Countdown

Well, it was another quiet week here at the Barnes house. I ran 12 miles with Wendy on Saturday, and up at Mt. Peak on Sunday. I'm still fretting about Rock-n-Roll, which is silly, because I have no control over the weather. It will be what it will be and I will have to live with it. I have been suffering from FOMO (fear of missing out) as the last two weekends have had lots of races in our area. I've seen pictures and read reports, and so wished I was there! On the other hand, I'm still working my way through my recovery from the heat-related issues of the last marathon. It seems like it is taking a long time to bounce back, yet I am seeing incremental improvements. It often takes as long as six weeks after an episode to feel fully recovered. Like I said before, it's a good and not-so-gentle nudge to remind me of what I already know about my limitations.

The rest of my time has been taken up by the gradual closing of our program at the college. I have attended the last day of three preschool classes, a good-bye tea hosted by the college president, a wonderful gathering of coworkers, both past and present, to celebrate the retirement of Virginia, our program assistant, and also to celebrate the years of support and education for families that our program provided. The Parent Ed program has been supporting families in our area for 36 years. The amazing part of this story is that Virginia was there as a parent in the program when it started, as a college instructor until last year, and as the program assistant for the last several years. She has made a difference in the lives of hundreds of children and families over the years - a real cause for celebration. All the endings have been wonderful and bittersweet. I've heard it said several times over the last few weeks, that "without Parent Ed, our family would not be what it is today." I've found myself in the position of buoying the spirits of others, reassuring them that we made a difference and that yes, it is difficult and not what any of us wanted, but that we will all make it past this closure. I have worked hard to keep my equilibrium through it all. I've been packing up files for archive, and packing up my office, and today hosted the last teachers meeting, and the last staff luncheon, each adding to the emotional roller coaster that comes with the end of an era. Right now, I have a headache that won't quit, I suspect it is due to suppressed heartache. So, I have ten days left till my final day....

However, there is a bright side. There is that point that we've all heard about, the point where a door swings softly shut, bringing darkness to the room. But all the while, as the door is moving, another door is slowly swinging open, allowing a bit of light to creep in, till slowly, slowly, the room is filled with a soft glow. That is happening for me. I'm going to leave you right here, knowing there is more to come. Next week, I'll fill you in on what was on the other side of the door... and I'm ever hopeful that there will be a race to report on as well!