1. Internship has gotten into a steady routine, after some adjustments for new rotations in January. I feel like I've hit my stride, entering each day with confidence in my role and my abilities. More importantly, I can see the impact I have made on my kids. I can actually see, whether they tell me or not, that they are changing. They look for me and ask for me. I have become someone important. I haven't reached them all yet, or maybe I have but I just don't know it. I am just thankful that I am here and have made a difference. I love what I do.
2. I am in crunch time on what I have come to lovingly refer to as "the pesky dissertation". I am on pace, but I am spending nights and weekends that used to be for relaxation on editing and revision. The eye is on the prize, so it's all worth it.
3. The job hunt goes on. I have great prospects, and it looks like soon I will have news. I am trying very hard to be patient, especially as others who have gone through more formal process already have their futures settled. I am very excited, though, at where my path is going.
4. I have been fighting illness for most of this month, which clearly is very bad timing. It's a series of unfortunate events, really, hard to tell what's connected, what's passed on from children, what's affected by stress, and what could be a sign of something more serious. It's too complex to deal with here, but I have had great support, and hopefully it will be all worked out soon and out of the way.
5. And, yes, I have been finding time for myself! Some great times with friends, though not as much as I'd like due to all the work. When I need it, I am making sure to take time for myself. As I have written about before, my preferred "me" activity is getting away and doing nature photography, and I have done that twice lately. Two weeks ago I went to a local creek and enjoyed the first flowers and birds of spring, while today I drove to nearby Ennis to see some of the best bluebonnet fields in North Texas. The pictures from the creek are up on Facebook only so far, but the bluebonnet pictures were so fantastic that I got them up on Photobucket
6. Most importantly, through everything I have reconnected with my positive, optimistic side. With the ups and downs of the last year, it is easy to get wrapped up in the stress and the work. After my last blog about all of the weight I was carrying, I realized that so much of the problem wasn't the weight, but how I was carrying it. I had been listening to too many people and lost a little of myself. Once I remembered what my goals were, what I wanted, and most importantly what I loved, everything fell into place and became manageable. While there is still some anxiety about making sure everything works out, I am enjoying the process again. I really do love the things I do, even if I wish a few of them were behind me!
I hope to post more in the coming weeks with news, and if not, I need to just write more anyway (so says my daily blogging friend Emily, and I know she's right, it's good for me). I leave you with a bluebonnet, to celebrate spring, renewal, and the future.
