Knots

Dedicated to all of my former students who have and will become teachers. You will be masters of "knots."

Love,

Ms. Alley

I'm thinking about knots today. I have always been pretty good at undoing knots. Being a preschool teacher and then teacher, you are always presented with knots. These knots were not only in shoes, but also in academic lessons, playground scuffles, classroom debates, and in your students personal lives.

How do you get a knot out? You loosen the tie that binds it. You get to the root of the problem. You listen to the problem, brainstorm, and try to loosen the issues that are holding you back.

As a teacher, I reminisced about how I helped loosen the knots of my students. In academic problems, we found what component they didn't understand. We retaught and practiced the skill until they found mastery. In playground scuffles, we found out what "beef" was causing their angst, and had a one on one discussion with our current nemesis. All most all of the time these scuffles ended in friendships and a big group hug. Thanks Teletubbies. In classroom debates, we came to a consensus about what was really important to help everyone be content in our classroom endeavors. In their personal lives, I listened or read their notes they left on my desk and gave them positive input on how and what they could control. I helped them discern what was "the small stuff" and how to make an action plan for a better life path than they had at the moment. You wouldn't believe some of the tremendous "knots" today's youth have in their lives. I'm so grateful God blessed me in my vocation. He gifted me with love and compassion for all people. This is so key in tackling those knots we encounter especially as a teacher.

Now that I'm retired, I still have "knots" in my life. They never end. I think that life is just a series of knots that teach us and mold us as we complete our journey on earth. Sometimes we have to take a break and reflect on the ties that are binding us. Depression, financial woes, and relationship knots are just three common "knots" we as humans often encounter. As I read a prayer this morning, it showed how Mary untied the world's knots with a mother's love. Today, don't let your knots separate you from God's love and grace. Help us to be like Mary and not question God's purpose in our lives. Let us be full of kindness, love, and patience for all of humanity. Just like Mahatma Gandhi said, "In a small way, you can shake the world." So today try to practice this proverb in your lives and be a conqueror of knots!

"Be humble, for you are made of earth.

Be noble, for you are made of stars."

-Serbian proverb