Dear Sheryl,
While the summer may seem like it only started yesterday, here it is again--the end of summer--with what may seem like another lost opportunity for the following:
---time used to organize your closet and kids’ closets;
--heavy duty cleaning of the windows;
--reading the books that your friends suggested;
--cleaning out the garage;
--just hanging out with the kids and actually getting wet in the pool.
Well guess what? You will have completed two months of your new job without the chance to much of that at all because you won’t have been home during the work week to do so. However, here is what you will have accomplished:
--better moods in the evenings spent with the kids;
--better time management for getting things done on the weekends and in the evenings;
--better time management for actually getting in the pool and reading;
--completing projects that have to be done with prioritizing a major factor because of limited time availability.
While the only regret I had in leaving my teaching job was the time off I spent during summers and holidays with the kids, my goal to be happier in my new job as a writer and curriculum developer will have come true. Yes, you can give yourself an A for the summer because you earned it by providing for the family and starting yourself on a new career path.
Love,
Sheryl
While this wasn't the only message I got out of the reading this week, it was certainly most on my mind. I will begin a new job next week and it is full of uncertainty and the unknown. I hope to bring a sense of purpose and passion to my new job and to share the possibilities of what I can bring to my new company. This letter will help me remember why I did what I did for the summer.
Sheryl,
ReplyDeleteHow exciting for you to be starting your new adventure. I would love to hear more about what you will be doing in your new position and maybe some advise on how you got there. Enjoy your summer and from everything I've seen over the last 10 months that "A" you gave yourself is well deserved.
Sheryl,
ReplyDeleteYou do deserve an A for the summer and for all of the hard work you have done throughout this program. Congratulations on starting a new job and pursuing your dream. Writing a letter to yourself is an excellent way to encourage yourself at the start of something new. Your letter to yourself has inspired me to write myself a letter as well. Even though I'm not starting a new job, I am taking on some new responsibilities this year.
Although I read this chapter and enjoyed the letters written, until I read your letter, I hadn't thought about have my students write letters to themselves as well. I think this would be a great way to start the school year...maybe you can write something like this into the curriculum you will be helping to develop. Thank you for your inspiration!
Sheryl,
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your new job! Thanks for writing this because I'm also making a change. As Carrie said above, your post is inspiring because it is both a positive exercise for us and for students. I am believing with you that you will accomplish wonderful new things this summer... I want to encourage you to believe that you may actually get some of those home chores done, too. All the best!
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