The last few posts have been pretty heavy. I’ve been told by someone close to me, I’m sounding jaded (which I am) and that if I have 10 years left in the profession I love (which I do) I need to find some joy.

#findyourjoy

So, these both showed up in some messages this week, and they brought me a couple of smiles.

I just wanted to reach out and say thank you for everything you’ve done for me since I met you. You are the most inspiring teacher and coach I’ve had. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping make me the person I am today!

Obviously, this was a former player/student and it was a very welcome surprise that they reached out. I really don’t try to be this way, but a couple of kids know, when I get preaching about being confident, have having goals, about doing the best you can, watch out! Either way, this message brought me much joy and I’ve save it in my “happy thoughts” file for those days when life is a major downer!

You and every teacher out there are very very under appreciated. THANK YOU for all of the exceptional work you do, day in and day out.

This one was a little different. I have a social media profile that deals more with sports, coaching, basketball and lot of Iowa Hawkeye stuff (I’m from Iowa, sue me!) I try to keep the politics out of this one as much as I can, because it’s more light hearted and the people I follow are pretty cool. I’m finding out they are WAY younger than I am, but what’s new anymore??

#oldmanwalking

This person had just posted something about the voucher idiocy happening in Iowa (look, lets take the crappy ideas of Wisconsin and Kansas and merge them together, what could go wrong??).

#focus

Sorry, anyway, I’d messaged him just a thank you because I’d not seem much in terms of activism on this profile, and it kind of bothered me. There are many people who are parents with kids in either elementary or high school right now, and it was as if they weren’t bothered by the broadside against public education. He replied back with a message that just made me glow because not many people will say that to a teacher anymore.

So (a little deeper again), as the weekend rolls around, if you are from Iowa, I hope you get out to your legislative forums and ask tough questions about education, about why the majority party feels this way about education. And after that, have a beer, a glass of wine, watch some hoops (or a good movie), then, message a friend. Tell them you are thinking about them.

These two messages made an otherwise tough week much more bearable. Sometimes, we just need those random messages to let us know that the universe knows when we need a pick me up.

And the universe delivers! 🙂