conquering fears

Meet Jarod

Jarod is my "neice's" painted dragon.  He is 4mo old, and will get bigger.  Holding him was an exercise in exposure therapy.  I was in one of my safe places, with my safe people.

I've come to the end of another work week.  There were highs and lows, points at both ends of the spectrum where I said to myself, "why do I do this?!"  I do because it's what I was made to do.  Am I in the place where I will do this work forever?  No, highly unlikely.  But it will do for now.  Being in this place, at this time, has changed my life.  The series of events which led me to this point, has allowed me to come into contact with individuals who have and will continue to have a tremendous impact on my life.

Yet, as much as those I have met changed me, I know that I have also made a mark on many of them as well.  Some of these signs are obvious, others more subtle.  A quote I haven't thought of in years, just came to mind--it was my 7th grade teacher's favorite quote--"Education Is Not the Filling of a Pail, But the Lighting of a Fire"--I think of this, because she too was one of those I credit with having touched my life, and I hers...I still receive Christmas cards from her 15yrs later.  But also because, though I am not in education directly, the work I do IS educational in some way--I help people learn about themselves--as they teach me about who I am.