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Do you ever have a thing?  Something that, when not done to your liking, makes you a bit nutty?  My thing is clean floors in my home.  I know, you’re probably thinking that is the last thing someone should care about, but for me, it really does make me happy.

My family always picks on me for my thing.  “Gussy, get back outside!  You’re dragging dirt in the house,” they call after a rainstorm.  “Take your shoes off before you enter,” they tell their friends and they are so programmed to do so, they never leave shoes on when entering someone else’s home.  When I went back to work full-time, my husband agreed to hire someone to help with the cleaning bi-weekly and, ever since, my thing is to clean the floors within 24 hours of her having ever so kindly cleaning our mess-because it's not done the way I would have done it.

Just the other day, my ten year old son was trying to help out around the house to earn a little extra spending money.  He decided to take it upon himself to take care of the floors.  I cringed when he asked, thinking “This means I’ll have to do it all over again once he’s done”.  Again-I fully realize it’s my thing.  Knowing I had to rise above the occasion and embrace his newfound sense of responsibility, I bit my tongue and let him drag good ‘ole Hoover out of the closet just beyond the kitchen.  He raced down the basement stairs to grab a clean mop head out of the rag drawer in our laundry room and darted back up with mop and cloth in hand.   Again, bit my tongue.  “You can do this.  You really can.  Be a good mom.  The mom that is proud of her boy for helping out around the house” I repeated over and over again in my head.  I held back and was very proud of myself, despite my inner questioning of “Why isn’t he getting the corners” or “”Oops!  He missed that spot… and that one … Oh!  Don’t forget to move the chairs out of the way!”

I suppose it’s baby steps for this mom.  I gave him an allowance, praised him for helping out and taking responsibility and … well, when he headed outside to play-vacuumed and mopped the places he missed!  There’s just something about walking around my home, barefoot, without having crumbs, dog hair and leftover food sticking to my feet that has become my thing.

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I have a new favorite hobby that I’m excited to announce!  I have always loved exercise-from kickboxing to bootcamp to running.  Unfortunately, when I hit 40 three years ago, I found that my runs were becoming increasingly difficult on my knees, hips and back.  I absolutely love the cardio I get from a good run, but my body feels the impact of the pounding on asphalt for days after a long run.  The other downside of road running is that I have to harness my three year old energy-filled black Lab, Gus.  Sounds fun, right?  Not so much!  There is nothing that holds this boy back-even a harness!  I find myself gripping onto the leash for dear life with white knuckles and blistered hands, even at a sprinting pace.  I can only imagine what the passengers in the cars that drive past are thinking.  “Ha!  Look at that poor woman being run by her insane dog”, instead of what it should be, “Oh, look at that sweet boy being taken for a run by his devoted owner.”

A few years ago, my dear friend Allison and I began running together.  She is my motivation-even on those days when I’d rather curl up on the couch with a good book and a cup of coffee.  We all need a friend like Allison to get us up and out the door.

Two weeks ago, I got a text from her asking me to go for a trail run.  As in the past, I immediately thought, “How will I keep up with her?”  (she is my friend who runs marathons in 90 degree weather, barely breaks a sweat and typically walks away with a medal).  My usual comment back is, “Sure … but you’ll have to promise you’ll be slow!  I’ve never done this before.”  She has patience like no other and always makes me feel like I can conquer anything.

It was a crystal clear Saturday morning with unseasonably warm temps as we set off.  Gus was in his glory, sprinting ahead-OFF THE LEASH, much to my liking.  No longer did I have my shoulder being ripped out of its socket as he dragged me down the road.  Ahead he’d dash until just out of sight then, without prompting, there he’d appear once again by my side.  We were both free, breathing in the fresh air, listening to the sounds of the wind whistling through the trees and the birds singing their songs of spring’s soon-to-be arrival.  Instead of dodging cars and other pedestrians and their dogs on leash, we were free.  Much to my surprise, I enjoyed the challenge of dodging the obstacles along the trail and the give of the soft ground under my feet was a welcome break for my aging joints.

We went again this morning and as we wrapped up our five miles, I thought to myself, “I can’t wait for next time”.  I love when I face a challenge and succeed.  What challenge have you faced recently that gave you a sense of accomplishment?

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“Be yourself-your real friends will love you for who you are.”

I needed a little inspiration for today, so I looked to 261 Writing Sparks to Get You Writing.  One of the sparks asked, “What is something you know now that you didn’t know when you were younger?” and the answer came to me in the middle of Claire’s (yes, the kid’s store that carries every trinket under the sun).

My ten year old daughter is anxiously awaiting a sleepover party at her friend Anjali’s house this evening.  As soon as I walked through the door from the gym this morning, she was waiting-bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, purse in hand to head off for our shopping trip to purchase Anjali the perfect present.  Where else, but her beloved Claire’s.  (I have other feelings about the store, but that’s for another Slice).

