May 9, 2011

What Got Us Through

I just re-read my previous post about hope and thought I should give an update. I wrote that after Duffy came home from a very disappointing teacher job fair in NY, where they weren't really offering any jobs, just mock interviews. I was certain and had faith that he would come home with a job that day and....nothing.

About a year ago, Duffy left his teaching job in Georgia without already having secured a job here in NY. The pull to NY was strong and we felt it was now or never to move back. We knew he had great experience and awesome recommendations, but we were told by most school districts that they were cutting teachers, not hiring new ones. One principal even said, "I don't know of any principal who will hire you without first watching you sub for a few years." That was NOT the direction he wanted to be headed. Still, we went to Atlanta and began to pack, even though we had no real reason why. It just felt like the right thing to do. Duffy continued to apply to just about every school district in the state. We did know at that point that I could keep my job and work from NY for at least a year. We knew we could move in with his folks if it came to that, so at least we wouldn't be homeless. Thankfully, in late July he was asked to come in for interviews at two different school districts.

The last interview was in Ithaca and we were driving back to Atlanta the next day. I sat in the parking lot while he was being interviewed by a panel of 8 or 9 teachers, administrators, and parents. He came out and really couldn't say how it went. He said it was tough and generally didn't feel great about it. One detail he did give me was that there was one principal there who he was sure didn't like him.
The drive back to Atlanta was an emotional journey. What were we going to do? He thought about going to his principal and begging for his job back. We attempted to log into the Georgia Teaching Jobs website, but the website acted so weird--like it was broken, and it wouldn't allow him to apply for any of the jobs posted. Was Georgia meant to be our home and we weren't accepting it? Do we keep having faith that this is the right thing to do?

That summer we made 3 roundtrips from Atlanta to New York. The cd we listened to most was Amy Grant's "Somewhere Down the Road". Honestly, I think it got us through one of the toughest times in our lives. Duffy felt awful, like "What have I done?" I was torn, "we are making this move on faith, but are we just being stupid?"

From the first line, "So you've handed in your resignation...." this song was our anthem. These words were something we couldn't overlook:
"Do I wait until it falls into my hands?"
"a long highway ahead" --all those miles to and from Atlanta
"there's something to be said for experience" -right there on his resume.
"take it a day at a time" "it won't happen overnight" "Don't give up"

We alternately wept and were renewed by this song.

Well, most of you already know the ending. That principal that Duffy thought disliked him, hired him less than a week later and said that he was meant to be there. We needed to be moved to Ithaca in a week. It's a good thing we were already packed.

| By amy | 7:46 AM | Comments (4)

April 14, 2010

Figuring out Hope

I'm trying to figure out hope. It is the thing we are supposed to have lots of, isn't it? Faith, Hope, Love and all that. But I'm pretty sure, at the least the way I'm thinking, that people who do hope ultimately end up with more disappointment in their lives. If you're hoping all the time, it can't always end up in your favor and so you're just left with that punched in the gut, unfulfilled hope feeling. I can psych myself into hoping with the best of 'em, convincing myself that God can and does work miracles, praying so hard that I'm exhausted because He says knock and the door will be opened. You can only go through that so often though, at least until you just start hoping again like some kind of fool. So that leaves me wondering what God thinks about hope. What are we supposed to hope for (if anything), and are we supposed to believe and have faith that whatever we're hoping for will come to fruition?

Here is something I found that helped to clear up what I was thinking:

"Hope that Disappoints
Throughout the ages, hope has simultaneously inspired and terrified man. Though hope is often the only source from which one can draw the strength to carry on, the more one hopes, the more vulnerable he becomes. Hope is dangerous, making one susceptible to the pain of disappointment, but despite its folly man craves it like a drug."

| By amy | 6:27 PM | Comments (2)

February 26, 2009

Cute things I want to remember

"KK, why does your car always talk about John McCain?" -Owen to Katie during the ride to preschool during election season

Owen to Caroline at bedtime on her birthday (in a big-brother tone, mind you):
"Tomorrow you won't be the birthday girl anymore. You'll just be the girl."

"Care-la-line" -how Caroline pronounces her own name.
Caroline having me individually wrap and gift tag tiny little seashells for each student in her class so she could give them presents.

Bethy singing her abc's at 15 months, the way she cries for Owen in the morning, how just about everything she says is extremely cute to me!

| By amy | 2:56 AM | Comments (0)

June 3, 2008

Caroline's Tricks

So I put Caroline into bed about 20 minutes ago, and she just now starts hollerin' "Maaamaa! Mommy! " over and over. I finally go in to see what she wants and this is what I saw:

I'm sure taking pictures only encourages this type of behavior, but it was too cute to pass up. She is definitely our party girl.

| By amy | 8:27 PM | Comments (1)

May 30, 2008

Owen's Breakfast Prayer

Just a few minutes ago before eating our Shredded Wheat, Owen offered to pray. He
usually looks around while praying and thanks God for
whatever catches his eye (the trees, the grass,the piano, the
fish, etc.) This morning I told him to try and
close his eyes and think about God in his
heart and thank Him for the things in his life that
he really enjoys. This was his emphatic, heartfelt
prayer:

"Dear God,
PLEASE tell Santa to bring me a real Hot Wheels.
Amen."

He must have some innate God/Santa connection.

| By amy | 8:34 AM | Comments (1)

May 18, 2008

Discussion Questions for "The Business of Being Born" movie

Over the past 2 weekends I have viewed the movie "The Business of Being Born" with friends. I searched online for some questions we could use to fuel our post-viewing discussion but could find none. So, I decided to create some of my own. Feel free to use these questions, modify them or add to them. If you find this helpful, please post a comment and let me know. Whatever you do, see this movie and encourage others to do the same. Women deserve to know the truth about childbirth and how amazing the experience can be.

How do you define "natural" childbirth? How do you think doctors may define it?

The "natural" births in the video are all home births. Is it possible for a woman to have this type of birth in a hospital? What is needed to help that to happen?

What in the movie did you find most shocking?

There are two sides to every story. What are some factors that the movie may have overlooked?

Where does the mentioned "so what" attitude that some women have toward childbirth come from?

What are some of the differences you noticed between the "natural" births of the women in the video and the majority of births portrayed elsewhere in the media?

Do you think that a woman's body knows what it is doing in regards to childbirth?

How would you describe the overall atmosphere/scenes of the homebirths shown in the movie? What emotions do you see from the mothers during labor and after the births?

What stereotypes surround a homebirth today?
What stereotypes surround a woman who wants to give birth "naturally" (unmedicated).

What will it take to change the general view of childbirth in our country?

How is having a "natural" unmedicated birth empowering to a woman? How can it be beneficial to her?

Discuss your own birthing experiences. Remember that every birth is special, but that doesn't mean that it was necessarily the experience hoped for. Sharing your experience honestly will help yourself and others.

How can you share the message of this film with others?

| By amy | 2:58 PM | Comments (3)