May 21, 2020

Talk about a strange week. What I have been doing isn't strange. It is what my mind has been thinking about. I noticed that I have been telling old stories to my son, connecting with old friends, and even just thinking about all the things that have happened to bring me to this point in life.

So, what does that have to do with the horse picture? Believe it or not, I was raised around horses. I was even in a rodeo once as a little kid. My Grandpa used to raise Norwegian Fjord horses like the one you see in the picture. My Grandpa and his horses played a big part in raising me to be who I am today.

What is the point? If you are a parent and you are feeling stressed about what is going on...slow down for a minute. If you are a kid and you are getting bored or you are worried about things...slow down for a minute with an adult in your life. What old stories/memories can you share with each other? Is there an old tradition you did as a family that you haven't done in awhile that you can do today?

You may just need a little time travel as a family to get you back on track.

May 7, 2020

How are you holding up? I can honestly say that I am doing better than I was. Sure, I don't remember how to talk to people in person and I am not sure when last I didn't wear sweat pants but overall, I am starting to adjust to life.

Parts of my brain are turning on that I didn't even know existed. For example, I am not a crafty do-it-yourself kind of guy. Yesterday, however, I spent two hours figuring out how I can make my own desk out of an old door and an epoxy kit. Yep, the colour blind guy thinks he is going to get fancy with colour. Will I follow through? Stay tuned.

My allergies are reminding me that my favourite season, winter, is gone. Trying to type on a computer all day when your nose won't stop running is fun. I am thankful though, allergy shots have made handling allergies way better.

Enough rambling. What new things are you open to during this strange time? Are there creative activities that can help make your day more exciting and challenging?

Ok, I can easily admit that I have enjoyed seeing my family. Over the past 20 years, work has been my priority so it has been a blessing to see my family everyday. In fact, as I type this message I can hear my wife and my son upstairs enjoying breakfast together. Cool.

However, daily struggles still exist. I am a person who needs to feel that each day matters. I am driven by a strong desire to impact the kids and adults I work with. That is really hard to do while sitting in my basement on a computer. So there are a lot of days, especially yesterday, when I get negative, worried, or anxious.

This morning I came across the video I posted and it presented me with a challenge. I can miss the blessings of each day by focusing on what I don't have or I can start talking to myself like a three year old..."I am smart. I am blessed. I can do anything."

Change creates a different feeling for everyone. I admit, I am not the biggest fan of quick changes. So, I am taking this time as a huge lesson on how to learn to at least like change. So instead of being down or stressed about not being with my students or in my nice little office, I am finding a way to create a new space to enjoy and new ways to connect.

As you can tell from the picture, I have a lot of work to do on my new office. Being partially colour blind is gong to make picking colours fun. I will share pictures of my progress with you.

How do you make change fun? What changes have you made that you will keep going once school gets back to normal?