The Guardian

It is graduation season, and I am saying goodbye to my wonderful sixth grade class.  As they head off into their adolescence, and all the challenges, joys, and discoveries of that tumultuous time, I ponder how I hold them– forever in my mind– at age 12.  Here is a poem I am reading tomorrow night at their graduation ceremony, and it is featured at the beginning of my book, Why Great Teachers Quit and How We Might Stop the Exodus. 

Guardian

I am the guardian of your 12 year old self

I bear witness, child one second

teenager the next

developing a sense

of what is right

what is wrong

and all in between

pushing boundaries of childhood

like water on the levees

intense daily interactions

reading, writing, thinking

talking, laughing, brooding

until poof! you’re gone

like summer in Vermont

or a flock of birds overhead

flying fast out of sight

I squint to see

the tiny dots disappear.

 

So when I see you in town

at the grocery store

don’t think I’ odd

because I stop in my tracks

 

shaken

 

because while I’ve stayed

the same in the mirror

you’ve gone through a

swirling metamorphosis

when I wasn’t looking

you’ve danced, sung

played, changed

and done more than

I’d ever known

or could teach you.

I’m looking for the relic

for the tiny piece

of your preadolescent

clumsy, shining self

searching the pictures

in my mind

head spinning.

 

So when you see me

on the street

stop and say hello.

Tell me who you are now

and I will tell you

who you were then.

image:  by Ro’smom on Flickr under Creative Commons

Joining the Go Green, Get Fit Challenge

Managing, teaching, and caring for 23 students and 2 daughters, while meeting freelance writing deadlines, and keeping up with the causes important to me– well, it consumes almost every part of my day.

 

But there is a problem. And that is looking out for me– my health, wellness, creativity and self care. Of course these are interconnected with how I care for others.

 

 Like many moms, sometimes I don’t do a good job with that balance.

 

 Two weeks ago, I ran a half marathon.  It was a challenge, it was joyous, it was exciting and fun.  Then my daughter got very sick and my school obligations super intense.  I haven’t exercised much and have been feeling low on energy.

 

 I’ve signed on to the Go Green, Get Fit Challenge, with a team of mom bloggers who want to collectively take better care of ourselves. We all have different goals, and we will post and support each other in our progress, and in our failings. But you can bet we will all make good progress toward getting healthier, especially together.  Won’t you join us?

 

The Go Green, Get Fit Challenge officially starts June 18th, but I am setting my goals now. This challenge will run 12 weeks, and I will be blogging about these goals (and more as I have them!):

 

1. Each day, go for a run, a hike, or do yoga. At least 5 or 6 days a week. This is hard because I usually run or do yoga every other day.  I’d like to have more consistency and see better results.

 

2.  Eat a healthy breakfast every day.  I don’t like eating breakfast and often skip it. Believe me, each day I hear my mom’s voice in my head telling me, “It’s the most important meal of the day!”  I know, I know. I need to make this a priority for good health.

 

3. Pick another event to inspire and motivate me. Half marathons are good because they are a challenge but don’t overwhelm my life like marathon training did. I’m searching for a fun, exciting fall event in the Northeast.  Any ideas?

 

I’d love to hear about your fitness and health goals, and please join us for the Go Green, Get Fit Challenge.  Together, we can improve women’s health and take better care of ourselves.  We (and our families) deserve it!

The Big Air 3: Allergies, Autism and Asthma

Extra! Extra! Read all about it!

I should say read more about it. There are more and more reports and articles showing the link between air pollution and health conditions, diseases, and delays.

Here’s the latest in how air pollution and chemical exposures are linked to allergies, autism and asthma, three particularly vexing health problems that are fueled by air pollution and increasing rapidly in children.

Allergies:

Are your allergies bad this year? Turns out you are not alone. Many health experts are pointing to climate change making allergies worse for many people. A combination of a warm winter and an early spring, have brought out more pollens much earlier in the year.

According to Leonard Bielory, an allergy specialist with the Rutgers Center of Environmental Prediction, and an attending physician at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in Allergy and Immunology,

 ”Pollen is an important trigger for both allergic reactions and asthma attacks. The longer and more intense exposure to pollen, especially when combined with pollutants, intensifies the severity of allergic reactions and asthmatic responses.” ~ The Star-Ledger

Please read the rest of this post at Moms Clean Air Force.