Take 5

I needed a little help today.
Some days are just like that.
Walking into a middle school in late April is a crap-shoot.

Is it going to come up good?
Or is it going to shatter?
I never know.

Today I had to work really hard to keep my sparkle
from darkening too much.
I had to force myself to focus on the good.
I made up my mind to look at only the good in my day.

This didn't happen all at once.
Nope.
I had a big gloomy Eeyore cloud over my head for most of the day.
I really don't like being gloomy.
It's not at my core nature.
But sometimes the gloomy, negativity of a couple teenagers
occasionally latches on to me and like a fungus,
it gets under my skin.

And then at lunch,
I had had enough.
I vented to my friends (Thank you!)
and ate homemade Macaroni and Cheese.
(I'm sooo glad that I made that last night!)

Slowly, I felt the gloom lift.
Just a little.
Then a little more.
During 5th period, I had most of it gone,
but at the end of class
I still needed a little extra boost to free myself completely.

And then...
I saw it.
Two of my goofy students were dancing,
and in that moment, I knew what I needed.
A dance party!
Whoop! Whoop!

I turned on some Disco music
and we had a 5 minute dance party.
Those two boys had a dance off...
squaring off with their "moves."
Other students joined in.
Instantly the giggles rose in my throat,
and the next thing I knew,
I was laughing really hard.

Yes,
it was completely goofy.
No, it isn't a part of the curriculum.
But when most of their (and my) day
is consumed by standards, targets, and state testing,
sometimes we just need to take 5.
5 minutes to be goofy.
5 minutes to laugh, smile, and most importantly boogie down.



So in your stressful moments,

remember that it's just a moment.
Just a little spot of time.
It may be stressful
and the gloom may overwhelm you,
but don't let it totally consume you.
Ultimately it will pass,
but you can help it along by finding your own 5 minutes.
Maybe it will be a silly dance party like mine.
Maybe it will be a quick walk outside.
Or maybe it will being greeted at home by someone you love.

Life is so much more than the things that bring us gloom.

Whatever it is,

own it.

Breathe it in.

And if you're like me,

just DANCE!