Expiration Dates

I love the first day of school. As a teacher, I couldn’t wait until the kids came into my class each year. I was one of those teachers who researched and planned and thought about my kids all summer long. I couldn’t wait for their faces and their stories to fill my classroom. Now, as an administrator, that day is the day that staff returns from summer vacation. Summer in the schoolhouse is busy…really busy. It is amazing the amount of work it takes to close one school year and open another. It is busy, but it is lonely.  Not only am I excited when everyone returns, I am thrilled as everyone returns and the level of excitement, enthusiasm, and joy is at an all-time high. As I sat in our opening meeting today, I looked around as tables were collaborating and I saw so much dedication, enthusiasm, joy, commitment, and excitement. I loved watching, hearing and feeling that energy as it exuded from each staff member.

When I got home around 8:30pm tonight, after a football scrimmage, I was quickly making a Rosebros favorite-boxed mac and cheese. I grabbed the milk out of the fridge to complete this delicious albeit nutritionless meal. The milk was out of date. And I don’t mean a day or two out of date- it was more than a week out of date. It has reached its expiration date. Rosebro2 noticed this as I discarded the milk and he stated, “I really wish things didn’t have an expiration date.”  As I thought about the finality of that statement, I thought about today.

I thought about the excitement, the urgency, the enthusiasm, the hugs, the smiles, the stories, the laughter, the fun. Why does it have to have an expiration date?  Why can we not continue those feelings well into the first quarter, then as we plug along into grunt work of the 2^nd quarter? Why can’t we look at those long dark, cold months of February and March with the same excitement as we do in August. And that last quarter of school….why can’t we understand that same sense of urgency and dedication to our students that we had on day one in August?

 The simple answer is, it doesn’t have to end. We talked a lot today about our mission, vision, and values. We spoke about the idea of inspiring and equipping our students. But what or who inspires or equips you? What keeps you on day 190 just as enthusiastic, joyful, committed, and excited as you are on day 1? Inspiration has no expiration date. Well, it should not have an expiration date. 

Inspiration is the key to keeping our same level of motivation that we feel today. Our work is hard. Our work is tiring. Our work is daunting. We cannot underestimate the need for inspiration within ourselves. It is critical to our work.