Long Days, Short Years

I’m fresh from an exhilarating morning hill run with a dear friend who is also a teacher just as excited as I am with the approaching school year!  I’m about to enter my school building, in fact, but felt the need to stop and reflect before charging through the rest of the day . . . .

 

While summer is flying away as briskly as it usually does, I reflect on life lessons learned or reinforced over the warm days.  Reflecting on summer occurrences helps me mentally prep for the exciting new school year ahead.   There were quite a few mini-lessons these past few weeks but the one that resonates louder than ever is make the most of this moment we have NOW.  I’ve always believed living for today is essential:  yesterday is gone and done, tomorrow is not guaranteed.  My very first online post, Living in the Moment,  illustrates such subject through a poem I wrote for my mother years ago.

The major reinforcer of this lesson is watching my daughter embark upon her senior year of college.  Time flies more than we can foresee.  — My advance apologies if I start to use a bit too many clichés.  I tend to fall back on them when I philosophize.  —   I’ve told my colleagues who currently have little ones how much it seems like yesterday my girl was the same age even though it was two decades ago.  Gretchen Rubin’s video illustrates how long days can feel as we trudge through daily responsibilities and routine; however, looking back, the years seem short. It’s a poignant video that reminds us to revel in the routine!!

As my students sometimes complain that Thanksgiving or Christmas or spring break can’t get here fast enough, I always, always tell them that they’ll look back fondly and school days won’t seem as long.  Of course, they shake their heads disbelievingly but maybe someday they’ll understand.  🙂

Another reminder of what it means to enjoy our days stemmed from the recent loss of our pet of almost 16 years.  Full disclosure:  I am not a cat person by nature.  I grew up with dogs and, until we rescued our Crystal cat from a shelter, I was very close-minded about those I viewed as “cat people.”  Pet discrimination – guilty as charged.  To this day, I would always pet Crystal much more roughly than she preferred.   Anyhow, cats require lower maintenance and that’s exactly what I was seeking when I went back to work full time.  Crystal charmed us with her tricks and companionship.  She exemplified patience and unconditional, simple love.  What better lesson is there to learn than that?!  While I plan on getting a yellow Labrador or Golden Retriever in the future, Crystal will always hold a special place in the corner of our hearts.

Most negative incidents hold a very positive lesson within them.  Perhaps we just have to be patient or look a little deeper.  Case in point, my daughter sprained her foot badly at the very beginning of this summer.  What was supposed to be her last summer running (sometimes, literally) around Chicagoland turned out to be many hours spent sitting.  Flexibility is key in our minds even if our bodies aren’t always as flexible.  What this created for us was an opportunity to spend more time talking, sharing writing, looking at old videos, reading recipes and relaxing like we should and usually don’t.

And so, as the new school year starts very soon, I’m grateful for the summer of reflection and the precious moments spent with the special people in my life.  We truly learned how to revel in moments this summer – it was pretty awesome!  The little downfalls we experience along the way are minor in the grand scheme of things.  Looking forward, I’m grateful for new beginnings.  I’m grateful for personal and professional possibilities.  I’m grateful for the exciting unknowns.

I’ll be watching with a fresh viewpoint as I ask my students to reflect on their own work.  I am anxious for the changes approaching at school:  new iPad classes, remodeled building, new homeroom period . . . as these changes and more occur, I will remember that, however long a particular day may sometimes seem, the school year is indeed fast!!   The end of the year approaches quickly; while there is work to be accomplished in between, it is the amazing students I teach that make the months fly by.

 

The Dirty on Detoxing – “It’s All Good”

Not swayed by fad dieting, I questioned the validity of the seemingly popular detox diets.  It seems the word “detoxify” gets plenty of air-time these days.  This last (saddness) summer home with my daughter, however, afforded opportunity for experimenting in the kitchen.

A celebrity cookbook is not an item I normally open my wallet for.  A famous name does not necessarily equivocate best quality.  As I researched, however, I was surprisingly swayed by more than a few glowing reviews of Gwyneth Paltrow’s It’s All Good – Delicious, Easy Recipes That Will Make You Look Good and Feel Great.  Neither my daughter nor I were interested in “detox in a box,” using unnatural supplements to “cleanse.”  We wanted to use real, fresh food and weren’t looking for something extreme that would leave us feeling worst than when we started.

Let me get right to the point of this entire post . . . BUY this cookbook!!  I’m purchasing one for my daughter to use in her first apartment and two best friends already own it.   Through the recipes and advice offered in this book, my daughter and I experienced a very positive period of educational, healthful eating habits that we both truly feel will stay with us.

Two things are universally appealing about Paltrow’s book:

1. The format:  The last section of the book is devoted to sample plans to practically utilize the recipes so the book does not become another one to bite the dust on your shelf – a body builder week (protein packed), a detox week (cleansing), a family-friendly week (the “normal” comfort food), a vegan week (a great intro to this diet), and a ‘just great, healthy, everyday eating’ week (so logically good!) is all provided.  Monday – Sunday, Chris Martin’s wife lays out recipes (and correspnding page #s) for each meal and snack of the day.  How convenient and inspiring!
2. The tone:   Gwyneth, along with her friend and cooking partner Julia Turshen, offer down-to-earth advice within the recipes that make them appealingly approachable.  Nothing too extreme, all ingredients are readily available in local grocery stores while all dishes are conveniently labeled as “protein-packed” or “vegan” or “elimination diet.”  Honestly, my daughter and I must have tried over twenty-five recipes in the book – there was not one to which we stuck up our noses.  All are “repeaters.”

Ms. Paltrow explains that she struggled with a period of eating unhealthy and needed to clean her diet in an accessible manner, avoiding drastic extremes that might cause shock to her body.    Through the guidance of her doctor, she herself went on a detox diet.  This book (her 2nd cookbook) offers recipes from that very diet along with recipes that are “simply good for you.”  She shares her doctor’s notes and shares her trials and tribulations.  No gimmicks, no extremes, no supplements . . . . this book is accessible for anyone just venturing into the eat-clean eating habits as well as the nutrition nut like myself who is seeking further ideas for eating clean.

Grading Girl gives Gwyneth Paltrow an A for providing eat-clean recipes that don’t necessarily taste clean.  Extra credit for all those little pieces of advice along the way . . . such as soaking raw almonds in the refrigerator overnight before serving them to activate more nutrients. Who knew?!