Fall Break

1/4th of the year is over, wow! When I got home today, looking forward to fall break, the sun was out and there were a few things in bloom around the yard, so I took my camera out to see if I could get any photos. It's amazing that in mid to late October, things are still blooming and thriving. I have a spindly tree in my yard and I wondered if it would survive the winter. Sometimes I look at people on the outside and I wonder how they can survive the winters in their lives because they look so fragile and weak. The tree reminded me that it has deep roots, and will soak up the winter snow when it melts in March, and so too, people can survive their winters if they develop deep roots in the spring and summer, which can soak up the winter snow and cause new growth and deeper roots in the spring. Enjoy the fall weather while you can, and get ready for winter, because it will come whether we try to wish it away or not!

Champions

As I promised, I said I would write about great kids doing great things, and not always focus on the burdens of counseling middle schoolers! It is a great privilege to live and work in the same community, and also to have kids in the same school system. There is a real sense of family everywhere I go, and I am so proud to be where I am!
A great joy I have is to be able to watch my daughter participate in the middle school cross country program. Today was a beautiful fall day to have a conference championship race among 8 teams. Both our boys and our girls won team first places! It is so fun to be out and watching them have great attitudes and great sportsmanship, and to be able to talk with other parents who are passionate about their kids.
I know that having a child in a sport forces me out to the community where I may not otherwise always go. For example, cross country is one of many sports going on, and I only get to sample a tidbit of how many kids are involved in something as positive as a sport. Sports sometimes get a bad rap by non-athletes, but those students also participate in other things that maybe athletes do not, such as band, orchestra, choir, art club . . . you get the idea.
I am just so thankful to live in a country where kids can go out and play without fear, and with safe equipment. Sports definitely builds character, pride, and self-worth.