Pause. Be still. Take a break. Breathe.
I hear a mantra in Carol’s call for us to reflect on the word “Pause.” My summer has been a time for pause, a time to reflect and rest. Here I am on the first day of August awake before the sun. Teachers report back to school today. My pausing time is at an end.
So especially today, I want to remind myself that even though I will be in the classroom among the hubbub of school activities, bells, schedules, carpool, crazy, I can still make space for pause.
A pause can be small.
Stop to notice.
Breathe in a peaceful moment.
Look at a child.
Rest in their smile.
Pause is a peaceful word,
the sound of silence
in the midst of my day.
As I drive the country roads,
I can pause to notice the clouds,
how they drift without direction
or concern.
Soften your eyes. Notice where your body
feels pain or anxiety. Speak to it.
Honor the feeling, then release it.
You can do this, I tell myself.
You can be calm, open to what the day
offers. Rest in the knowledge that all
will be well. All will be well.
Reflections on the Teche 