My Happy Place

*Warning: This post may or may not be controversial.  It is not intended to be such, but if you have strong feelings that ALL women should be stay-at-home moms...STOP READING NOW.  Well...I warned you.

So today was back to reality!  A reality, by the way, that I LOVE!  It was back to work for me.  For those who may not know, I teach 1st grade at Claxton Elementary and I love my job.  Take that back... I double love my job.  I miss my job when I'm not working...get so excited to go back to work that I can't sleep the night before...weird, strange love my job.  I told you...I can't make this stuff up.

The funny thing for me is that I have ALWAYS loved work.  I haven't always been a teacher, but I have always loved to work.  It's almost like I feel like I don't deserve to eat dinner at night if I haven't made my contribution to society.  Now, I won't lie...the best job I ever had was being a lifeguard during the summer.  I worked at a small pool where I only "rescued" one person and that's because her toe was bleeding...HERO RIGHT HERE!  I didn't mind working 12 hours a day because by the end of the day my tan was deliciously beautiful.  Best. Job. Ever.  I've done the waitressing thing (loved it), done the secretary thing (loved it), and then my career of choice (the 2nd best job ever)-teaching.  I was also forced to become a SAHM when Noah was hospitalized and became very ill.

I know for a fact that God has not, at this time, called me to be a SAHM.  Do I struggle with that?  Absolutely!  I struggle with the guilt of not feeling guilty that I'm not staying home.  I think I struggle with it more not because of how I personally feel, but because of reactions I have had from other people.  It was exactly the same when I CHOSE NOT to breastfeed Noah.  I was severely post-partum after I had Noah and breastfeeding struggles put me over the edge.  It was either bottle feed or harm my child.  I'm pretty sure I made the right choice for ME and HIM at that point in my life. 

 And that's the key...are you making your choice based on what's best for your family...or what someone has told you is right for your family.  Trust me, I've heard my fair share of sermons that I am sinning and outside of God's will if I am not staying home with my child.  I. completely. disagree.  Working outside the home makes me a better person...a better mom.  I've done both...been on both sides of the argument...and I know what is better for me and my family.  How can anyone argue with that? 

We look miserable here, don't we?  I'm sure some kind of trauma has been inflicted on Noah because I work outside the home.



So instead of being a SAHM to one child, I choose to be a mom to 18 children every single day...some of whom don't have a mom in their home.  (Last year, I was a mom to 150 middle schoolers...some of whom were bigger than me).  Here is where I believe God has called me to be...

In and among these precious boys and girls...

Teaching them to be better people...

Teaching them to be better readers...





Teaching them that "They Can"...succeed...





My unorganized desk.

And everyone knows that one key to loving your job is loving who you work with.  I've made some of my best friends through work...

Melody helped me survive and vent the perils of middle school!





Our Rock Star Team (without the lovely Jennifer)



With Jennifer...on a work day...we usually don't dress this casual....

So let's make a deal...you let me go to my happy place 5 days a week, and I'll let you go (or stay) in yours.  After all, isn't the happiness of our children what it's all about?  Pretty sure we've got that covered in our home...



P.S.---and since I do work every day, I won't be blogging every day...unless someone wants to pay me for it!

Keep Walking...