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President Melanie Hameed: Happy Spring, NEOEA!

I don’t know about you, but at this particular time of the year I find it incredibly difficult to find joy—joy in what I do and joy in what I am seeing in the world. The skies have been cloudy and dark for several months now and the ground is cold and muddy. I understand that the earth needs time to rejuvenate and restore itself. I understand that the hibernation of plants and flowers is necessary for the grand awakening that is coming. However, even that promise of rebirth and light can’t always lift my spirits or make me rush out the door to the kids and colleagues I love. Often we, as caregivers, are never asked if we are ok. I’m asking you. “You good? Are you OK?”

When I enter this dark side of the year, I know that there are hidden jewels in my life, things that I keep tucked deep within my spirit and profession, that will help me journey through until I get to the end. Spring break is coming. I can see it in the rearview mirror.  Although it sits far in the distance, things reflected in the mirror are closer than they seem.

I have three little girls in my first period class who do nothing but smile. Every day that I feel like I can’t put one foot in front of the other, I’m reminded that I’ll miss those smiles in just a few short months, so I need to treasure every second I have with them.

I recently began singing in my church choir. It has brought me such joy to be with those people. They are funny and talented. I need to treasure every moment I have with them. We recently wore robes while singing one Sunday. One of my students had this quote on her phone: “Life is too short to wear boring clothes.” It made me think of us in those robes and it made me smile.

NEOEA has all kinds of workshops. I thought about the wonderful faces I saw during Megaconference, and I look forward to seeing those faces at the sessions for NEOEA Day, the announcement of the winners of the mini-grants, and the upcoming Green Tour. All of these hidden gems help to push me towards the glorious light.

If you are having a gray season, remember the little gems that you have hidden in your spirit. Look for the glimmer of light in the sky. Look for the fact that the sun won’t set before 6:00 p.m. until December. Search the trees for signs of buds and the grass for shoots of early flowers. Look for the signs and colors of spring and the upcoming summer. I’m looking to you for happy greetings and smiling faces. I’m looking to you for plans for spring break and summer vacations. I’m looking to you, the gems I hide in my spirit when I’m really gray, to remind me that all things have a season, even me.

Be uplifted!

By Melanie Hameed, NEOEA President

Published in our Spring edition of News & Views