Music in the Wind 2021

 

Today I received a writing prompt: "What are you listening to?"

The author of the email had recently had a writer's workshop and this was her prompt. As I have been resting for the past 7 days I listened to the radio a lot. But she said, "Not the radio, the sounds you hear..."

Well, for a couple of days it was:

• The pounding of my own heart. 
• The keys on my computer as I wrote essay after essay.
• The sniffs from going off my allergy meds.
• Molly "Meowing" loudly in the bathroom at the dissatisfaction of whatever...
• My windchimes.
• My own breathing.

Finally, about Tuesday my heart stopped racing. I got caught up on the university essays, and I ordered a new RX for my allergies (Why do I have allergies in the Fall/Winter?)

Wednesday morning I went in to get my fasting blood work that was ordered in August. The receptionist chided me for not getting it done before as they are open at 7 a.m. every morning. "Yes, but I work at an elementary school." 

"My husband doesn't drop my children off until 7:15 a.m. at the school, why don't you come in before you start work at 8?" she says.

I replied, "Because I am the one who is there at 7:15 to open that gate for your children to enter the campus."

She then changed the subject to why do we need to have a week off for Thanksgiving after we just got 5 days of minimum days for conference week.

1.  It was conference week and the teachers were having conference before school and into the evening for parents who work.
2. We don't get a paid vacation after working 1/2 days. A minimum day is an hour less each day, but the staff still worked their contractual hours. I get paid for 182 days a year and the pay is divided over 11 months with extra taken out each month to give me 12 pay checks that pay my rent. Like many school employees I have a side gig. (I gave her and each person who waited on me the day before Thanksgiving a full set of my nail strips with a business card attached.)
3. I worked as a custodian this summer for the 2 months the school was closed to give me a cushion for the lean months as I am a full time student too.

    To say the least, I was ready to eat a big breakfast after giving blood following fasting and having this conversation with a woman I had never met... about why getting to a blood lab would mean taking a day off from work if I fast 12 hours and can't get to my job by 7 a.m.

    Then I took myself to a movie at 10 a.m. "Encanto" had just come out that day and I was excited to treat myself to the cinema. 

    This last semester I have been studying multicultural education and a number of early childhood education courses. This was such a great movie to encourage conversation with my students. "Mama, why am I the only one who does not have a gift..." I believe that every child I come into contact with IS a gift. They have something to teach me and I hope I have something to teach them.

    As the nail strip business has not been a money maker for me compared to some of my colleagues...I  have been tutoring after school and currently I am teaching a Holiday Craft club. There are about 20 students in grades 3 to 5 that are in my club. I am hoping to teach them that they are a gift.

We will be making decorations and gifts in the next three weeks. I am excited to share Holiday books and crafts with them. 

    December 14th is the end of my university semester. Then I will have a month off before the Spring semester begins in mid January. We decorate the church next Saturday for Advent. Meanwhile, I am making my own Christmas List.

1. Deep Breathe, a lot.
2. Take a walk, often.
3. Cuddle my cat.
4. Watch Hallmark movies.
5. Eat when I am hunger.
6. Sleep enough.
7. Send Christmas cards by mail.
8. Listen to  my favorite music.
9. Smile at strangers.
10. Enjoy the Light displays.

    I already did any Christmas shopping I will do and mailed packages off to  my children that are out of town. My mother taught me this tradition. I was her package wrapper and everything was mailed to my sisters, grandparents, and out of town family before December 1st. Mom went to heaven in 1986 but I think of her every day. I have never shopped on Black Friday. Honesty, I do not enjoy shopping. After completing a paper last night I went on Amazon and ordered some things for myself after visiting Target earlier in the day and not finding what I wanted.

    So...what music am I listening to, besides my radio? Today I ironed the altar linens and listened to Classic Christmas on my phone. But to answer the question from the email... I need to listen to the last leaves in the wind. My own big deep breathes. There was a clatter earlier when Molly discovered she could pull my stocking off the fire place. Nothing broke and I rearranged the set up. She wasn't that tall last Christmas, I guess.

    We hear the hummingbirds twitter. Molly watches them from her "Cat Tree" at the sliding glass window. My wind chimes and the noise of the busy street one block away. Sometimes, we can hear the train whistle across town. My dad made a clock that I can hear ticking right now. I hear all of these sound without leaving my chair.

    The music I want to hear right now is this little church from the 1960s. My dad is 88 and remembers when my mom bought the church. As a child I would wind it up and sing "Oh Come All Ye Faithful" to the top of my lungs with the tinny sound of the music box inside. Slowly, I will bring out a decoration or two a day to see if I get Molly's approval. This little church sits on my mantle all year around along with the heart shaped carving from George with a Celtic Cross etched inside. 

    As we begin the penitential season of Advent I pray that I will hear the music of laugher. I will make the music of friendship. I will show the music of appreciation. I pray you too will hear music in the wind.