Yes, it's a real class, and yes you should take it.
This semester in general I've gotten more stress acne than I have my entire life combined (Mom you would not believe). If you know me at all you know it takes quite a bit for this girl to make enough tears to fall and I have cried at least 5 puddles from feeling overwhelmed (another post for another day).
Child's Lit. is 2.5 hours in my week where I can find a little calm. In the class we have to do book talks, literature circles, author studies, and read 60 children's books that span across all genres from non fiction picture books to graphic novels.
Last class we came across this blog by a teacher who every now and again lists his favorite things from his week as a teacher. He calls it, "5 Things I Loved About the Last 7 days." That Thursday I was especially spread thin (so naturally I was spending the majority of the class studying for an Anatomy test). Hearing Dr. Smith say the title of the blog alone made me put down Neurology and decide, "It's time to let myself breathe for a minute." The past 2 weeks I've been in a fog of to-do lists, hurried conversations, and running on the fumes of caffeine. But that Thursday's class quickly brought me back down to planet Earth and I re-learned what I so desperately needed to be reminded of: I haven't taken the time to be thankful in a pretty good while. I've thanked God for a lot of things. But I haven't let thankfulness be the posture of my whole day in months. I've let my busy-ness dictate how I treat other people and the amount of grace I extend to myself. And I've let myself get so tired I haven't completed a prayer before bed, just me and God, in I can't tell you how long. My eyes never let me make it that far.
So I decided. It's time to make a list of 5 things I loved about the last 7 days.
Now don't let me fool you. There are grad school applications to fill out/pay for, a book to write, a term paper to start, an EchoLecture to watch, an Audiology notebook to complete, and therapy lesson plans to get together. But I'm choosing to let myself breathe for a minute and I'm about to thank God for a few ways He told me He loved me this week.
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1.) My roommates and I made a last minute dinner decision to treat ourselves to some Mi Pueb on Tuesday. We ate like usual but ended up sitting in our booth for almost two hours talking and laughing about Freshman year and the ridiculousness all of our memories entail. We remembered the first times we all met and were in awe of just how different we are leaving Harding than we were when we got here. I don't know that I even remember that Holly that well.
2.) Cierra and I had to get a couple of things at Wal-Mart Wednesday night after devo and I found something that changed my life: red velvet cupcake coffee creamer. Ok, maybe it hasn't change my life, but it has changed my morning. Drastically.
3.) I got a note in the mail from our wedding photographer, Jon Yoder, about how excited he is for our wedding and how thankful he is we chose him to document such an important day. So kind. (Also, 190 days, but who's counting?)
4.) Hearing my dad say, "You're best is good enough." He always knows.
5.) I'm doing an Honor's contract for my Children's Lit class and Dr. Smith and I decided at the beginning of the semester it would be great if I could create a children's book incorporating my major (Speech Path) with elements of children's literature. And so, I'm in the process of creating a children's book about a little boy named Garrison facing his first day of school with an unrepaired cleft lip. Last night I was typing the story into a template and I came across the page where it asks for the author to type who the book is dedicated to. I thought about dedicating it to the clients I've had in the clinic, for all the times they're reminded me that simplicity is the best of life's joys. But, I decided against it once another little nugget came to mind. I decided to dedicate it to a special kiddo who has taught me eons about overcoming weakness and trekking on: Joel. It makes me proud to have his name on my book. That's probably my favorite of the five.
So there they are. Five little beauties from my week.
Try it! It gets difficult to narrow it down to 5 once you get going.
