#SOL18 It Was The Summer


It was the summer of two wheelers without training wheels (Alex) and a new two wheeler with training wheels (Megan). 

It  was the summer of camp and wet towels and bathing suits every day.

 It was the summer of too much money spent on ice cream from the same truck we saw each afternoon at camp. 

 It was the summer of front teeth lost. 

 It was the summer of pools and cousins and tie dye shirts with beads. 

 It was the summer of catching baseballs and kicking soccer balls. 

 It was the summer of a new watch, a new phone, a new car. 

 It was the summer of movie theaters and a Broadway show.

 It was the summer of the Long Island Rail Road into Penn Station.

 It was the summer of candy (not me) and packing veggies (me).

 It was the summer of reading books for grown-ups and finding new mentors. 

 It was the summer of reconnecting with friends.

 It was the summer of Uber rides and cocktails. 

 It was the summer of pushing myself out of my comfort zone. 

 It was the summer of healing. 

 Thank you, Summer 2018, for space to breathe, for long sunny days, for splashes in pools, for fireworks, for my children's smiles. For time to think and pause. I will miss you. 

Comments

  1. drferreriblogspot.comSeptember 4, 2018 at 7:47 AM

    I love the format of this poem/list. It seems to amplify the many things you did in just a few weeks "off" from school and yet it is also deep with reflection.

    ReplyDelete
  2. TbreitSeptember 4, 2018 at 9:40 AM

    I love the format as well to echo Anita! I am going off to write my own right now!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Miss MurphySeptember 4, 2018 at 12:20 PM

    Sounds like you and I had very similar summers, Kathleen. I had a summer of healing, too, and although it was so hard in so many ways, it was really beautiful. One of the best summers I've ever had, ironically.

    I miss our summer, too. Love this format, by the way.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Terje September 4, 2018 at 2:50 PM

    So much in a summer. May some of the summer carry over to your school life.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Clare LandriganSeptember 4, 2018 at 9:23 PM

    Right there will you ... but happy to be back to slicing. Loved the image I conjured with each line. I am thinking you might have some future slices in some of those!!
    Clare

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

#SOL16 Lesson From Piper

Image
Have you seen the Disney Pixar Short film Piper ?  If not, go watch...I'll wait. :) I watched this movie today with a few of my students who stay after school for "Club Success" (formerly called "tutoring" but this feels way more positive for the kids who are asked to stay). After we watched Piper , we wrote about the movie and then shared our writing. Each of the three students who wrote touched upon the idea that Piper had to learn how to get the food for herself. Some students mentioned the pride she felt after she learned how to survive the big waves and find food.  We talked about the mistakes she made and how they helped her to learn.  I think this video is a MUST WATCH for a few reasons.  1- It really makes you think about the process of learning and how uncomfortable it can feel when you move to trying something new for the first time.  2-Piper learned by her failed attempts and eventually by finding a mentor and trying his strategy. 3-When ...
Read more

A Working Mom's "I am" Poem #sol15 Day 16

Image
Disclaimer: I have nothing but respect for moms who "stay at home." It is the hardest job.  In my brief stints being a stay at home mom while on maternity leave and on summer vacations, I know that the days are exhausting and challenging.  This poem attempts to capture how I feel about life at the moment, being a third grade teacher and a mom to 2 kids under the age of 5. I am a Working Mom I am exhausted and never done.  I wonder how to find the elusive "work-life" balance  I hear my alarm go off at 3am and trudge downstairs to do the work I couldn't do when the kids were awake I see my work bag,bulging, begging me to finally pay it attention. I want 5 minutes to myself. I am exhausted and never done. I pretend I can do it all I feel the need to eat lots of chocolate I touch my children's soft little cheeks and hug them. I worry I am missing important moments with them. I cry when I feel like I am drowning from it all. I am exhausted and n...
Read more

#SOL19 You Can Go Your Own Way

Image
If you were looking at an Identity Web for me right now (Sara K. Ahmed's Being the Change has been on my mind with our recent #twtblog series and a book study/ workshop I facilitated with the Long Island Writing Project), you would see the added role of "Daisy Co-Leader" as another hat (or Girl Scout tunic?) I am wearing. My daughter, Megan, is a kindergarten student and I have signed on to be her Girl Scout troop co-leader. My fabulous friend and colleague (and down the street neighbor!) is the leader of the troop and she is everything you've ever dreamed of in a Daisy troop leader- enthusiastic, creative, organized, kind, thoughtful, and ambitious. Our troop has done A LOT in our short six months together.  Last night was another Daisy event. We met up with other Girl Scouts from our town and the town right next to us for a "Paint Night." Each girl got a canvas and paints and was instructed, step by step, on how to make a snowman in a winter sc...
Read more