May you grow...

May is a time for growth and renewal and boy am I ready.  It's been a long tiring winter. This is very true for me as I haven't blogged since December 31st.  One reason is that in the past I would blog on books that I read for review, and sadly I have not had the opportunity or the time to pursue my penchant for reading.  This is one thing I vow to remedy from now on.  In fact I was just recently accepted into two book launch groups for WaterBrook & Multnomah Summer so I am looking forward to reading and posting soon.

For me, this winter felt more emotionally draining than past years.  Perhaps the amount of snow and rain has had an impact. Whatever the cause, I have seen my students show more apathy for completing work than in former semesters and I am disheartened to see them resist doing their work no matter how hard I try to encourage, persuade, cajole, and even throw in my best mom guilt at times. I  care whether each one completes the assignments and progresses to the next level of their education. Sometimes much more than they do.  I wouldn't change it if I could because I know that caring makes me build strong relationships with my students and I value those connections. 

Yesterday was the last day of the school year for my seniors.  Saturday is graduation.  Spring growth makes me consider how much my students graduating Saturday have matured and changed over the past four years.  Some have been with me almost all of their four  years.  The pride I feel when knowing the adversity that they have faced and how they persevered gives me hope for my students that I am working with currently.  There were days that the students walking Saturday also refused to do their work, made poor academic choices and struggled to succeed.  Yet, overtime they learned how important having a diploma is, and they began to change.  I am focussing on this to get me through the next few days.  Now, don't think I won't continue to push them, prod them, and do my best to convince them that the work to be done must get finished.  But on the times that I get turned down, I will remember my graduates, and continue to pray for their welfare and growth in maturity to occur.


Throughout my time with you dear students I have one wish for your future...May you grow

May you grow to be competent and strong,
May you grow to be confident in your own abilities,
May you grow to appreciate right from wrong and always choose what is right.
May you grow in friendship, making connections that will last a moment or a lifetime.

May you grow in family, whether that family is one you were born into or one created yourself,
May you grow in esteem, so that the world around you knows your presence and is in awe,
May you grow in love for yourself and those that share the world with you,

Simply,

May you always grow.