It’s been taking me a little longer to get up and blogging, because I’ve been working part-time at Chandler High School as an intern counselor. It’s hard work, but good work. It can be so dark at times, and yet so rewarding at others. While, as a newbie, I often leave work feeling like breaking down in tears (or actually doing just that), the tears are not just ones of sadness for the hardships that some kids endure, but also for the feelings of appreciation that I feel at being given the opportunity to help these young people in some small way. I also feel so blessed at the three precious lives that I’ve been chosen to nurture and protect and teach and love throughout the years. When I get home every day, I want nothing more than to hold them and kiss their chubby cheeks and tell them how much they mean to me. I want to talk to them and listen to them tell me about what they know, think, feel, and did that day.
While I hate to be gone from them for even a couple hours, I am beginning to feel happy that this new work experience shows me something that somehow amplifies the joys that come from being a mom and wife. It’s like my family is my steak (the nourishment), and my internship experience is the salt on my steak (the flavor enhancer). There have been days where the salt was spilt, and I was overwhelmed and that afternoon was pretty unpalatable. But more often than not, I have to say, the harmony is delicious.
