Stretching
Bending
Twisting
Walking
All with purpose
Back straight
Head held high
Muscles engaged
Strengthening
The outer shell
So that the 
Inner soul
May freely and
Graciously 
Continue on
Its journey-
One carrying
One held
Each breathing life
Into the other

I have recently been going to physical therapy. It is not my first experience with PT. A long history of scoliosis, a couple of bone breaks, and hours of sitting at the piano made it necessary.

This time, however, was different. At our first meeting, my therapist asked about my goals for therapy. He gave me a chance to think. What do I want to get out of this? I knew from experience PT was helpful. But I needed to think past the initial results.

At the time, we were awaiting the birth of our first granddaughter. I knew I wanted to be able to hold her, pick her up, and play on the floor with minimal discomfort. You get the picture. Ultimately, I wanted to feel stronger.

Today, I am a little stronger. I also have a lot more work to do. And possibly some weights to purchase. 😉 But I now have some helpful exercises with specific purposes that make a difference.

My therapist viewed me not just as a patient but as a person. Both challenging and encouraging me through this process. And I am grateful.

We are products of public education-me, my husband, our three children, and our daughter-in-law. Each of us graduated from college. Several hold graduate degrees.

Our combined work in public education equals over fifty years. Our varied experiences include band, elementary music, special education, geometry, computers, and administration. Collectively, we worked in many classrooms with different age groups from varying perspectives across several states.

I am grateful for my public education experiences as a student, parent, and employee. Each provided caring teachers, opportunities for creativity and learning, and lifelong friendships. These are things that continue to happen in today’s classrooms.

Were they perfect? No. Are they perfect now? There is no such thing. But they were and are filled with hardworking staff and teachers who love their students. Individuals dedicated to the pursuit of lifelong learning. People who hold dear the responsibility for our future.

They need and deserve our support, as do our children.

What can we do?

We can choose not to perpetuate inflammatory rhetoric concerning teachers and classrooms.

We can choose not to apply broad generalities. History has shown us how detrimental those can be.

We can accept that there is always work to do. And remember the work is made lighter when we join hands.

“I have the right to do anything,” you say-but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything,” you say-but not everything is constructive. No one should seek their own good, but the good of others. I Corinthians 10:23-24

Do everything in love. I Corinthians 16:14