A Holiday Reflection

Goodness! It seems crazy to me that Christmas has come and gone already. I hope you are all enjoying the break!

Something struck me this holiday season that inspired me to post today. During the various family celebrations the last couple of days, I received many, many gifts to use at SON Shine. This isn't unusual, necessarily. Ever since I made the decision to attend college to major in education, I have received gifts for my future (and now, current) classroom for birthdays, Christmases, and even for my wedding. The difference between receiving those things then and receiving them now is that now I know exactly how those things are going to impact the educational journey of the 21 specific children who attend SON Shine.

It makes my heart melt to know that there are people all over the state who are investing in the future of my students. There are people all over who know how much your children mean to me and are thinking of them this Christmas.

I have a passion for what I do, and I am willing to put in whatever time it takes to help the kiddos succeed. Though, like anything, when you put so much of yourself into something, it can be super easy to burn out. I entered the holiday season feeling burnt out. Don't get me wrong, I still looked forward to going to school every morning. I just needed some time to be me - time to step out of "Mrs. Hansen's" shoes and to wear high heels, curl my hair, and wear dresses without worrying about ruining them with paint.

So, I did just that. I went to Christmas Eve church feeling like a put-together young adult instead of a preschool teacher. Then, after enjoying a service without thinking about what lesson plans I did and didn't have ready for school the next day, I came home to open presents from my family. That's when I found my passion again. Knowing that my family members think about how they can help the children and put time into picking out gifts they will like and learn from inspires me to get back in there and continue to do everything I can.

I have been enjoying this time off and the opportunities I've been having to think like myself instead of like a preschool teacher, but I'd be lying if I said I don't think about the students every day. They are truly the greatest gifts I have received this year, and I want to thank all of you for allowing me to be a part of their lives!

I hope you all have had a very merry Christmas! Enjoy the rest of your break! I'll see you on January 3rd!