A Job Worth Doing Right

It’s amazing how much stress the mind and body can absorb and deal with until just the right moment, when all that tension comes out, usually in the form of complete exhaustion and for me a head cold. In looking back over the past few months I’m surprised that I managed to wait until after my last day of work to get sick. Dealing with the impending uncertainty of losing my job, worrying about my sister who was going through cancer treatment, and experiencing the first signs of menopause played havoc with my emotions and mental well-being.

I’ve been asked how I managed to continue in the day to day tasks of teaching. The answer is easy. “If a job is worth doing then it is worth doing right.” I remember these words and others from my father who taught us to always do our best. These past few months I have had to dig deep and draw on my fierce independence in order to get through. The lessons I learned from my parents have served me well, and I can only hope that I pass them on to my daughter. However, I don’t think I will be teaching these lessons in quite the same way I was taught. Living in today’s world I can’t imagine helping to foster her independence by “running away from home” as my parents did back when I was in high school. Shocking you say? Maybe, but that is a story for another day.