in my experience, it is of the utmost importance to remember said things and keep as near to them as possible.
I have at times made a list.
it helps.
my list is quite lengthy, as I am easily entertained and often a small child, but recently as I strive toward gaining a bit more focus, I see three items that rise to the top:
accents.
kiddos.
counseling.
my friend, tomàš is czech. he was one of my manager's at a job in colorado, and he is delightful.
truly delightful.
one day, on a particularly stressful, frustrating afternoon working alongside this sweet man, I made a statement to the effect of "tomàš, this is ridiculous!". in one of those providential moments, I thought to ask him how to translate the word 'ridiculous' into czech. he thought for a bit and declared,
"hloupy' (hi-lōpē)!". I replied, "yes! that word even sounds ridiculous!"
and, so it began... tomàš would teach me more and more words and phrases in his native language, and we both were both entertained and soothed by this distraction from the deep frustrations we faced at work. oh, wait. our language lessons actually started after I recognized a word he used in speaking with another czech who worked at the resort. he said, "dobre", which means, 'good'. I recognized it from a trip I took years ago to bulgaria. saying "dobre" and showing a thumbs up was literally the extent of our ability to communicate for many of us. tomàš beamed with joy when I acknowledged knowing this word! that is where our discussion in language commenced.
I love language and culture. an accent indicates both, and learning happens here.
every time.
london taught me to appreciate culture and international community. joy lives here for me.
over the years, I have been blessed to make friends of many little ones...at camp, babysitting, kids of friends, teaching, etc. no matter the setting, kids and I get along well. they are honest, engaging, simple, deep, authentic, hilarious, accepting, and smart.
my master's studies are going well. these classes are the thread that is keeping me focused on the larger goal I have to do counseling full time. I think I have an idea of setting, as well. I am working on it. helping people process life is such an honour and a blessing to me.
so, for now, I will only mention these three that are on my overarching career track goal. I know joy lives with these elements in my life, and in a time of life where there seems to be a fair bit of loss and more "real life" than I prefer, I go back to that list of things that make my eyes smile.
a real life example:
today, a girl at work mentioned by happenstance that she and her husband leave for boston tomorrow for week. I nearly fell down with joy! she asked me to tell her everything I know.
a couple of times my words got jumbled with that joy. she giggled at me. I loved it. that conversation brought me out of my fog that had settled in this morning.
and, you know what? when I go back to that list, I also realize that it has more on it than I sometimes remember.
I hope you make a list and lean in to those spots.
happy wednesday!
cheers,
kb.
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