
What I’ve learned lately is that moments with people are unpredictable, fragile, and when looked at from the right perspective we can see everything in living color-ROYGBIV.  What I’m still learning is that moments and people may be gone in an instant, but the imprint they leave on us is what’s memorable.  And like the double rainbow I saw on the way home from the memorial, meant to be savored right now.

Jennifer Wolfe

Jennifer Wolfe, a writer-teacher-mom, is dedicated to finding the extraordinary in the ordinary moments of life by thinking deeply, loving fiercely, and teaching audaciously. Jennifer is a Google Certified Educator, Hyperdoc fanatic, and a voracious reader. Read her stories on her blog, mamawolfe, and grab free copies of her teaching and parenting resources.

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the path

Posted on June 28, 2011 by

Sometimes we don’t know where we’re headed.  Actually, most of the time.  This is especially hard if you’re one of those people who likes to know where they’re going-all of the time.  Like me.

I’m not much of a risk taker.  I don’t like high places, ledges, surprises, or the unknown.  I like to have a plan. I like lists, planners, recipes and getting things done.  But every once in awhile I surprise myself, and take a step.  Sometimes they are baby steps, sometimes, mamabear steps, and sometimes I just jump without thinking or looking.  Those are the scary ones to me, and more often than not I end up regretting something about them.  Especially when it involves over-indulgence.  But lately I’ve taken a few mamabear steps that have actually come out ok. 

I was talking with a new friend the other day, and we were discussing what it’s like to be our age and feel like we’re getting to the place where change is really quite scary, especially if it involves careers, money and doing something that other people (younger ones) are more skilled at, more experienced at, or maybe just more courageous.  We agreed that sometimes ‘putting ourselves out there’ is essential to open the door of life just a tinge wider, giving us a new view and opening up the possibility that ‘there’ will respond.  And the crazy thing is, it usually does.

This has happened to me a couple of times over the last few years, giving me the confidence to now keep the door propped open.  Just a tinge.  For some of us just taking the jump into parenthood is the opening.  For some, finishing school, a project, taking a trip or creating something just for the sake of creativity.  Like a blog.

What I’ve learned is that Lao Tzu’s famous quote, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step” is absolutely true.  That step can be small, medium, or large, but it’s a step all the same.  And usually, if you’re on firm ground to begin with, the step comes out ok.  And then another one can follow right after it.  If the ground beneath you is muddy, crumbly, or slippery, that step might take longer or require some thought, but it still can be done.  What I’m still learning is that I can trust myself to take the step, and to know that there are so many people in my life that will hold my hand if I need help to get down the path.

Jennifer Wolfe

Jennifer Wolfe, a writer-teacher-mom, is dedicated to finding the extraordinary in the ordinary moments of life by thinking deeply, loving fiercely, and teaching audaciously. Jennifer is a Google Certified Educator, Hyperdoc fanatic, and a voracious reader. Read her stories on her blog, mamawolfe, and grab free copies of her teaching and parenting resources.

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All by myself

Posted on June 28, 2011 by

I used power tools today.  Actually, it was A power tool, not more than one.  The project at hand was to hang an outdoor screen, which involved drilling into stucco.  It also involved going to the hardware store, buying the green screw thingies that go into the stucco, purchasing a special 3/4″ drill bit just for masonry, and then somehow figuring it all out by myself.  Oh-there was also caulk involved.  To protect the stucco.

Each year my husband and son spend a week together at Mt. Hood, Oregon at a ski racing camp.  Since I don’t race, I use the week to stay at home and finish all the projects I’ve put on my summer ‘to-do’ list.  I actually don’t mind the week alone (smile) and don’t even mind the projects.  I clean the carpets, organize the cupboards, go through the year’s worth of photos, read, sleep, watch movies, and hardly cook at all.  I also usually paint something, but that’s another post.  So today, it was the window shade.  After obtaining the good advice at Ace Hardware, I gathered my tools and headed up on the ladder.  My teenage daughter wasn’t too interested in helping, which disappointed me somewhat-what a great chance to see what mamawolfe could do all by herself!  I tried to get her to help with finding some tools, plugging in cords, but quickly realized I was on my own.  So up the ladder I went, drill in hand.  I knew it was crucial to get that first hole drilled correctly.  You can’t erase a stucco hole.  After careful calculations, a few pencil marks, and some concerted effort I had a hole.  I quickly squirted some caulking in, hammered the green screwy thing, and screwed my cup hook in tightly. It worked!  Next, more lining up.  My confidence strong, I measured, drilled, caulked, hammered and screwed again.  Up went the shade!  I actually did it all by myself!  Full of pride, I snapped a picture as evidence and descended.

