Finding Joy

This giant chalkboard sign reminds me to find joy every time I look out the window, and every time I walk up to my back door.  Here are some joyful things that have been sticking out in what is often my least favorite and most busy month of the year:

• When my kidlets sit down and spontaneously write stories, I feel joyful.  I love a good story.  I love to see my kidlets writing.
• Speaking of writing, reading the monthly second grade writing journal that The Banana brings home at the end of each month makes me joyful.  I love getting a glimpse at how she sees the world around her.
• Listening to one of my neighbors (a fourth grader) play “The First Noel” beautifully on his violin before the school concert last week totally made my day.
• While I was sitting and waiting for the school concert to begin, I was listening to all sorts of great music being played by fourth and fifth graders.  They were doing wonderfully, but I was beginning to fret that my own students wouldn’t have sounded so good.  I was starting to compare myself to all the other music teachers who had those great students, and the joy was getting sucked out of me.  Then one of my own students walked up to the microphone and announced that she wasn’t on the program, but she’d like to play “Ukranian Bell Carol.”  You know what?  She sounded just as good as everybody else.  It was a wonderful surprise to my day, and I learned that there is joy in not comparing yourself to other people.  The greatest gift I can give my students is to look at their longitudinal progress rather than comparing them with others.  I should probably not compare myself to other teachers all the time either.  Focusing on progress being made is far more joyful.
• My mother gave me some birthday money earlier this month, and I surprised myself by using it to buy two necklaces from Noonday.  First of all, purchasing jewelry is totally out of character for me, especially jewelry for myself.  But I love what this company stands for, and I loved the paper bead necklaces made in Uganda.  I was utterly surprised at how much I have enjoyed wearing these necklaces.  I love the texture of the rolled paper beads.  I love running my fingers over them and thinking of the fingers that made them and were given an opportunity to climb out of very dark situations.  And I love the way the beads look, funky and colorful.
• This Christmas, I gave my middle kidlets the opportunity to choose whether they wanted to play piano at one of the recitals assisted living places, or both.   Even though learning their Christmas music was not at all fun in the beginning of December, they both quickly chose to play at BOTH places because they really liked playing for the grandmas and grandpas there.  (It also helped that they suspected refreshments were going to be involved at both recitals).
• At the first student piano recital there was a blind resident who recognized every single carol the students were playing, and sang along.  She knew every lyric for every song, and she was belting the words out.  While this may have been slightly distracting for my students, they handled it very well.  Whenever they’d accidentally pause to think, the lady would loudly say, “Come on!  Come on!  It’s . . . ” and then she’d start singing the next part for them.  It was pretty priceless.
• At the second student recital, one little girl almost chickened out of playing.  She’s refused to play for the last two years, no matter what her parents say or do to persuade her, no matter how expertly she can play her music.  The recital was over, and some students were already snacking on refreshments when she reconsidered and played for the residents after all!  Her mom was so excited she had tears in her eyes.  The residents loved that she played in the end.  It was really special.
• Peanut butter cookies with dove chocolates in the center:  joy in cookie form.  They’ve always been my favorite Christmas cookie.  They always will be.
• All of the Christmas cards we’ve received are tacked up on our kitchen cupboards, and walking past them is joyful.