19 years, milestones......and beyond......

I have worked at my school for 18 years.....this is the start of my 19th......I have known these people for so long......I started there as Miss Pearce......before I got engaged and married and am now........I am Miss Pearce again, all those years later......and it is another milestone in this walk.....another piece I am reclaiming that is mine......it is hard when you have kids to some degree to change your name and not share their last name......but for me it is an absolute.....and carrying his name around all of my days just isn't something I am willing to do.....I have talked some to my kids about it.....telling them that their last name is something special they share with their dad......and that it was my name too when we were married......but now that we are not, the name no longer belongs to me.......but that the three of us are indeed a family despite that, and sharing a name doesn't make a family indeed.......but it is funny how such a simple thing can bring such freedom and the feeling of such......walking into work and seeing Pearce on my mailbox made me feel so free and happy.......like finally a clean slate in all ways....a new school year and a new me.......showing up with my new name.....I am looking forward to this school year......some of the challenges that existed last year have been eliminated.....and it should be different, and perhaps the best of the pandemic.......that is what I am counting on.......as Covid bids farewell and begins to fade away......and really let's all take a collective sigh and realize what we have all endured the last few years alongside of our real lives and the tough stuff we face daily......kind of crazy right??? And somehow we endured and kept plugging along......even amid the challenges......and the world is definitely a different place now.....never to return to before to some degree......and we have all adjusted......teaching has changed for sure......and won't ever be the same......but perhaps we will begin this year, to see the things that we need to do to recover from it.......that is my prayer......my kids stayed with my mom and dad last night because I have work early again today.......and so I came home and took a run......took the garbage to the dump......I then wrote my article for the Courier about my women's series......just feeling really excited about all the possibilities that lie ahead.....and seizing them and embracing them all! :)