What goddess are you?

At Marshall, the students are particularly into soccer. Their free time revolves around the sport, and even a small thunderstorm can absolutely ruin their moods if they believe it will continue after school. One day this spring, the clouds started rolling in, and one of my advanced skills students asked me, "Miss, when will it start raining today?" I said I would check the forecast, but that was the best I could do. The student seriously shook his head and said, "No Miss, I need to know exactly when it's going to start. I need to make plans."

I laughed and said, "I think you must have me confused with Mother Nature...I'm Ms. Bennett, your language arts teacher." One of the other students said, "No Miss, you're more of a goddess than mother nature." They have a certain way of building my ego.

At that point, one of the girls I've struggled with all year said, "Miss if you were a goddess, you'd be Athena." Now, I've never been good at Greek mythology, and I fully admit it. I asked her, "That's the goddess of war, right?" (This seemed completely appropriate given our relationship this year.) She shook her head, and with utter seriousness said, "No, she's the goddess of wisdom and reason. She fits you perfectly." I was stunned. All I could do was smile and say thank you. They never cease to humble me at any given moment.

Cracks in the Crystal Ball

So, as I begin my first blog, the first major question was what to title it. It seemed all too clear to me as I listened to my new Pink CD. I have a new favorite song, "Crystal Ball". It appeals to me at this moment in my life. The main theme falls in the lines,

"Fortune teller that says maybe you will go to hell.
But I'm not scared at all...
of the cracks in the crystal, the cracks in the crystal ball."

As someone completely obsessed with planning and preparing for the future, I have recently taken on the challenge of living in the moment. I have absolutely no idea what the future holds for me, but it is definitely not what I once planned. But, I'm beginning to realize that is a very good thing. There is so much I didn't know about myself or my world when I began making my plans. I would have done things differently, and I might not have ended up becoming the person I'm supposed to be.

My favorite lines in the song are

"I'm learning to be brave in my beautiful mistakes.
Oh I've felt that fire and I've been burned
But I wouldn't trade the pain for what I've learned
I wouldn't trade the pain for what I've learned."

The mistakes that I've made are mine and mine alone. Each step has led me to right now. I have absolutely no idea what is to come, but for now I'm going to enjoy reading by the pool, love kisses from my adorable nephews, laugh with my sisters and learn each second from the beautiful children I teach. Not only am I not afraid of the cracks in the crystal ball, I embrace them. The joy of this journey is having absolutely no idea where or how it will end.