As she made her sixteenth loop around the 8’x10’ space, her eyes lit up when she saw the sign, “Be yourself-your real friends will love you for who you are.”  She knew she had to buy it from the moment she laid her eyes on it.

What is something I know now that I didn’t know when I was younger?  Yep-that’s it.  I tried desperately to fit in by wearing the “in clothing”-Bennetton, Guess, GAP, regardless of the cost.  When the “in crowd” would mock kids they thought were unpopular (for reasons I still don’t get), I’d play along, knowing the whole time I was crushing someone else’s ego, but selfishly wanting the approval of Melissa, Carla and the other cool girls.  It took years and years for me to realize that trying to be someone else did not bring me happiness, nor true friendships.  I never felt lonelier and always felt as if there was an empty void in my life.  I watched my back always and never confided in a friend because I never trusted that what I’d share would remain a secret.  I watched all too often the in-crowd sharing top secrets of others like the way you’d talk about the weather.

I do not know exactly when I began realizing this was not who I wanted to be, but I think maturity and confidence made the difference.  When I began being myself, I felt like a new person-I had friendships that were meaningful, I stopped ignoring other children that I thought were unpopular and began realizing that popularity meant nothing but being part of a bubble for a short period of my life.  When I remained in that bubble, I closed myself off to others that were like me and that could have become true friends, liking me for who I was, not what I wore or the out of character things I’d do to impress.  As an adult, I realize popularity can be meaningless.

My daughter has a true gift (which I may write about in a future Slice).  When I asked her how she felt about not being included in a “BFF CLub” when she was in second grade, her reply was beautiful!  “Mom, why would I want to be part of that?!  They’re mean, they leave other kids out and I do NOT want to be part of any club that would treat other kids that way!”  While I secretly worried about who would be friends with my sweet Grace because she wasn’t included in the “BFF Club”, she was off being herself, finding real friends who love her for who she is.

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Celebrating YOU

As I sit at my computer this morning, trying to decide what I will Slice today, I realize there is so much to celebrate today, however today I celebrate YOU-intelligent, hard-working, writerly you.  This is year three for me on this special trip and a special first year for you, my writers.  Like me, I am sure you are filled with different emotions about Slice of Life.  Will I be able to keep the stamina going?  What will I write about?  Will others enjoy my Slices?  How do I get my ideas?

Here is what I know to be true …

In our special community, we celebrate YOU.

There is no such thing as perfection-we admire hard-work, perseverance and the willingness to try something new.

You have what it takes to be comfortable being uncomfortable.

We all have boring days, days when we feel like we don’t have a story to tell.  Trust me, those stories often become the seeds for powerful writing.

Don’t forget to jot the small, mundane things of your days-carry a notebook in your back pocket.  You never know when you’ll stumble upon an idea worth keeping and you don’t want to forget it.

Try out a new way of writing … a poem, a song, a letter to your future self about your day, write from the perspective of your dog, write an ABC book about your day.  There are endless possibilities!

Don’t forget the power of comments.  YOU have the power to make someone’s day.  You have fellow Slicers out there, waiting for your kind words to motivate them to write on.

Today, and every day, we celebrate YOU-intelligent, hard-working, writerly you.

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Thrill

I needed a little inspiration to get myself started for my first Slice, so I borrowed a strategy from another teacher-one little word.  My word today is thrill.  While some may see it as just one word, I see it as one ginormous word that can have so many feelings attached.

The “thrill” that I have decided to write about this time around is the kind that brings the good butterflies, the excitement that comes when you’re awaiting a special day, the feeling that life is thoroughly sweet.

The thrill I want to share is the moment my cell phone rang as I was walking into an interview for a teaching position at Smith Elementary School.  The incoming call was from a number I knew well-the familiar digits of Keenan Elementary, my very first teaching home.  The Keenan Elementary I had left, with bittersweet emotions, as I awaited the arrival of our baby girl, Katherine.  Keenan Elementary, the home I had missed for ten years while raising our three young children.  Keenan Elementary, the home I wished to return to as I was re-entering the profession I loved so very much-teaching.

“Hello?”, I hesitantly began.  “Please, please let this be the call I’ve been praying for,” I thought.  Butterflies raced through my belly-the kind you get as you take that massive plunge down the track of the steepest roller coaster imaginable.  The kind that make you hold your breath, in hopes for the answer you’ve been crossing fingers and toes for for an eternity.

“Miss Campbell?”, she began.  “It’s Mrs. O’Grady, your new boss.”  I immediately released all of the breath I had been holding in for what felt like an eternity.

Thrill.  Thrill is my one ginormous word for today.