Enjoy the Little Things

By Marci D

The older I get, the more I realize the importance and the need to enjoy the little things in life. Maybe I can go further to add not just the little things but the small steps in life. As an educator, I have also seen how necessary small steps are in learning even teaching for that matter.  I almost want to pat myself on the back when I see the light in a student’s eyes when he or she has grasped a skill and is so excited that he or she is not at the bottom of the barrel. That for me is big reason to celebrate that my teaching method has worked. For me this happens throughout the school year, and these are things that I don’t take for granted, even if no one in the administrative staff is aware.  I do celebrate those small moment and I let the student/s know that I celebrate them.

Summer is a time when I look forward to a break from work and I make every effort to celebrate my hard work. This summer was no exception, and I was able to do so with many friends and family members. For the most part I was in Jamaica where my heart and mind seem to be happiest. It is evident that the most difficult part is to get there as soon as I do, I am surrounded with an itinerary, and all I had to do was to be ready when they say so. And guess what? The moments were spontaneous! We quickly got on road trips in-spite the cost of gas or food, we prepared or bought food and took the parks and sat, laughed, ate, played games, and shared stories of the good ol’ days. The road trips were frequent and fun – some included visits to the theater to see plays, beach trips or church services of thanksgiving for people or for celebration life in general.

The laughter, fun, fellowship, friendship, family relationship embraces the fact that we need and enjoy each other’s company. It also reiterates that it doesn’t take a lot to enjoy the little things. As we gathered, we sometimes cooked, and the cooking included cooking outdoors which helped us to bond. As I reflect on all the times, I am grateful for each day and for the persons that are in my life – for the fact that my life is spared to share those simple things with people who love me, and I love them.  We are willing to spend time together to enjoy the little things in life. We were mindful of each other’s feelings, each other’s time and sometimes we woke up early so we were able to make the most of the day.

There were of course some days when we heard sad news and we had to comfort each other and tried our best to cheer each other up and believe me as you can imagine it was no easy task, but it still sent the message that we were there for each other in the good times or bad. We are also aware that we are building memories together. We take nothing for granted and as the saying goes, “Enjoy the little things in life because one day you’ll look back and realize they were the big things.” – Robert Brault.

Reflecting on this break has helped me to realize that this is part of the self-care that we all need, and it has helped me to feel refreshed, renewed and I can now refocus as I return to the classroom to face a new year, new set of students and my mindset has been restored to goodness for being an educator.