Be Proud of You

 When was the last time you looked in the mirror and told yourself you were proud of you? I hope it was very recently 😊!! When we look back over our life, year, month, and even day, we can see that we have a lot to be grateful for. I don't know about you, but sometimes I can be hard on myself and get caught up in what hasn't happened yet. That's when I have to remind myself of all the things and people in my life I do have. I still want to keep growing, of course, but there's also a lot of things that God has already helped me accomplish. I'm so grateful for that 💜!! This year marks 20 years that I have been working at my current school division. To God be the glory because he has helped me and strengthened me all the way!! For 11 of those years, I was a teacher assistant and the other 4, I was a support teacher with a specialized reading program. I learned a lot in those years about myself, the classroom, people, education and life in general. For the past four years, I have taught 6th grade English and learned even more 😊. This will be my 5th year teaching English and I'm looking forward to it 💚💙!! It hasn't always been easy as I encountered different situations and felt like giving up at times and not adequate enough to teach. I remember before receiving my Master's degree and teacher license, I wasn't sure if I would even complete the program. Before my Momma passed, I remember her telling me it was okay to take a break, but don't quit. She said don't give up on it and that it would work out. Momma was right-it did work out- praise God!! She was not here to see me cross the finish line, but in 2021, I received my Master's degree in Elementary Education 😊. By the next year, I got my teacher certifications taken care of. I thank God for it all and I'm definitely proud of me for that 😊. It wasn't easy, but with God, I did it! Also, recently, I rejoined a local community choir 😊. Yes, you read that correctly...I rejoined! I was on the choir with my Mom when it started in 2006 and we sung steady up until right before 2020. It started back up last year, but I didn't rejoin right away. I was definitely missing my girl Momma as I knew it would be different without her on the choir. I knew I would miss looking in the soprano section and not see her smiling face. At first, I wasn't in a space to join as I was healing, which was okay. Now, I'm still healing as it's a continuous process. Then, earlier this month, I saw a flyer with the upcoming choir schedule and I gave it some thought and prayer. I felt ready this time, even though I knew it would be different. One of my best friends joined the choir recently and she talked about how great the first choir rehearsal this month was. I said, "Okay, God, that was the confirmation I needed." By the next rehearsal, I showed up! It felt like I never left! I was welcome with open arms and big hugs and smiles 💜. Was it bittersweet and I thought of Momma? Of course! Did I have a good time at rehearsal? Oh yes! All of the songs have been on repeat in my mind since then 😊. I also attended a service that our choir sung at this past week and that was great! I am proud of me for taking that step back to the choir 💚. We can be proud in the daily and ordinary moments. It doesn't always have to be big, but it could be small and that's great too! It could be drinking more water than the day before, going to sleep earlier, getting more consistent exercise, making that difficult phone call, having a difficult conversation, figuring out how to do something perhaps technology wise or something in general, learning something new, saying "no" more, setting healthy boundaries, or realizing you don't need to explain yourself. All of these things are things we can be proud of too 😊!! You should be proud of you! I'm proud of you, and I'm proud of me 💚. Let's keep looking for moments we can be proud of and be grateful for how far God has brought us. May God continue to bless you all!!