I once read somewhere, “Life is a book. Everyday is a new page. Every month is a new chapter. Every year is a new series.”
Well….welcome to the foreword of my future. For the past 7 months, I have been arduously working on the drafting stages, which requires me to get feedback and suggestions from different editors (eg. family & friends). Editors can be tough critics, I tell ya. Their brutal honesty can catch you off guard, but they will always tell you the truth, which is what I’ve needed. These editors shared their personal experiences with me and offered invaluable insight that will be carried with me for years to come! Without their support, I would not be able to start this next chapter in life….
Book Title: Love is…
Characters: Mel, Kyle, and Ethan
Setting: A comfy, cozy home in the NW suburbs of Chicago
Plot: Mel is faced with a difficult decision and time is running out.
Theme: Worry ends when faith begins.
Foreword
Change. This is something I tend to avoid. When I’m faced with a decision that requires change, I find myself choosing the familiar path. I often wonder where this stems from. I guess the feelings of insecurity and inadequacy take over. Will I be good enough? Will I fail? How will I know if I made the right choice? Will my life be better off? These are typical questions that run through my mind when change is on the horizon. I’ve come to realize that change is absolutely and entirely inevitable. It is how we deal with change that determines how we live our lives. I’m a perfectionist and usually feel at ease when I have all my ducks in a row. I’m a planner. I like to know what’s in store ahead. But, what I’ve come to realize is when you attempt to live a predictable life, you become stagnant. Life is meant to be an adventure and this requires you to change…..to ebb and flow. It’s the nature of life. When one door closes, a new one opens.
For so long, teaching was my passion. Just ask anyone who knew me. I could spend hours upon hours in my classroom, perseverating over which colored fabric to use on my bulletin boards, or arranging furniture in my classroom to make it engaging, or planning lessons that would foster a love of learning in my students. I loved every part of my job, even the challenges.
I made a life at my school….the colleagues that soon became close friends…..the students that etched memories in my heart……the experiences that shaped me into the person I am today. After 8 years of teaching and a very short time of being a mom, I’ve come to realize that….
Teaching and parenting are quite similar.
Both require patience, hard work, and compassion.
Both push you to challenge yourself
Both allow you to make a positive, lasting impact on a child
Both will humble you
Both are physically and mentally draining, but worth every single second!
Both are the most rewarding jobs on the planet.
I knew change was about to come. I would either go back to teaching or stay at home full-time. There were many days and many nights that I worried about making the wrong decision.
Would I feel regret?
Would I be missing out?
Would we be able to manage…financially, emotionally, physically?
Would I be fulfilled?
Would I be enough?
It was time for me to make a decision. And after days like today, when my dad sent me a text in the morning with a picture of this, I realized my decision wasn’t so hard after all.
And after experiencing moments such as the one in the video below, how could this not be the best change of my life?
I mean….who gets that excited over someone’s toes?!
His laugh….it’s worth it all.
(My favorite part is from 0:35 until the end!)
I finally made my decision and I feel like I’m in a win-win situation.
I officially resigned from my teaching position and
have claimed the best job one could obtain.
I’m honored and proud to call myself a full-time stay at home mom.
Without a doubt, it will be one of the hardest, but most
fulfilling roles I will ever take on.
Cheers to a new chapter in life!
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