Counselor’s Corner Issue 37

Dear Scar-Bearers,

Recently our family piled into a 4-person RV and trekked 3,000 miles across the country from Chicagoland to Los Angeles. With the majority of the trip spent in our portable house on wheels, the close-style living was extra challenging. There was noise sifting through roof vents, a water tank that never seemed full, and a door that jammed when trying to exit.

Once, when my 7-year old was trying to close the extra-stubborn door, she gave it a fiercely-hard tug, immediately slamming it on her hand! This normally very brave little girl let out a shriek of pain, urgently working to dislodge her hand from the door. When we finally managed to release her thumb, it bore a deep gash and purple bruising surrounding the injury. Amidst the trauma, Elliott looked up at me with a tear-streaked face and said, "I'm glad that at least I was the one closing the door so that it happened to me and not you!"

My eyes filled with tears and my heart broke, hearing my daughter express what I feel for each of you. If we're honest, education is a profession that often brings trauma, whether it be hurt by a collegue, injury by an employer, or stress from teaching during Covid. Education Weekly says, "Teachers are not okay, even though we need them to be!", with Bored Teachers adding, "teachers are exhausted." And just like Elliott, I wish I could take that injury away and make it okay. Yet, because I can't, I've worked to make this special Thanksgiving Edition of the Counselor's Corner one that can heal your soul and pour into your "teacher wellness cup." I urge you, if you feel the doors closing in on you...or slamming shut, take this Thanksgiving break to receive healing from the Heavenly Doctor.

Praying for restoration for you this holiday season,
Mindy