Keep on...

I feel like I haven't stopped this past month. Work has been really busy trying to get things going in the beginning of the school year and moving out of a house and into a new house is always more work than you think. I'm feeling more and more like an adult these days. This is my third year in this job with the same schools and some of the same staff and a lot of the same kiddos to work with. I'm no longer a rookie or the young kid on the block. I like that, but with it comes added responsibilities. I do know I'm not alone in feeling super overwhelmed and busy trying to do my job well. I think a lot of Americans probably feel that way right now because when positions and programs are cut due to a poor economy, it tends to leave one person to do the work of at least three people. There are some big systemic issues especially in the field of education. Class sizes are too big, teachers and specialists are expected to do too much in order to prove to the government that our kids are learning , and yet funds continue to get cut. It's a frustrating thing, but I get stuck with what do we do with it. Because if we just give up and don't do our job- kids don't get what they need. We're all in the same boat.

I also cannot imagine trying to do my job well and also being a parent. I commend the people that do work full time and are parents. That seems like an overwhelming task. I feel like we're almost set up to fail at one of those jobs. You either give everything to your job, and do it really well- or you give everything to your family. No matter what, it seems like one thing has to suffer if you're working hard at another. Maybe that's another issue with American culture and the expectations of our careers and places of work. Parents are so influential in our lives, and if that is lacking in someone's life, it can be really detrimental.

I had the opportunity to share about my experience in Haiti with a book club last night that read Mountains Beyond Mountains (a book about Dr. Farmer, who started a big health NGO in Haiti) by Tracey Kidder. Being asked to share about Haiti is such an honor to me, and it really helps me return to reality and gain perspective. Life is hard in Haiti. The education and health care systems are far behind the US. Good jobs are hard to come by. We have things really good here in America. Sure, there are problems everywhere- we're living in an imperfect world. But we have access to clean water, good health care, and a free education. We're doing something right.

This coming weekend is a fundraiser for Haiti Medical Missions of Memphis, the organization that I volunteered with in Haiti. I want more than anything to be there right now, but finances and timing didn't make that possible. Some of the volunteers are going and it's an opportunity to share about our experiences and support an excellent cause. I really miss being there and seeing the smiling faces of the patients and laughing and seeing the progress being made in lives of the people. I miss being around people that are also working for the same cause and not for a paycheck. Being at that book club last night and sharing conversation with other working professionals in the school system here in the U.S. gave me hope that people here really do want what is best for the kids and the world. And although there are times where we are overwhelmed, spread too thin, and cranky because of that-- God has a mysterious way of putting things into perspective and reminding us just how blessed we are. So I will keep on keeping on.. and I hope you will too :).