Labor Day

So, the year had gotten off to a great start. My kids this year are smart, and passionate. Sometimes overly passionate, and a bit argumentative, but I genuinely have been excited to meet and teach them. I felt confident in how I was approaching planning my lessons, and I was generally on track.

Then, on Labor Day, while we were visiting family in New York, my mom suddenly died of a heart attack. She did not have high blood pressure, or diabetes, as she had been to the doctor recently. She did not take great care of herself, but did not take medication for any ailment aside from basic aches and pains.

It has been hard. I am still doing well with my class, and teaching. I spent the first month largely eating takeout, but have started cooking again recently. I found myself tired all the time, and I now experience some struggles with attention. I imagine people with ADD feel this way, and I now sympathize. Focus  beyond 20 minutes is hard to come by. It isn't like I am crying all the time, thinking about her every second, but the effect has been a blanket issue.

Anyway, I plan to blog more, now that I am a bit more myself, but that's where I've been. It is fall, and fall temps are finally here in Virginia (took long enough!), which is my favorite. Things are definitely looking up!