As I think about the year to come, I am thinking about patterns--patterns of seasons, patterns of human behavior, patterns of relationships.
The patterns of place, people, and time affect who we are and what we do. For example, there are times of year when sadness hits friends and family members. These patterns of sadness are mostly associated with the loss of loved ones or memories of sad and trying times. Similar to the predictability of seasonal patterns, I can expect these loved ones to experience these emotions at particular times during the year.
There are patterns of financial means and lack of means too--some times of the year are simply much more expensive than other times of the year. If you plan well, you don't feel the pinch as much, but that's not always easy to do.
Patterns of happiness occur too--there are yearly events that we look forward to and can expect to feel joy at those times of year. I always look forward to the first day of school--a day when I meet my new students and embark on a year-long journey of promising learning and events. I also look forward to the holidays, that first day at the beach after the long winter, a visit to the mountains, and special celebrations with family members.
As I think of these patterns and my plans for the year ahead, I want to make sure that I make time for the good times, and that I understand and ready myself for the more challenging patterns that occur. Onward.
The patterns of place, people, and time affect who we are and what we do. For example, there are times of year when sadness hits friends and family members. These patterns of sadness are mostly associated with the loss of loved ones or memories of sad and trying times. Similar to the predictability of seasonal patterns, I can expect these loved ones to experience these emotions at particular times during the year.
There are patterns of financial means and lack of means too--some times of the year are simply much more expensive than other times of the year. If you plan well, you don't feel the pinch as much, but that's not always easy to do.
Patterns of happiness occur too--there are yearly events that we look forward to and can expect to feel joy at those times of year. I always look forward to the first day of school--a day when I meet my new students and embark on a year-long journey of promising learning and events. I also look forward to the holidays, that first day at the beach after the long winter, a visit to the mountains, and special celebrations with family members.
As I think of these patterns and my plans for the year ahead, I want to make sure that I make time for the good times, and that I understand and ready myself for the more challenging patterns that occur. Onward.