Later, after the chores for the day were done, we decided to watch a DVD-The Social Network.  On the ‘big’ tv upstairs, the one with the large screen and surround sound. It’s girl’s week, after all.  We assembled dinner, and slipped the DVD in. Turned on the tv, all good.  But no movie.  No picture, no sound.  We couldn’t make it happen.  We tried texting my husband to find out what was wrong, but no response.  We just couldn’t get it to play.  Humbly, we returned downstairs to the more simple, familiar machine.  Small screen, no surround sound, but we would watch our movie.

What I learned today is that I can do some things I never thought I could.  I can successfully drill into the side of a stucco house.  I can use a caulk gun. I can hammer and screw and hang all by myself, even while standing on a ladder.  But I can’t operate a simple machine. I need my husband.  A friend commented on my Facebook (ironic, huh?) tonight, saying it seems like my family is never in the same place.  It made me think about the time we do spend apart, and how it gives me the chance to do things all by myself, and how I really do need my family around.  Not just to turn on the DVD, but to celebrate the simple things, and to help me learn.  I’m still learning how to do a lot, even at my age.

Jennifer Wolfe

Jennifer Wolfe, a writer-teacher-mom, is dedicated to finding the extraordinary in the ordinary moments of life by thinking deeply, loving fiercely, and teaching audaciously. Jennifer is a Google Certified Educator, Hyperdoc fanatic, and a voracious reader. Read her stories on her blog, mamawolfe, and grab free copies of her teaching and parenting resources.

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The Beginning of the Blog

Posted on June 27, 2011 by

the beginning of the blog

This photo is one of my very favorites of my children. It was taken when Lily was three, and Cameron only a month old. When I think of my children in my ‘mind’s eye’, this is how I see them. Although it’s been nearly 12 years, I still see them at this stage in their life–full of wonder, trust, and love.

Not to say that all that is gone now, but as they’ve grown taller (than me), matured, and have begun moving through their lives, some of that childish innocence has gotten pushed back into my memory. Still to me, mamawolfe, I see them as in this image. Ready for what the world has to show them, ready to be wrapped in loving arms, ready to be embraced by life’s experiences.

 

I remember wondering how I was going to navigate motherhood with two babies. The delivery nurse warned my mother that women like me ‘had a hard time’ because we were used to being in control. I was sure that wouldn’t be the case. As it turned out, my daughter wasn’t the easiest infant-everything had to be ‘just so’-maybe a little bit of nurture mixed in with nature? Luckily before Cameron was born she turned into a wonderful, independent toddler. The ‘terrible twos’ were non-existent in our house. My son, born a bit premature, was thankfully a ‘goo-ball’ of delight. He loved to be held and cuddled any old way, which turned out to be my saving grace. Somehow, I muddled through infancy and toddlerhood.

 

What I’ve learned is that motherhood isn’t something that you can program, or plan, or predict. It just is. When I tried to make things happen the way the books, or the friends, or the family said they should be I was miserable. When I gave in to motherhood and stopped trying to control, everything usually went much more smoothly. What I’m still learning is that as my children grow, mature, and become independent, I need to remember them as they are in my ‘mind’s eye’, and not try to mold them into what I think they should be. I need to give in to motherhood, even with teenagers, and hopefully, things will go smoothly.

So far, it’s been pretty darn great.

Jennifer Wolfe

Jennifer Wolfe, a writer-teacher-mom, is dedicated to finding the extraordinary in the ordinary moments of life by thinking deeply, loving fiercely, and teaching audaciously. Jennifer is a Google Certified Educator, Hyperdoc fanatic, and a voracious reader. Read her stories on her blog, mamawolfe, and grab free copies of her teaching and parenting resources.

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