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Things Change

It's a rather dreary, rainy morning and I find myself in a blue funk. Yesterday was more than a long day for me as a teacher, wife, and mother. I'm just worn out, I guess. But at the heart of this sadness is the combination of changes that make my world feel unstable.

More than anything, Dennis is gone. His take on the world is gone, his energy is gone. Some days it feels as though all the good that was Dennis has been usurped by a lurid news story that won't go away. Yes, there are ways to breathe good into the loss and pain. But it is a horrible change that shifts the ground underneath those who knew him and felt connected to his work.

Columbia Council Representative Tom Coale appears to be considering a run for office in another capacity. Good for him! And yet his presence on the CA board has given many of us our first real glimpse into how things work around here. I fear what will happen without his energy, advocacy, and openness. Is anyone else  out there ready to take the risks he has taken to move Columbia forward and include new people in the process?

My daughter has moved on to Middle School, and I'm still adjusting. Yes, I'm slow in adapting. We loved Talbott Springs and miss the community. It isn't just kids that find middle school difficult. We attended the Evening of Excellence last night and it was wonderful. Students are involved in projects from robotics to primary research, fashion shows in foreign languages, Shakespeare, claymation, environmental film...and still I had that underlying feeling that I don't quite feel at home. By the time I "get it" will it be time for high school?

Since September, my older daughter has gotten married, my younger daughter has moved inexorably towards teenager status, my husband has won two major professional awards and I have run for public office and lost rather spectacularly.No wonder I just want the world to hold still for awhile.

It doesn't, of course. Facing reality feels like a full time job right now. But it's better than the alternative.

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