Today

Today, I am tired.

I am tired because yesterday was a 15 hour work day filled with assessment, teaching, meetings, e-mail, twitter chatting, fundraising, and parenting.

I am tired because I stayed up late last night giving feedback on assignments that talked about educational inequality in theory and in lived reality.

I am tired because I woke up early to help get my children ready for school.

I am tired because I am still living for the approval of others and hurt when I am misunderstood.

I am tired because I can’t do less and the world always wants more.

I am tired because I am overcommitted.

I am tired because I respond to the world around me, to the people around me, to the injustices around me.

I am tired because I feel all the feels.

I am tired because I love and grieve and think and live a full, full life.

Today, I am tired.

But, today, I am also inspired.

I am inspired by the educators and future educators I work with.

I am inspired by their words, their growth, their openness, their anger at injustice, their desire to help dismantle the structures that reproduce inequalities.

I am inspired that I am not alone because they are with me, and my community is with me and my family is with me.

I am inspired because I currently have the greatest number of people I’ve ever had who truly do understand me.

I am inspired by the joy of my 3 year old daughter and the humor of my 12 year old son.

I am inspired by partnerships in family, life and community that sustain me.

I am inspired by the fact that though the journey may not be fast, I can go farther together with my fellow travelers.

I am inspired because I feel all the feels.

I am inspired because I am coming to accept that I can only be who I am and that person is someone that I respect.

I am inspired because I have faith in better tomorrows and am taking action to create those better tomorrows.

Today, I am inspired.

But also, I could use a few more hours of sleep.