Today's Message

I get daily messages from Applebaum Training, as an addendum to a training class our preschool teachers attended together. I've gone to a few Applebaum all-day sessions and have signed up for another one in November. We each have to get 20 hours a year of certification hours for our job in Pre-K, and we have found that some are much better than others. Applebaum is one of the better ones and it is 6 hours credit. And for the past couple years, I've been enjoying these daily gems to reinforce messages we already know:

A child's smile is worth "riches."
There are some children that light up your heart when they smile. They make you feel good, warm and fuzzy inside. You can't take that smile to the store and exchange it for groceries, but you sure can put it inside the memory box of your mind to open up on rainy or tough days. That is one of the many perks of working with children.

Lately, the quote from Steve Jobs about loving what you do, has been floating around the family courtesy of Mike's fb and letters to Indy and Taryn. I've been pondering part of the message about if it were your last day on earth, would you spend it doing what you are currently doing. For most people, it is unrealistic to ever think one would go to work if you knew it was your last day to spend with family. But many people don't have that knowledge ahead of time. I agree it is important to like what you do, to find moments of enlightenment in even the most obscure of ways, to be strengthened and grow as a person as a result of what you are doing. To realize that how you are being challenged right now has some effect on you that if you stand back and look at the big picture you can say "I learned this, or I gained that" from the experience. Where there is no joy, no end result worth the sacrifice, no service to others, no love for yourself and those around you, I think there really needs to be an abundance of prayer for guidance.

So I am counting myself lucky right now. Because I get to experience a whole lot of golden smiles and hugs from precious children. They are so filled with light and I love to soak it up and let my love wrap around them too. I work with a fantastic group of supportive ladies. If it were my last day and I spent it at preschool, I would consider myself lucky to have had that day.

My family knows I love them with all my heart. I'm not in any hurry to go anywhere; I am fulfilled with where I am at, but if I'm called, I am confident that I'm doing the best I can to be the person, wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend, and teacher I know Heavenly Father wants me to be. The greatest part is today is another day to learn, to be thankful, and to enjoy someone's smile.