Ocean life and teaching
As a child and into my teen years, most summers if we didn’t have a planned trip, mom and dad would book a week at a nearby beach motel. It was an hour and a half away from home, long enough to feel the drive, but close enough in case an emergency arose, thankfully, one never did. It was time for the four of us as a family. What I remember of this time is that it was beautiful.
We had a routine that we followed while on the beach. I would wake up to see the sunrise with dad. We’d come back and have breakfast, while we waited for the rest of the family to wake up. (He and I were the early risers.) Then we’d all go down to the beach in the early morning, 8-9. We’d walk along the shore, swim, and then go inside to shower and spend the day together. At about 5 pm, we’d do the whole thing again. I loved those weeks. Sometimes my aunt and uncle would come with the cousins. Sometimes they also rented in the same motel. Our evenings we would walk to a local ice-cream shop and sing “the ants go marching” the whole way there.
As an adult, my late husband did not like the beach. He was too pale, burned easily. He’d sometimes go for me, but it wasn’t something he loved. Now my new partner, Rafa, doesn’t like the idea of renting at the beach, but he likes boats and water vehicles. For the past two weekends, he has take me on this boating adventure. I’m now learning a lot about boating. And here’s what I’ve realized. I love the ocean. There is something so beautiful about the way the sun glimmers off the waves. It can be calming and peaceful, it can be rough and rocky. But there is beauty in the movement. When on the sea, you have to be strong, to anchor the boat, or pull it to the dock. But you must also be flexible and give slack, or the waves crashing will destroy the vehicle.
Teaching feels like being on the sea. It takes us a while to get our “teaching legs.” The energy required, the ability to find balance amidst rocky situations, the knowledge required to know what to do at different points in time. Teachers must be strong enough to know when and how to dock, but also flexible enough to give slack to their students or to themselves. I suppose it is all about balance. Finding that balance is rough. I believe we have all struggled with it at some point in time. But, that does not mean it is impossible. Nothing is impossible. It is just, like being on a boat, a bit of an adventure, and a definite journey.
And just as I realized this weekend, there is beauty in all the parts of the journey and adventure. Even the moments that might suck a little.
Smile friends- it’s gonna be MAY, and then may you have all the adventures the summer can afford!
