 “I don’t want school to be over.” My daughter spent most of the year counting down to the major events of 6th grade, but once the end was in sight, she was no longer in such a hurry. I felt the same way. I was not one of those moms who cried on the first day of Kindergarten. I was actually quite the opposite, excited for her to grow, learn and start her adventure in a new classroom, new friends, new teachers and new experiences. But now six years later, the thought of her leaving elementary school had me all choked up.
On the last day of school, it is tradition to clap out the sixth grade class. The other classes K – 5th make a path/tunnel for the 6th grade to walk through as they leave the school for the last time as students. The parents were invited to participate as well, extending the tunnel for the final stretch to the parking lot. As everyone was gathering, I listened to the parents talking and realized many of us were feeling the same bitter sweetness of the moment. One mom volunteered that she had tissues if anyone needed them and even though we all laughed, we knew she was more prepared for this than the rest of us. I expected the students to be excited, hyper, loud and maybe even just a little rowdy, as they walked down the pathway. However, as they began to walk by, they were all a lot more subdued than I expected. Even though they had smiles on their faces, you could tell that they too felt the sadness of having to say good-bye. For many of them this is the only school they’ve ever known and this is the first big transition they are going to make in their lives. It’s a transition for us as parents as well. I know that part of my sadness over leaving elementary school is also coupled with worry on what is coming next. In elementary school there is innocence and ease. With junior high comes a new level of social changes and challenges. School work will get harder, but so will everything else, including relationships with friends, parents and the beginning of romantic relationships. I also realized that she only has six years left of school before she leaves for college. Six years in that context does not seem like a long time at all. I realize that change is constant, but this time around I’m going to handle it a little differently. Summer gives us the perfect opportunity to honor this time of transition. We can take the time we need to reflect and appreciate all of the wonderful experiences we’ve had over the years. We can also take the time to open up the dialogue of what is to come. We can tune into our kids to see where they are at – are they nervous? Excited? Anxious? Take the time now to talk about topics and situations before they happen, before both of you are in the height of the emotion dealing with the issue when it occurs. It is your chance to connect with your child when they are most receptive to you, without all the other distractions, demands and stresses that the school year holds. We are always really good at celebrating the end of things and gearing up for new beginnings, but this summer let’s take the time to appreciate the beauty that can happen during the transition. Heart-FULLy Yours, Kacey Summer is also a great time to revise and reset your expectations around Work Life Balance. If you want to create a customized plan that will work for you and help you achieve the balance you’ve been striving for then let’s get started. Email me at balancedheartcoaching@gmail.com to find out more.
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 Repost from June 14, 2014
Have you ever really thought about how powerful music is? Music triggers an emotional response in most people. Never is this more evident when you have a group of people trying to agree on a station to listen to. People know what they like, what they don’t and they stick to their convictions. Recently my coworkers agreed to list to “summer hits of the 80’s” for our Friday station. I’m sure this was not ok with some people, but to keep the peace they didn’t say anything. The music played in the background as we all continued working. A new song would start and I could hear a gasp, or small squeal of excitement, remembering their old favorite. Out of the corner of my eye I would catch someone mouthing the words, humming along, or subtly moving to the beat. I could feel the mood of the room start to lighten. The stressors of the morning started to seem more manageable, there were more smiles and more laughter. A song has the power to impact you in the moment, but it can also take you back to a specific time and place. The song can trigger details in your memory as if they happened yesterday. Any early song by Whitney Houston reminds me of my first concert at the Greek. It rained that day and the seats were still wet when we got there. Janet Jackson, Control was my first tape that I bought with my own money. The Jets and Lisa Lisa and the Cult Jam take me back to my first over-night trips in Junior High where we listened on a boom box in our cabin. Songs from high school are too numerous to even try to narrow down. What’s fascinating to me is that hearing a few notes of the song takes you back to that place instantly. It’s almost as if you are there again, reliving each note and emotion you felt in that exact moment. One college memory I was reminded of this week was the song “Friends in Low Places”. I never was a country music girl growing up in Los Angeles. But then I went to college in a town nicknamed “The Old Pueblo” and Garth Brooks was everywhere, so naturally I added country to my play list. Friends in Low Places was a song that my Fall ’92 sisters and I chose as “our” song. We were at a