Looking For Calm

“There is an instinct in us for renewal, for a liberation of creative power. We seek to awaken in ourselves a force that really changes our life from within. And yet this same instinct tells us that this change is a recovery of that which is deepest, most original, most personal in ourselves.”
– Thomas Merton

I found this quote on the Center for Courage and Renewal’s website and its words resonated deeply for me. The mission of this organization is “to create a more just, compassionte and healthy world by nurturing personal and professional integrity and the courage to act on it. Their core values include: integrity, authenticity, diversity, community, courage, love, hope, and renewal. I believe in my heart that these are the values that we can choose to frame our lives around and in our relationships as teachers, spouses, partners, daughters, sons, aunts, uncles, colleagues and friends. We have made the choice to teach young people each and every day. We try and nurture and instill these values. But this work requires tremendous patience, perseverance, humility, a sense of humor and the capacity to care deeply about the children whose lives we impact. What we receive from them, while not always recognizable in a challenging moment, can truly be gifts to our self and our soul. #teachers #values #children #care #caring for self