May is an exhausting month for many teachers.
My health and mobility issues continue to cause issues with managing both classroom (the priority during the school year) and home lives. It does seem I can do one, but not both, relatively comfortably when I can take time to rest as needed. Most years I don’t take time off unless I am completely incapacitated, but this past five months or so have seen my ability to request and take leave improve!
This year was no exception for me, but unlike the past three years or so my energy levels began to rise with (slightly) warmer and sunnier weather. Perhaps because I am now taking care of myself and trying more often to honor my own needs as well as those of others, I have had the ability to stop and visit with my spouse, a few friends, a colleague or two, and family. And I have had the energy to spend taking care of the plants and a few corners of the house and yard.
I noticed earlier in the year that the hoya (wax plant) had bloomed, then spotted three more flowerheads forming. A few days ago I noticed that the flowers at the very top were done, and the last two lower down had started blooming. And I have been enjoying watching the front and back gardens and planters returning to abundance from the pared-down resting state of winter.
As I got out into the garden each morning on the way to school, and walked past it into the house in the evening, I have delighted in each new day’s views: light purple siberian iris, deep purple bearded iris, foxglove, roses, dianthus (sweet william for the most part) , the pink azalea that was a mother’s day present one year and the blue hydrangea that was a mother’s day present a different year; and spectacular sunsets looking past the driveway fence and across the neighbors’ yards. Wally has helped more and more – he is now old enough and slow enough that we can let him just hang out with us on short trips into the yard. You can see him in a few images – he’s starting to age.
Aren’t we all!
Here are the May and June (up to a couple days ago) images.
Not everything survived the winter, of course, but some surprises did – and there are more plants to put in as soon as I have time!
The school year will end in about another week, and then a long, hopefully lazy, summer full of sewing and crafting, cooking and gardening – did I mention new plants? – reading and organizing…
Life goes on.
Although the weather may not always cooperate, particularly in a changing climate, life goes on.
Although health and wealth are never guaranteed, life (and love) goes on.
Although I (or you, or anyone else, dear reader) may not stick around very long, life and love and living go on.
This is the perspective gardens and gardening (and parenting and teaching) give us: that things are always changing, and that not all change is irretrievably harmful. Things are always changing – and some losses that leave holes make room for new experiences, people, and loves that we may not have looked for or wanted. But, once they are here, they’re pretty good, too.
And this new phase of my life, as I start winding down the pressure and drive to “excel” as a teacher and just settle in to enjoy the few years I have left while also making time and space for the people I love?
Yep. It’s turning out pretty good, too.
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