One month ago I retired from 43 years of teaching. That 43 years encompassed 2 states, 4 cities, 9 schools, 15 principals and all school grades. The first 22 years were as a teacher of students with Specific Learning Disabilities/Behavior Disorders and the last 21 were as an elementary Media Specialist. The variety of settings, students and co-workers made for a wonderful life! When my friends would ask what I was going to do when I retired, I'd say sleep, rest, garden, etc. I know they wanted to hear something exciting and worthy of their envy, but hey...43 years...can I do nothing for awhile? And sadly, with the present Covid State of Affairs, that is among the top choices...nothing!
I did venture out of my cocoon to spend 10 days in Ohio to see my 93 year old mom, who had some health issues, but other than that have stayed close to home with my husband. I've kind of been in a holding pattern: holding the remote, my coffee mug, the rake, kitchen spatula, etc. You get the picture. And I love being home and being a homemaker. But after 43 years of the daily stimulation of students, teachers, administrators, books, computers, troubleshooting, etc. I have to admit that I have a hard time with occasionally doing nothing! Please, don't throw anything at me! It's getting better, but it's not for lack of things I could do. It might just be an aimlessness of not knowing where to start.
So when I started my quiet time this morning, I opened to Jeremiah 33:3 "Call to Me and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know." I laughed. Where else would I get the peace/direction/answers I was seeking, but the Word? Who else to give me the assurance that doing nothing is okay but the Lord? I think He calls it Rest! I can list several things I'd love to pursue and enjoy, but what's His best for me now? Where will I be productive and of service? I think that's the thing I miss as a teacher: feeling useful and of service to others. If you ask my husband, he'd have an answer: how about him and the home! Can I start to make cookies for him...not a school function? (He gets plenty, I assure you!) I'm sure my teacher friends can relate. But back to the Lord, I need to learn to wait and patiently hear what He has for me in this time and for the future. This is one of those Queen Esther/such a time as this things. Is it time to my writing? Practice the piano? Get back to gardening? Exercising? Cleaning (ouch)? Purging closets and school stuff ala Maria Kondo (double ouch)? Well, probably yes to all of the above. Volunteering anyplace, which I'm hoping to do, will have to wait until Covid restrictions are over. But obviously there's plenty to keep my busy...or not.
So in returning to writing, which I do feel led to do, do I change the name of my blog to The Grounded Retired Librarian? The Retired Grounded Librarian? Because as we know, once a librarian, always a librarian! Alphabetizing my spice shelves will continue, no matter what! I still refer to emptying the dishwasher as "shelving the plates". Leaving any kind of job can be like having a rubber band snap back into place. I felt large, useful, and stretched to the limit most of the time at work, and now that I'm home I've shrunk back to "normal", waiting to be used again. But I think it's okay if I stay in the shrunken state for the time being, especially now at the holidays. There's plenty of stretching in the days ahead...we all need to enjoy the times of rest and peace given to us. Remember that in times of waiting there is great reward.
Well, I've hit my 4 paragraph limit, so I'll be signing off for now, friends. I think I'll take a nap! Remember to Stay Restfully and Peacefully Grounded!
