Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Lessons Learned in 2013

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I confess that I am one of those people that gets completely caught up in the transition from one year to the next. My rational side is all there is nothing special about this day and any day can be a new day and a new start blah blah blah. My sensitive side with all the feels, though, (and this is the part of me that usually wins little internal debates) can't help but romanticize the passage from one year to the next.

Rational Side Means Business
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Emotional Side Has All the Feels
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There is something so satisfying about closing the door on one year and opening the door to the next. Anyone who has been following this blog for any time (and by the way, thanks for hanging around!) already knows this about me. Last year I wrote 13 for '13 sharing my resolutions for 2013 (some of which were very successful and others were a total bust) and I also wrote a New Year's Eve post on the eve before the beginning of this school year. This year, in the spirit of change, I want to examine the things I learned in 2013 and the things I hope to do/learn in 2014.



Wisdom tooth extraction sucks more than I thought it would. (x4)

Facebook is a waste of time and an unhealthy habit.

The SmartPhone (when utilized properly) is the greatest gadget I own for managing my life.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder, but too much absence will make the heart sick.

All of life's difficult moments are much more tolerable when you have a dog by your side.

Student deaths are tragic under any circumstance, but losing a student with whom you developed a good relationship is like losing a family member.

Sometimes you're the only Jesus a student will see all day.
(Lesson courtesy of Elizabeth from www.emyselfandi.com)

There is no substitution for the euphoria I feel when eating awesome food.

I'm really bad at keeping friends, but the ones worth having stick around for the long haul.

I am an introvert and my life makes a lot more sense now.

Short hair is the way to go and, even though my husband would love it if I did, I'm not sure I'll ever grow it out again.

The squeaky wheel gets the grease, but I'd still rather not be a squeaky wheel.

You're a lot happier when you are doing things you love. (Duh.)

When I start taking myself too seriously, I get unhappy.

Retail therapy works wonders.

Unfinished business weighs heavily on a person and should be taken care of ASAP.

There is a lot of political b.s. in public education, but it's pretty easy to ignore it when your focus is on the students.

Tea > Coffee

God is in the rain.

What did you learn in 2013?