My Mantra for Next Year

This year I’ve been focusing on “making a clearing” in order to steal myself against the onslaught of difficulties that come from opening a school and raising two young children. Honestly, the process of opening a school has been more difficult than I ever imagined. 

This year, “making a clearing” has included different things. I’ve tried to make aspects of my life as easy as possible, so that I could invest more in two main areas: mothering and working. We’ve definitely made dinnertime easier by using Greenling some weeks or cooking frozen meals other weeks. We sometimes hire a housekeeper when it gets so dirty we can’t stand it, but mainly we’ve just lowered our standards for domestic cleanliness. 

Mainly “making a clearing” has been about not letting myself get involved with dreaming and scheming about side projects. There is little time to focus on anything else but my two big priorities. I haven’t set monthly goals for myself in a long time.

Fortunately, I can see the trajectory we’re on and am optimistic that it’s going to get more and more manageable. Last night I had the random thought: “What will my mantra be for next year?” And I immediately answered: “Balance.” It’s exactly what is needed in my life. I feel the negative effects of being so laser-like focused on two priorities and not having space or time for self-care, exercise, or much fun. 

My hope is that the most difficult parts of building this dream are behind us. Tate is now 15 months. With Henry, I distinctly remember 16 months being a turning point for me as a mother. 

At the same time, I want to savor every moment of where we are. I don’t want to constantly be focused on “when it’s going to get better.” I cannot even fathom how quickly children grow up. Being connected to former students on Facebook has really illustrated how quickly time slips by. My first third graders are now grown adults. Even children I taught just a few years ago are already in middle school. 

And those are other people’s children. I feel like I’m going to blink and my children will be teenagers who are gearing up to leave the house and venture out on their own. 

Yes, I am eager to savor every one of those baths I get to give and books I get to read.