Patience

Patience - that thing we're told as children to strive for even though it is an abstract concept that no one understands til later. I have a great amount of patience. I never used to, but I blame/credit my younger brother with helping me learn it.

I have copious amounts of patience for children and animals, especially ones who have few means to express to me what they're thinking and feeling. My son, for example, is just starting to learn sign language, which helps tremendously. And by now, Steve and I have learned the majority of his cries and babbles. But prior to this stage, it took a great deal of patience to try, one after the other, methods by which to calm him down. And even in play, he'll yank my hair or get so excited he bangs his head against my _____ (fill in the blank: head, chest, etc.) which can be quite painful. But he's happy, and we're playing, so I can let it go.

In life, I've got patience. I took my GRE's, was told 6-8 weeks for the test results, and didn't even think twice about the scores until it was 6 weeks. That's the thing - if I have a deadline, I can forget about what I'm waiting for. Sometimes I even forget past the deadline, which is a nice surprise when I suddenly get X, Y, or Z.

But go past the deadline and leave me hanging, or don't give me a deadline at all, and I can start to get rather anxious. Such as it may be for this upcoming school year. Now, obviously, there is a deadline. I start back on the 16th, so I would hope I would know what I'm going to encounter (schedule, classes, classroom? etc.) by then. And this is not a complaint, as I know my new administration is doing everything they can to alleviate our (English departments) concerns. It is merely a statement - I've never experienced a shake-up over the summer that causes certain basic information to be so delayed. And though I know I can handle any of the classes - I've taught everything from 9-12, and almost all levels - It is more that I want to KNOW than am worried about what I'm teaching.

Chalk it up to my predisposition to be a glutton for punishment - I have never gone in to anything that would take time or effort without spending quite a bit of time preparing for it, whether that is planning out lessons for school, packing for an extended vacation, etc. And though I appreciate the fact that I've been able to spend more quality time with Sydney, I still feel unsettled.

Either way, I have one week left to enjoy unlimited time with my son, and then I have all the answers I could hope for...probably more than I would like to have, too. Here's to the sun setting on summer, and enjoying the effulgent colors of the clouds.

I hope to download the camera this afternoon. Pics to follow...