I’ve decided it is true: Celebration saves.
—Ruth Ayres
Celebration Saves
Many years ago, I selected the word unhurried as my One Little Word for the year. It was when life was at its busiest. We had a house full of kids, we produced more than a load of laundry a day, and our dishes always needed to be done.
I was working a full-time job, writing, and speaking on the side. I worked an hour away from home. I drank a lot of coffee, consumed an obscene number of Swedish Fish, and slept very little. Most afternoons, I went for a run on a country road, and then we cooked dinner as efficiently as possible with the goal of everyone eating together at the table. We played board games, went on family bike rides, and read aloud every Kate DiCamillo book we could find.
It was not nearly as lovely as it sounds.
There was also the constant defiance and physical aggression that sometimes comes with children who have lived hard lives before they are adopted from foster care. There were therapy sessions and school meetings and arrests. There were broken windows, holes kicked in the walls, and destroyed bedrooms.
I decided to try to defy reality and live in an unhurried way.
Life did not slow down. The kids still needed to work through their trauma. I still had too many tasks undone at the end of each day.
But I formed a new habit that allowed me to slow down when the world was spinning too fast. I began to look for the celebration. Then I named it and relished it.
I was thankful for the overflowing hamper because it meant we were a healthy, active family. I celebrated as I mopped under the table because it meant we had shared a meal together and our bellies were not hungry. I noticed the stars that blanketed our backyard before I went to bed in the wee hours of the morning.
Celebration saved me.
I am not being dramatic. It was a simple choice of deciding to find the celebration. Making this choice day after day rewired the way I saw the world. It rewired my soul.
I’m not sure how the school year has been for you, but I do know it is May. May always brings too many tasks left undone at the end of the day. Let’s not beat ourselves up about this. Instead, let’s celebrate. This week we share a special edition focused on celebration. All of the articles will be free for a week. Take some time to celebrate—it might be the thing that saves you.
Ruth Ayres
Editor in Chief
“Cool” things are happening all around us. Why search and scroll online when we are surrounded by ideas in real life? Heather Fisher guides us in creating celebration and reflection routines for the adults in the school.
In a time when lives are showcased on highlight reels of social media, Gwen Blumberg reminds us of the importance of highlighting ordinary moments as worthy writing topics.
Gretchen Schroeder addresses the negative and positive perceptions of rural people with her high school students through readings, discussions, and analytical writing. Download a guide for Critical Rural Perspective Analysis to use with your students.
Josie Stewart and Hannah Tills know the end of the school year is full, yet they take the time to reflect and celebrate what learners have built throughout the year by asking students to create a plan for a final celebration.
Melissa Quimby offers a creative and practical idea to get to know students’ reading identities.
Jen Court gives 10 ways for students to share and celebrate their work as writers. Two downloads are included for you to use in your classroom.
Quote It:
Live each moment in a rampage of appreciation.
—Wayne Dyer
That’s all for this week!
