Open if You Need Some Hope
This one's for you if...
This article originally appeared in The Preamble on August 22, 2024.
STOP SUPPORTING PUBLIC SCHOOLS! The message screamed. It was followed by a litany of societal ills, all “caused,” according to this woman, by teachers.
Now listen, stay with me, because this is not just a post about education, even though this is a topic I care deeply about.
This post is for all of you who are going through it. Those of you who might have woken up this morning with a pit of dread in your stomach or who feel the rush of anxiety as you go about your afternoon.
It’s for those of you who can't see the light at the end of the tunnel or who feel like each day looks grimmer than the one before it. It’s for those of you who spend your evenings doom scrolling to disassociate from reality, and for those of you who lock yourself in the bathroom so your kids don’t see you cry.
I want to tell you about something I remind myself of approximately daily, and maybe it will help one of you.
It’s this:
If they can’t stop you from doing your important work, they’ll try to keep you from enjoying it.
We all have important work. It doesn’t matter if you’re a retired grandmother, a nurse’s aid, a letter carrier, or a Congressperson. And there are people and forces that may conspire to distract you from your important work for their own benefit.
And when you refuse to be distracted from your important work? They will try to make it so you don’t enjoy it anymore.
The greatest act of resistance in the world is enjoying your important work.
The most defiant thing you can do is say: I refuse to allow you to steal my joy.
Now, be prepared. They aren’t going to like this. They want you to feel demoralized, downtrodden, anxious, and depressed. That’s how they’ll wear you down. It’s how they’ll drive you from the classroom or keep you from caring for your patients. It’s how they’ll keep you second guessing yourself. Expect even more resistance.
But the world is depending on you to be exactly who you are and to do whatever your important work is. And the phrase that has seen me through some dark evenings is:
I refuse to allow you to steal the joy from my important work.
And then I usually get off the internet. Eat a snack. Take a shower. Go to bed early. Snuggle a dog. Go outside and listen to the birds. I try to rest, but I do not quit.
So whether you are a teacher or a preacher or a CEO, remain undeterred.
We need you.
My mother (who volunteered in some capacity almost every day) told me, as I prepared to volunteer at a camp for children with disabilities….. “Keep your eye on the ball…. on why YOU are there. So when the parents yell, the children scream, the doctors snap at you, and you’re utterly exhausted, you’ll remember you’re there to make a difference, even if it’s small….then just keep going”
I told my 4 daughters growing up in deciding what to do with their lives to be sure to chose something that matters- and something they enjoy. Because they would be doing it a long time- for a lot of ordinary days, and even some discouraging ones. Love this reminder to hold onto the enjoyment. Smile IN your days work AND when it is done.