How the Light Gets In

"Forget your perfect offering... there is a crack in everything.
That's how the light gets in."
-Leonard Cohen


At my school's play Thursday evening... I brought the boys:

Today was a big deal for me. It was the last day of the school term; a day we as a staff sat down with parents and students and discussed grades and performance and made goals for the future. There was a lot of self reflection (or "Come to Jesus" moments as my Mom might refer to them!)

It was challenging, insightful, rewarding... and at the end of the day- exhausting!

It has been nearly a year since we packed up the house, moved into the posh and un-child-friendly hotel off of Orchard Road, put on brave faces and warm jackets and toured Japan for a few days before heading to the Sonic drive through on Christmas Eve 2010 to start a Brand New Life USA-style.

And for me, the most "American" of us all, it has been the hardest.

But nearly one year on I am now settled, so smugly and utterly and ridiculously pleased with the work I am doing, with the students I teach, the parents I coach, the boss I 100% admire (which- OMG! I am thrilled about!), the group fitness attendees I tell, "Just 4 more reps!", the colleagues I interact with, the experiences I draw from, the teachers I trust to look after my children, the neighbors I have grown to appreciate despite years of Bad Neighbor Experiences, the community I try so hard to contribute to, the parents I am so grateful to have nearby and the life I am building for my family and myself...

Wow.

I got so many presents today! Between the gym and school I have gotten over $350 in gift cards!

I showed them all to J tonight and I just had to exhale.... Staring at the Starbucks, the Amazon, the Barnes and Noble, the everything!, I just marveled at how hard I have worked to get to this point. These silly little cards represented so much to me!

This past year was a long time in the making. One that I wanted to toss in the "rubbish" when it wasn't going as planned. One that I can finally see coming to fruition.

And.... Oh my... I now have a list of things I KNOW I will never take for granted again.

I will never feel entitled to things like I have done in the past.

And I will put on a brave face and make our 2nd year in the US even better. Work even harder. Challenge myself even more.

And accept the cracks.

And bask in the light that comes in through them.