The last weeks of school can be brutal, a merciless mix of must-dos and wanna-dos. On the one hand, the end of the year brings final assignments, paperwork, tests, cleaning, and packing, but there is also the bittersweet desire to celebrate the accomplishments of the year while at the same time bidding it farewell.
As in any complicated season, getting over-scheduled and overwhelmed is easy, and this year has been no exception for me. My days have been packed so full, that my night's sleep has been interrupted by anxiety. Even though I have made an effort to exercise each day, the poor air quality we have been experiencing has limited my options for recreation.
But fortunately, Friday will come, no matter what the week has been like. After a fun day of teaching and then a traditional end-of-the-year potluck with friends and colleagues, I worked until 5:30 on tracking the last days of the writing challenge, sending out prize requests, and organizing my part of the field day Monday with contingency plans for rain.
When we walked out of the building, the air was clear for the first time in days, and a light breeze lifted my spirits. On the way home we passed the garden and I realized that I hadn't given it more than a second thought for this whole dry week. So as soon as I unloaded my stuff, I changed into shorts, laced up my dirty garden sneakers, jammed a hat on my head and air pods in my ears, and started the walk up the hill.
Just being outside was a tonic and with each step, it felt like I was actually leaving the stress of the week behind me. The garden was fine, and I spent a cool evening hour watering and weeding until the sun fell below the trees on the far side fence and, refreshed, I turned my attention toward home.
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