Life's Interruptions Slice of Life Tuesday

From the time our children are little, we teach them to not interrupt.  We tell them it's rude and disrespectful.  We remind them of the importance of waiting.  I distinctly remember my children clamoring for my attention every time I was on the phone.  (Ok...my husband was a little guilty too).

The dictionary defines interruption as something that causes something to break off or a disturbance.  The word often has negative connotations.  We don't like being interrupted and if you're a teacher, you know that it happens a lot in the classroom as 25 or more students need your attention.

However, sometimes, as I've learned over the last few days, an interruption can be a gift.  Some health  health issues that I had been powering through for the last month  brought me to a complete halt last week.  A trip to the ER at 2:00 in the afternoon on a school day that turned into a 2 1/2 day hospital stay put things in perspective for me.

A colleague and friend sent me an email welcoming me home on Sunday.  Her last lines were..."Relax.  Sometimes we have to just sit back and try to appreciate life's interruptions."  Boy, does she ever know me.  I'm not very good at sitting back and doing nothing.  But for the last 5 days, that's all I've been able to do.  Right now, taking a shower requires a nap afterwards.

The last 5 days have given me permission to just be.  This life interruption has given me so many things to appreciate:

I know that I have a great husband and wonderful kids, and they proved me right once again.  Zach and Molly, both in their early 20s, took care of life at home, so Keith could be with me.  It's been very rewarding to sit back and watch my children (who used to interrupt me when I was on the phone), be everything I hoped they would be and more.

Same goes with my friends and extended family.  Homemade vegetable soup was at my door 30 minutes after I got home.  Visits, phone calls, texts...I feel very loved.  Today, a teacher friend brought lunch.  Now, how often does a teacher get to have a leisurely lunch with a friend on a Tuesday afternoon?  In the middle of January?  These people feed my soul.

The outpouring of love and help from the people at my school.  I couldn't ask for a better group.  They've done everything from covering my class at 2:00 in the afternoon, to pulling together lesson plans for the sub who did not hesitate to jump in and  help me.  I know that my kids are in very capable hands.  The secretaries have bent over backwards making sure my class is covered and my principal has been nothing but supportive.

The importance of expertise...I am so thankful for the competent and caring medical staff that took care of me.

Time...I have the gift of time right now... time to read, time to reflect, time to write.  I've read 2 great books that I can't wait to get into kids' hands (more about that in a later post).  I joked with my husband that it is a good thing that online ordering was not available when I was on bedrest 20 years ago.  Several books are newly downloaded to my iPad and I'm expecting a few Amazon boxes from the mailman.

I have peace in my heart right now.  I'm honoring my body's limitations and finding out that the world will go on successfully, even if I take a little break from the madness.  It's so easy for me to get caught up in what I need to do next at school and at home, that I forget the importance of stillness.  

So, for today, I am thankful for this life interruption.  It won't be long until I'm back to my normal routine.  But, I hope that I won't forget the importance of being quiet, taking time for friends and family, and honoring my limits.  I've learned that this little blip in my life has not left me weaker, but much stronger.  Thank you Debbie for that reminder.

Thanks to Ruth and Stacey for hosting Slice of Life Tuesday.  Check their blog for other slices.