Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Wrapping up the year...

I am about to complete my first year of working full-time in the Jewish community, although "full-time" is an understatement. I've become accustomed to being up with my kids until midnight, being woken up by a sick girl at 3am, and waking to the sound of a fire alarm at 6am. I wouldn't even know how to begin to count the amount of "hours" I've spent "working." That being said, I am exhausted.
I have spent so much of my time doing things for the girls in my house that I often found myself forgetting to take care of myself. There have been so many nights when my door was open, even though I wasn't on duty. I could have easily not answered the door when my girls have knocked at all hours of the day and night, but something made me always open my door. In return, I think I managed to build a house community that feels comfortable enough to come to me for just about anything.
Despite having little time for myself, I tried my best to make this year one of growth. I surrounded myself with a wonderful new group of friends that have become my family. I sought out mentors to teach me anything and everything from davening, to having conversations about rabbinical school. I had a taste of what it was like to be a Mom, and am still sometimes amazed at how well I responded to some challenging situations that my girls presented to me.
As I look to next year, I am excited to be going to BCI and spend some time re-energizing myself and reflecting on this crazy year. I think I am going to spend the early fall studying for and taking the GRE's, and applying to a TBD Israel program. In terms of the fellowship, I am excited to work with new people, have new teaching opportunities, and continue to learn as much as I can.
Here's to hoping that next year is as much of a year of growth as this year has been!