Dear Emily:

Well, I did it! I squeezed in enough time to polish off my last paper for my last “in class” course and I handed it in yesterday! Woohoo!!!! Can you see me doing a song and dance around my computer right now?

It’s a good feeling for sure but the work is by no way over. I have a huge project to do which will be the focus of my attention for the next three weeks and I sure hope I can swing it in that short time. I find it hard to believe a whole year will soon have gone by and that right now the biggest chunk of my studies is behind me.

It’s twice now that I write to you and I end up scrapping it because I have to run out the door before I can post it. I’m not going to let that happen today. Nothing short of a stick of dynamite will unglue me from this chair. I plan to sit here until I’m done. And believe me even that is turning out to be can be a challenge this weekend.

My daughter, her husband and their two dogs are here, plus, Andree’s daughter is here with her three teenagers and their two dogs. That means right now there are eight people, four dogs and a cat who has her nose out of joint with all the slobbering flee hotels who have invaded her quiet little domain roaming around one corner of the house or the other. It makes for nothing short of an interesting household that’s for sure. Although it’s certainly not what we’re used to either, it’s wonderful to have them come and visit and we love them all dearly.

Getting back to the school stuff……..class was short yesterday. I did my last “check in”. That’s when we go around the class and everyone says has their turn to say a little bit about where they are at and what they are living that day. It was a very special “check in”, or maybe I should say “check out” for me, as my classmates, the instructor and staff bid me farewell and said something about what they saw in me or about how my presence at school had impacted them.

It was touching to hear what others had to say about me and my time in school with them. We often don’t realize how our presence and who we are influences others unless they actually take the time to tell us. Hearing others voice how I had impacted them throughout the year certainly left me with a lot of warm fussy feelings in my heart. It also made me sit back and realize how who we are comes through in our actions and our day to day behavior a whole lot more than we think.

Another thing it makes me realize is just how much I will miss everyone come Monday morning when I’m not part of the sharing circle and hearing how each one is doing. After spending a year with people and often sharing a very deep and intimate part of ourselves as we grow and learn together, it’s hard to just walk away knowing I will no longer have this gift as part of my day. Yep, although I’m excited to be moving on, I’m definitely going to have some major withdrawal symptoms.

Well, I have to go. Life 101 is calling. There are the cleaning jobs to go do, Mom to go visit, the dogs to walk, supper to check on and I suppose I have to bring my sister’s car back too. Darn! It was nice to have a real car to drive for the past few days but I’m afraid it’s back to old Betsy!

Writefully Yours
Annette