Taking a Break

Some things just seem to arrive on schedule. This was waiting for me when I woke up this morning. I didn't request permission to reprint this inspiration from the Daily OM. I guess that is known as plagiarism. I hope I don't get caught. 

However, I wanted you all to know, that I requested to take this semester off from the ESOL program I've been with for almost 2 years. Fortunately, I was granted my request by the new Executive Director who was more than compassionate. She really understood that my health needs to be my priority. Too much stress and it gets my "Irish up." It was not an easy decision but Recovery is a very long process, longer than anyone can imagine or believe including myself. Time to focus my attention on rediscovering the simple joys of life and giving myself the space to heal from the deep, long depression and recent hospitalization that has dominated my being and life for far too long. We're still tweaking the meds but I need to take care of myself, better than I've been doing. So I'm calling for your help once again. Help keep me focused on what is important like you always have.

October 12, 2010 Sharing the Full Story Calling on Friends If we leave our friends out of our process when the going gets tough, our friendships can begin to feel shallow. When we are going through a difficult time, we may hesitate to call even our best friends because we don't want to burden them with our troubles. This can be especially true if we've been going through a series of challenges, and we're starting to feel as if we sound like a broken record. It is important to remember that at times like these our friends sincerely want to be there for us whenever they can. We can always check with them to make sure it's a good time for them before we start talking, and if it's not a good time, we can call back at another time, or call another friend. We know for ourselves that when we have a good friend, we don�t want them to suffer alone when we are just a phone call away. We want them to call us and share their sorrows with us, as well as their joys, because this is what sharing a life through friendship is about. It is at our lowest points that we really need to rely on our friends without worrying that we are a burden. If you are feeling self-conscious about having a tough time, you can bring this fact into the conversation by acknowledging it. Chances are your friend will reassure you that she is happy to be there for you. In fact, rather than feeling taxed, most of us feel better when we have helped a friend simply by listening empathically while they share their feelings. Without our friends, we would be hard pressed to get through the tough times and celebrate the good ones. If we leave our friends out of our process when the going gets tough, our friendships can begin to feel shallow. On the other hand, when we include our friends in the full story of our life�the good, the bad, and the ugly�we build authentic relationships in which we can be who we truly are. When we do this, we invite our friends to bring their whole selves to the relationship as well. For more information visit dailyom.com

Student and Teacher Correspondance

The Student Speaks
Hi Denise,

I am going to miss you a lot, and yes, you have inspired me and others on level I , II and III . I hope you are OK. Everything happened so suddenly. We didn't have chance to say goodbye to you. There wasn't class last Thursday.
 
I've known you since the Summer of 2009 when I was on level I and you use to teach.  I have good memories!

I hope keep in touch with you. I sent you a request to be a friend on Facebook, but I did not find you on http://www.tea-with-dee.blogspot.com. Have a nice weekend.

Best wishes,
the Student







 

The Teacher's Long, Winded Response
Yes, you're right, it all happened so fast. It always does. The new Executive Director surprised me by offering me the teaching position back. Your professors, my friends and colleagues, made a convincing plea on my behalf. I am humbled by their credentials, their experiences, the respect and commitment they have for the students and each other. There is an amazing transformation of language skills that takes place in one year. I'm simply awed watching this process unfold and witnessing every ones success. So I'm taking the weekend to make a decision and structure it as a win-win for everyone.

I have a passion for teaching English to adults, like you. You inspire me. I really love what we all do together in the classroom. I know the faculty and the students are aligned as one. However, there have been a ridiculous amount of changes to the program in the nearly 2 years since I first became associated with it. It's my belief the Executive Director is a gifted and experienced leader and professor. She has been right in both of her decisions about me, to let me go and then to invite me back. I must confess though, I felt an immediate sense of relief to be "relieved of my duties as a teacher". It felt like a heavy weight had been lifted from my shoulders. That's a sure sign to step back and reassess the entire situation.
 
Honestly, the truth is I'm still recovering from a serious, lingering health issue - a very long and deep depression episode, that required me to be (partially) hospitalized for four weeks this summer. This has never happened to me before. I continued to teach, against the advise of the medical professionals. It was a risk I took to fulfill my obligation to both the class and to a contract. But it takes a very long time to heal from a hospitalization, much longer than most people would expect or believe. For the wounds are invisible to almost everyone. With this disease, the joy of what you're doing, the joy of living, really gets sucked out of your life. 

A full recovery of my health and well being is my first priority. As a single woman, it takes longer and is more strenuous without family or devoted caregivers. Fortunately, I'm blessed with wonderful, loyal girlfriends with an amazing capacity for love, compassion and simple kindnesses. They helped and supported me during my recent hospitalization crisis. To paraphrase Morrie, in Tuesdays With Morrie, he wouldn't know how he'd ever cope with his disease, ALS, without his devoted, attentive and giving family. Too many people with psychiatric diseases and disabilities know intimately about what's it like. They understand and feel this absence intensely. We learn to cope the best we can.  It's time for me to rediscover the joys of living that ignites passion and creativity.


I have the weekend to think about the challenges ahead, to review the past organizational events and the resulting instability, including my own. Writing to you has been a very cathartic experience that silences the little chatterbox in my head.

Where I've discovered the best decisions are made, is in the heart of serenity, peace and gentleness. That's my focus this weekend. That, also, means I remain open to more surprises! 

Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to share "tea" with you. I hope you don't mind if I post it to Tea With Dee. 

You're amazing! Keep on reading! Thank God, it's a long weekend! I hope you enjoy it, too!

With warm wishes to you,
the Teacher
Denise

PS. Hopefully, this will initiate some comments.

 

Love: Daily Word October 2, 2010

Now faith, hope and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is Love.

1-Corinthians 13:30

When Jesus spoke of Love, he used the following four words translated from Greek. Can you guess which one he used most often?

1. storge is Familial Love
2. philia is the Love for a Friend
3. eros is Sensual Love
4. agape is God's Love - the highest form of Love of all!

The word Jesus used most often was agape. No surprise there! Here's my edited take on today's Word.

My life is a refection of the Love of God.

God's Love is my foundation, the source from which I draw my strength, and the power that enables me to live in the awareness of God's presence. I'm blessed to have experienced so many types of Love, but it is agape that gives each Love experience, meaning and substance. 

When I pray for others, I express agape. When I rest in God's presence, I experience agape. God's Love empowers and completes me. Peace.