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Word of the Month
Many words come to mind when I think of September 2020. Stress, uncertainty, worry, overwhelm, fatigue, change. And also strength, courage, resiliency, community, flexibility and support. But the word FAITH kept popping up. Which is unusual for me. It's not a word that I use very often. Intuition, gut instinct, problem solving, brainstorming are a bit more common. However, this month more than anything the word faith kept coming up.
For me faith is a verb and a noun. It is something you do and it is something you have. Faith is a belief in something outside of myself. It is an understanding that there is something bigger at play in this life and by accepting that I can rest into that faith. Faith is an choice.
I haven't been good at this in the past. Faith is something I have had to cultivate through life experience and stepping outside the comfort zone of what is a sure thing. Doing something when I can't predict the outcome is an act of courage and faith. Really those 2 words are a power couple - like Barack and Michelle Obama.
If faith is a loaded word for you or not a word that aligns with you, hang in here with me for a bit longer and see if you can relate to the following examples.
1. Faith in our educators.
I had a ton of ideas to put out there for educators in late August and early September. Ideas to try in classrooms the first few weeks back. But I realized that there was so much information for schools and teachers at this time. They didn't need more information and ideas. And I leaned into the faith I have in our amazing educators to do what they do best - be there for kids as we navigate this new way of education.
2. Faith in my community.
As my own children went back to school I leaned further into faith. Faith in the families at my children's school to come together to keep others safe and keep the risk of Covid-19 low. Faith in others to follow the health guidelines as outlined. My anxiety lessened as I allowed myself to have faith in others.
3. Faith in humanity.
Full confession - I've been spending a bit too much time following American politics. On September 11, a documentary called BoatLift: An Untold Tale of 9/11 Resilience came across my news feed. If you want to have your faith in the goodness of people restored take 11 minutes and watch it. It reminded me that despite what we see on the news or on social media, there are many many people who are kind, compassionate, and giving.
4. Faith in myself.
In spite of all the things I "should" or "could" have done this past month, I leaned into faith that I did the best I could. I focused on self-care and rest (and I was still exhausted!!!). I supported anxious friends (teachers and parents!!!). I worked to keep my home a place of calm for my people. And I did this while navigating fall colds, Covid testing and decision fatigue. Were there some overwhelming times? You bet! But mostly I had faith in my ability to figure things out as they came at me and if I couldn't figure it out then I would let someone help me figure it out. And when I couldn't find faith in anything I rested.
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