Spring Break

Last Tuesday I woke to a fleeting moment of thought that told me it was Friday. It wasn't. UGGGHH - it was TUESDAY! I drug myself out of bed, went through the morning routine and headed off to the sacred halls of Hot Springs High School. As I drove through this quirky town that I love (up and down a few hills, past the horses exercising on the racetrack, through a bit of civilization), I realized it was finally here. Spring.. The re-awakening of the Earth here in the south is something like this: Daffodils bright yellow faces, birds singing happily in the morning, and Tulip trees blooming have that familiarity I can count on every year that means HOME and warm, sunny days that are cool enough you can sit on the deck and soak up all the rays you can stand... and if all that's not enough - there is SPRING BREAK!!

All week - I've counted the days (probably the only thing that kept me positive on that awful Friday morning that turned out to be a TUESDAY). My students have counted the days. We've tried to stay focused and then suddenly we're talking excitedly about what someone's doing over the break. Even those of us that are not traveling - those that are planning mundane tasks for the week such as "spring cleaning", yard work and tending gardens - we're all so excited we want to discuss it with others. We've talked about the closets we'll clean - the seeds we'll plant - the naps in the hammock we'll take... it's a re-newal of sorts. As the Pagans celebrate the end of the lethargy of winter with Ostara (or Eostre) and the farmers (or those of us that play one in the city) prepare their fields for planting - the students young and old REJOICE! An entire week off! No class, no homework, nothing to read but enchanting novels, no alarms to slam, no clothes to iron.. I almost want to schedule the days in my day planner to guarantee every minute is used meaningfully.

My cousin (thanks Stephen) tells me I have the farm families to thank for this incredible week of rejuvenation. That school children in times past needed this week to help their families prepare that years' crops. This makes me curious.. were these families as excited about the week as I am? Were they thankful for the family time they would be spending with their loved ones? Or just looking at the week as the beginning of the hard labor of the season? I am getting some family time this spring break too. My children will both be home, Jeremy has to work - but will be around some. I am looking forward to spending some time with Jordan, and hanging out with both of them in the evenings.. without the pressures my "normal life" (teaching can't really be considered normal by most people - but it's MY normal). I think regardless of what you are DOING with your family time - planting, resting or vacationing, the most important thing is that you're doing it together. So here's to Spring Break and family time - but most importantly to Spring in the SOUTH!!