My Bridge

I was listening to a song on my way into work today (Everything by Michael Bublé if you’re wondering), and it got me thinking. So often songs follow a familiar pattern. Verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, final verse or chorus. It seems to me that life is also that way.

Next week I’m celebrating my retirement with family and friends. My last day isn’t actually until the end of July, but in schools we like to do these things before everyone scatters for the summer. It is emotional at times. I’ve been blessed with a thirty-three year career doing what I absolutely love. I’m excited to celebrate that, and if I’m being honest, I’m a little sad to see the end coming.

But I was reminded this morning that this is my bridge.

I spent thirteen years as a middle school English teacher. Man, those are some of my favorite memories. I was young and full of energy. I had my own children during that time. Mother of littles, wife, teacher, friend. It’s a busy time, and it’s a joyful time. It was my first verse.

I transitioned to building administration and had nine years serving the students, staff and families in our schools. I learned more things than I knew there were to learn. Justin and I were parenting teens during this time, an adventure of its own. Dance and show choir and homecomings and AP classes. You don’t know busy until you hit those years, but oh my how wonderful it is to watch your children become who they are going to be. It was my second verse.

Transitioning to district level leadership was a whole new adventure. Shifting focus from one school to thirty-five schools. I gained an understanding of processes and perspective and how to navigate the uniqueness of each school with the need to be a cohesive system. My children became adults, almost overnight it seemed. One got married and gave us a son-in-law. People don’t talk enough about the pure joy that comes with knowing your children as fully formed humans. Third verse.

And now I am living my bridge. I forgot until this morning that the bridge is almost always my favorite part of the song. There is often a key change that wakes you up and reminds you that just when you thought you knew what it was all about, things change. For a second you miss the familiar and comfortable verses, but then you recognize that this new key and these new rhythms are amazing. You find yourself singing along in a whole new way. That’s the beauty of a bridge. It leads you to a new verse that you may never have imagined.

What will my new verse be? I’m not sure yet. I do know that for the next couple years I am going to be a full-time Mimi helping Umpa take care of these precious triplet grandbabies that we have. (Bentley would disapprove of my use of the term babies. “I am a kiddo.”)

After that? Anything is possible.

And what about the chorus? …that’s a blog for another day.