This month encompasses a lot of “last” for me. It is the last week of school. The last time I will see many of my seniors. The last time I might see some of my colleagues that are moving on to new jobs next year. The last few weeks of work before I wrap up another school year and spend some well deserved time on summer break with friends and family.
As an educator, the end of May is always a bittersweet time of year. I always have a hard time telling my seniors goodbye and sending them out into the world. I am also oh so close to summer break, and am daydreaming about everything that summer entails... The long leisurely mornings drinking coffee on my deck watching my daughter draw rainbows with sidewalk chalk, the weekend trips I get to take with my family, and the late nights spent with girlfriends when I don’t have to worry about getting up early for work the next morning. Ahh! It is so close but it feels so far away.
I don’t know about you, but sometimes when I get close to the “end” of another school year, or another chapter in my life closing, I get tired. Almost without fail, I catch some sort of bug this time of year when my body is sensing how close to rest and relaxation I am, and this year is no exception. It can be easy to get lazy. To let my guard down and want to just get it over with already. These are the times that I have to buckle down and force myself to push through. May is without a doubt the month that I end up giving myself the most pep talks. “You can do this Staci. I know it is only Monday but get your booty out of bed and get in the shower. You have work to do!”
Maybe your pep talks sound different than mine. You might need to tell yourself that you can make it through your last final exam, that you have what it takes to finish out the last few days of high school, or college, or teaching your students this school year. But whatever that pep talk is that you need to give yourself, keep talking. Because here’s the thing: how you finish is what they will remember. You have come too far to give up now or to not finish even stronger than you started. The finish line is closer than you think. So whatever chapter is about to come to a close in your life, you can do it! Push through whatever obstacles are in your way and run your sweet self through that finish line with speed, strength, and grace. You will feel so much better when summer arrives when you finish strong. You’ve got this Shine Girl!
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