Me.

I have not been taking my quiet time in the morning. I have always tried to allow myself a few minutes to jot some thoughts, or just take a few deep breaths to set the pace of the day. I got really good at it, and then last week I started deviating from all that. I just haven't been able to make it work the last week or so. Yesterday it was fully in my plans, but a student got dropped off far too early by a parent. For safety, we brought her inside, and she ended up trailing me around as I did my morning tasks. Her safety was a priority over my quiet moments.

This morning I had 20 minutes left before my official starting time; 20 minutes after I completed all my little odd morning routine tasks. There is so much on my mind today; a sense of determination somehow. To not be steered away by little things that don't ultimately matter in the grand scheme of my life. The things that make me ME are not any leader's idea of who I am and what I should be doing; of how I lack. It is not the ignorant, sad, angry little child's view of the world expressed out loud and intended to wound . The Me that counts is the one who cares deeply; who strives to do good and right at every opportunity. The Me who puts heart and soul into all I do. This is the Me that counts, and this is the person I will continually strive to be.

The Me that wants to be recognized is the one who loves deeply. Who writes poetry and beautiful words. The artist who communicates with paint. The one who loves to walk in quiet woods. The one who adores sitting beside a bubbling brook and listening to the voices talking inside the water. The Me who loves snowfall, and walks mountain paths, explores the landscapes; who unearths rocks and considers them treasures from God. The Me who relishes mountain views, and who gets lost in the rhythm of waves lapping gently on a beach, or who feels intensely the waves that crash and boom on boulders. That is the Me who counts; the one I want to strive to continue being. What I go through each day on my job is just a small portion of my life; each day brings me a day closer to doing and enjoying the things I love to do; the things that are inside of Me and make me happily who I am.