Sunday morning, quiet time

washingtonstrong_teeshirtThis is the best part of the day. It is the time when everyone is still asleep, the sun is rising and the day is just beginning; it is the time when I can catch up on writing and reading. Being a blogger causes me guilt – the guilt of wanting to write more often than I am able and I taking time to enjoy reading what other bloggers are writing. However, for right now, this moment I can really only write weekly. There was a time when I wrote daily. It was that first summer when I wrote a daily post about what happened during the day and the ways the day counted. There was the trip to take my dad’s cremains to France and there were the three summer camps I wrote reporting the day’s events to anxious scout parents back home. I had time, I made time, but other things didn’t get done at my blogging’s expense.

Yesterday, I was a lazy day. I needed a lazy day or I thought I needed one. My lazy Saturday began Friday night when I climbed into bed at 7:15 and fell asleep, almost immediately. I didn’t feel good and I was exhausted from a very full week. I had urged W to do the same, but I believe – as I am told he went to bed at 9:30. I slept until 5:30 AM Saturday morning. I watched the sunrise and read a book while Ivy lay snuggled up on the couch at my feet resting her chin on my leg. Then the day began. W to wrestling practice, errands, and then leaf raking. I really did not do much leaf raking, because I started watching a football game, ending up watching most of it, then there was another football game, and then it got dark. Meanwhile, W, O, and B were out delivering W’s Boy Scout wreaths – it takes most of Saturday, Sunday, and Monday before they are finished delivering. While they deliver, I am one with the all the leaves. I will get out and finish the yard today. Today is going to be sunny and clear and even if it is the coldest day of the year, the sun will keep me warm.

The biggest distraction was watching a high school football game on television. I was outside working on the leaves when I remembered the Washington Panthers were playing in a state semifinal and it stopped raking and went inside to watch the broadcast. Washington High School was the high school from Washington, Illinois the town that was hit by one of last Sunday’s tornados. Many of the players’ homes were damaged or destroyed. The high school football team was the distraction that the town needed in the aftermath of the storm that destroyed so many homes and lives. All week long, I read stories about the team and how so many high schools and other sports teams were helping them. It was an inspiring story and I watched most of the game. The Panthers ended up on the short side of the score ending their season  but the story was more about the team, the town, than it was about a football game and who won or lost.

It is an inspiring story.

The other football game was the Aggie game and I wish I had not watched them. It just took time I did not have to give. Nevertheless, I needed a down day, everyone needs a down day, and I am glad I had it. Then I felt guilt, a different kind of guilt because I hadn’t made the day count for anyone other than me. Watching  the Washington Panthers football game (and thinking about it today) made me realize how important it is to make every day count. 

Yesterday will probably the last down day I have for a while. I have two more days before Thanksgiving Break begins. I have much to be thankful for, as I do every year. At school, my ELA students have been working on our new unit – Acceptance\Rejection. The literature we’ve been reading focuses on real characters that faced rejection, how they dealt with it, and whether or not they were accepted later in life. All of the characters we’ve read about eventually experienced some level of acceptance, though some more than others. But, my students are having a difficult time understanding rejection. They understand rejection as a person who is an outcast and has to live life apart from society. In a few cases, this is rejection, but for most rejection, is a person who fails over and over again, before eventually attaining some level of success. They began researching in class last week and will begin drafting their papers Monday, and again Tuesday before their Thanksgiving break begins. The time in class will fly and 3 PM Tuesday will be here before I know it.

My kids, W and O, are out for Thanksgiving break. They have an entire week, though W has wrestling every day except Thursday and his first wrestling meet of the year is Wednesday and there’s another on Saturday. I’ll have five days to think about what it means to be thankful. In the meantime, it’s time to begin working on today. Today is gonna be a great day. So, I had better jump up, jump in and seize the day, before it passes me by. Making the Day Count, one day at a time, one inspiring story at a time.

What is going to keep you going to do today? Or tomorrow?

6 thoughts on “Sunday morning, quiet time

  1. Hi Clay!

    Sometimes we all just need a lazy day to catch up on our own things, read the paper, and just relax.

    I guess as a teacher you never really get to have a break as you are always researching and thinking about ways to teach your students.

    Hope you all had a terrific Thanksgiving!

    1. Phil – it was great, but you already read about it 🙂 Being lazy is needed from time to time, but sometimes it’s pure work avoidance and not knowing where to begin. I love being around the kids and it is probably the one of the most rewarding professions to be in… but sometimes I wanna run away and live on island…. but, then the island would get boring. Thanks.. I always love reading your blog – have a great day!

  2. Clay, my son is here from New Hampshire and he will certainly keep me going today. Wonderful to see him arrive yesterday and we had some catch-up time before he fell into bed; had spent an all-night thing with his job to finish a project; thus, needed some sleep. Look forward to our Thanksgiving Day (particularly food and football); Juliana will join us and we’ll have a relaxed time together. Happy Thanksgiving. I always enjoy your news. I too, am have a battle with the leaves – so many, but beautiful.

    1. I have to remind myself that leaves are good – it means we have a home to care for and secretly it gives us exercise. It keeps us moving. The leaves give us shade on hot sunny days. I hope you had a great visit with your son. I saw that Ole Miss ended up on the short side of the score against the Bulldogs. but, there is always next year. Thanks for stopping by. Take care, I am thankful for you and your friendship.

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