Blog for May 10th 2021
As you may or may not know, this last week was teacher appreciation week. And I do appreciate a good teacher, that’s for sure. Also, today is Mothers Day as I write this. I believe mothers, good, bad or indifferent, are our first teachers and continual teachers throughout our lives, even beyond their deaths. It seems they are teaching us what their parents taught them and so on from each generation on down.
I used to enjoy teaching my little First Graders, they were so cute and so eager to learn, little sponges. I also had the privilege of teaching several of my grandkids and my friends kids and grandkids. What a blessing it was for me. However, I retired three years ago from that, but still teach college, which is fun for me. It’s a drug and alcohol class.
Our daughters are also teachers and I have subbed for them from time to time when they needed a sub. It is fun to go back into the classroom, especially knowing I don’t have to make all the lesson plans and set the class up. It’s fun to just walk in and teach the class and have a good time with them. I also have a niece and a nephew that a teaches. Teaching seems to run in the family these days, like addictions use to! I’m proud of our kids that teach, it’s a calling for sure. And it is not, but no means an easy job, you gotta love what you do to be a teacher.
At the risk of sounding redundant about being teachable in our recovery, I’m still going to mention it, because I believe it to be crucial to our recovery. We can have all the great teachers in the world, but if we’re not willing or ready to learn a lesson, we won’t learn it and their efforts are wasted on us. As the saying goes “when the student is ready, the teacher will appear”.
In the beginning of my recovery, I was so willing to learn how to stay clean, just for today, just one day at a time. And as time went on, I was more than willing to learn about the program and the steps. I was willing to learn from my sponsor and predecessors and follow direction. I knew they had been right when they told me, “your brain is broke, just listen for now.” Ok, and so I did. I gained a lot knowledge and recovery.
The problem with my new found knowledge and insight were that I started thinking I knew something. I was trying to give unsolicited advice to newcomers and others as I deemed it beneficial to them all. That really is a laugh out loud comment, isn’t it? Lol, I think I had about a year and half to two and a half years clean when I was all that and a bag of chips. (still lol’ing). My oldest sister kinda put me in my place one time, about thirty three-years ago and I am still reeling from it! Lol again.
As time went on, I noticed that God certainly had His hand in “humblizing” me, that is a word I made up back then and you’re welcome to use it. It wasn’t easy to be “humblized” by God all the time, ouch. So, I had to back up and re-group, “what’s the problem here?” I ask myself. I delved into my steps for solutions and answers, because this was a bit painful for me and pain leads me to work my program.
Working on myself was indeed a humbling experience for me, it’s not easy to look at yourself so closely and then be willing to make changes as needed. What I found was that I still needed to shut up and look to the teachers and listen to what they had to teach and to heed their advice.
The “teachers” can be anyone, anywhere at any time. It can be a friend, a stranger, a child, an elderly person, my mother, sisters, brother, husband, kids, grandkids, my pastors, neighbors, actors, musicians and a caterpillar, birds, fish or lady bug. Teachers are everywhere. Even the wind has taught me some good lessons.
I’m not saying all this to undermine a good teacher, I have had some most excellent instructors in my schooling. Mr. Stacey for one. He is probably my favorite, but Mr. Hyatt, Ms. Williams, Mr. Harris, Ms. Gaskin and even though I was never good at math, I loved Mr. Sociis. They all taught me well on the subjects they were hired to teach me. But others have taught me much more than book knowledge. Like my sisters, sponsors, husband, friends and family.
The best lesson I have learned in my entire life is Love. There is not a class for that at school, it is a subject of God and of the universe. It is what I gleaned from working the steps and staying clean. Recovery, meetings and getting together is the best teacher of that subject, Love. Learning to love others and put them before yourself is a lesson I’ve learned from God, through people and His Word.
If you be a mama, Happy Mother’s day, there’s nothing like a mothers love. If you are not a mama, Happy Mother’s day. Because you wouldn’t be here if you didn’t have a mom, that’s for sure. Whether your mom was a good one or not, here or not, that’s still how you got here. Good or bad, they all teach us something, what we want to be like or what we don’t want to be like.
A quick little story about a great lesson I learned while watching a rerun of Happy Days many years ago. I had been struggling and fighting with my son a lot at this time, he was a strong-willed teenager and not easy to deal with. On that Happy Days episode Chachi and his mom were arguing and she stopped and said “if a stranger walked in here right now, they would not know how much we love each other”! Wow! That was a strong lesson for me, off an old sitcom! And there have been others, don’t get me started on the Waltons! Lol.
I seen a post this morning from a young lady I know whose dad raised her because her mom committed suicide when she was a baby. Her dad, a friend of ours, was a hard-core addict when she was little and married a couple of addict women along the way. She was thanking her step-mothers for their time and help that they did give to her. She is such a sweetie. But even she found someone to thank and be grateful for on this day. They all taught her something of value. She is an amazing lady and a wonderful mother herself. She is also a teacher! A special ed teacher at that. She is proof, we do not have to let our past define us. Yes, she’s in recovery too.
So, happy teacher appreciation and happy Mother’s Day. I pray you all had a wonderful day. I pray that you keep your eyes out for your “teachers”. God bless.
Question of Week: Who’s your favorite teachers and why?
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