Tomorrow I give one more final exam and by 3:00 PM I will have all my grades turned in and I will be ready to walk out of the school building and into the summer sun. It's a weird mix of emotions tonight:
Relief - I am ready for the semester to be over.
Regret - Did I cover everything I needed to cover these past few months? No.
Anticipation - Looking forward to reading more, writing more, and working around the house. I have a hundred projects to finish and a hundred more to start. We also have a quick weekend trip coming up to New Jersey and the best part is nobody will be left behind. The whole family will be roadtripping - just like old times.
All these emotions are very familiar for the eve of summer break, but there's a new one this year:
Guilt - The kids and I are starting our summer breaks, but Melissa is not. Clarity's work continues in the summer months and Melissa does not have anywhere near the number of days off each year that a typical teacher has. It will be a big adjustment. We have long appreciated summer breaks as being a huge perk of life as a teacher and now she is working a job - the first in her adult career - that doesn't offer that perk.
So I need to give some extra thought on how to turn my sense of guilt into positive action to make her working summer as pleasant as possible.
Beyond the obvious - taking on more of the cooking and cleaning, finishing up long-desired house and yard projects, and taking her out to lunch on occasion - I am open to suggestions!
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