Nov 02 Five For Friday 11/1/13

Happy November!

1. Medical Stuff:

• 3 Days of Home Rehab.
• I had my yearly gyno appointment. Fun times. But at least all my girly stuff checked out HEALTHY.

2. Since I teach the little ones, it is always a given that I must dress up on Halloween. Life has been pretty hectic for me lately so it crept up on me fast. I am finding that I basically have three costumes in rotation right now, which works out since no class of mine ever sees me in the same costume twice (I have some kids for two years for pre-kindergarten & kindergarten). This time it was the zebra’s turn to come out. I wish I could post the class picture of my kids in their costumes because it is the CUTEST, but you guys will just have to take my word for it.

3. I have officially entered the intense zone known as: Operation Benefit Concert 2014. I am holding on tight! This week consisted of flyer work, working with a German graphic designer for copyright permission, getting silent auction packets ready, and sending out about 50 emails that had to do with anything and everything about the benefit: performers, the program, foundations we want to work with, and the list goes on…

SAVE THE DATE

April 12, 2014!

Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center in East Lansing, MI

More details to come at www.ZebraNation.org.

4. Sometimes I get so caught up in life, the day-to-day, and the glorification of “busy” that I don’t stop and remember what is good for my soul. The other day I was trying to get the house clean. I always blare music while I clean. Dave Matthews Band, “Pig” came on. It sparked something in me. I put the dust spray down and danced…and danced…and danced. It had been a while. This probably sounds so corny but it was a simple thing like dancing around my house to a song I LOVE, that made me feel so free, so alive, and so healthy.  I remember back to the year I was on sick leave and unable to teach. Once I started to get a little stronger, I ALWAYS tried to dance everyday for at least a couple of minutes; even if it was while I was sitting down in my wheelchair.  I’m telling you. Dancing for me can be wayyyyyy better than Prozac.

5.  Finally, what was a pretty difficult week ended on such a beautiful note.  One of my former families I used to teach stopped in my classroom before school bearing belated birthday presents. As I opened the gift, everything was so cute and so zebra. Hand sanitizer, a shrug, socks, and more and more, and more. Then they handed me a second bag. I did not understand why I was given a second present, but they all kept urging me to open it. Inside was the cutest zebra purse I had ever seen. I started showing it off to my current students who had started to arrive. I did not realize that Kelley, the mom, was motioning me to unzip the purse. When I finally caught on to what she was telling me, I opened it and pulled out a piece of paper. As I unfolded it to see what it said, my heart seriously skipped a beat. It was a check for $500 made out to Life as a Zebra Foundation from their church. I was speechless and I don’t get speechless very often. So generous. I am still blown away. That kind of kindness brings tears to my eyes. I will definitely be figuring out how to pay it forward.

So what did I learn this week?  When it is a rough one, dancing and the act of giving are two of the greatest, most therapeutic things in the world.