retreat, camped out in someone’s living room off campus laughing and singing for most of the night. Over the next 4 years any time the song was played, we’d look across the room, or bar, or party for each other, and start singing, bonded by the memories it represented. What we didn’t realize was that bond would stand the test of time. Though our visits are few and far between, when we do get together, it’s as if no time has passed at all. My last thought about the power of music is how it seems to appear just when you need it most. About two months ago, I was having a really hard day. I walked out of the office frustrated and angry. I got in the car, started it up and “Happy” by Pharell Williams surrounded me in full stereo. I couldn’t help but crack a smile. I went about my errands and the irritation of the morning started to creep back in. After finishing up at the last store, I got back in the car and what do you know, a different station was playing “Happy”. Many people would write off hearing the song as a coincidence. It’s a popular song so it wasn’t really that surprising to come across it while you were in the car for any period of time. Or maybe the universe is trying to tell you something? It was as if I was being reminded that I couldn’t go back to work without letting it go and starting fresh. My posts aren’t usually this long but when I started thinking about the POWER of music, I couldn’t just settle on one angle. So to recap:
Heart-FULLy yours, Kacey  Last weekend was Mother’s Day. It’s funny how serving mom breakfast in bed is a tradition for so many and is always seen as such a treat. Most of the moms I know have to force themselves to stay in bed, or they get up and then go back to bed to enjoy their special breakfast. What strikes me the most is the sense of pride that the kids have when they walk in to deliver the tray. It doesn’t really matter what food it is that they prepared, but the look of anticipation on their faces tells the whole story. They are excited to have done something for you, something they believe is going make you happy. It’s easy to gloss over. It’s easy to miss the underlying intention of such a simple, but heart-felt gesture.
Another Mother’s Day tradition, especially for those of you with school age kids, are homemade gifts. From the moment he got home on Friday, my son wanted to give me the gift he had made for me. Being the traditionalist that I am, I convinced him that I was ok with waiting until Sunday to open it. I could tell that he was very excited as he reminded me of the gift throughout the day on Saturday. The time finally came and on the breakfast tray was a hand decorated white bag. Within the bag was a cut out of a purse which contained a variety of coupons. “Mom, do you want to use one of your coupons?” he asked. Of course I had received coupons like these many times before, but in that moment I truly appreciated how important these were to him. They were the only gift he could create one hundred percent on his own - he was giving me all that he had to give. I was struck by the pure innocence of the intention. Simple gifts from the heart, that’s all we really ever need, right? Heart-FULLy Yours, Kacey Don’t miss a post – sign up to receive the blog in your inbox every week. Scroll to the top of the page and you’ll see a box to enter your email in the upper right side of the page.  Last night my mom sent me a link to a Mother’s Day video she had received from a friend. The video was very sweet, like so many that are floating around the internet this week. It went through all of the meaningful things that mother’s do and say and help children with throughout the years. As the voice over listed words, qualities and titles, I thought I heard “Chief Inspiration Officer”. When I played it back, they didn’t use those words exactly, but it really got me thinking.
Chief Inspiration Officer, or CIO, is the perfect title for every mom. First off, a Chief or “C-Level” executive at a company is the leader, the visionary, the one that the entire team looks to for direction, insight and guidance. I don’t know about you, but that description sounds like every mom I know. An executive with a “Chief” title must be able to roll with the punches, make the hard decisions and be able to assure the team that it may be rough now, but they are all going to make it through. Sounds like a mom to me. A “Chief” officer has a long list of responsibilities that they must establish, design, oversee, communicate, maintain, evaluate, utilize and manage. Sounds like a mom to me. Specifically, as the Chief Inspiration Officer a mom must foster their child’s creativity and encourage their curiosity. The CIO introduces them the possibilities the world has to offer. It is up to the child to discover what they are interested in, the CIO cannot and should not do that for them. However, once they find an interest, it is up to the CIO to support those interests so that they might grow and flourish. Those interests will in turn light the spark of inspiration within the child and fuel them for the rest of their lives. There is one important distinction to make. The Chief Inspiration Officer is not the source of the inspiration. They are not the reason a child pursues a specific interest. Like any great leader, the CIO must provide the overall vision then step back and allow the team fill in the details. They provide the environment within which inspiration can be cultivated and nurtured. They must lead by example. When the CIO pursues their own interests, they provide a living example of the joy you can experience when you are doing things that excite and inspire you. Here’s the thing, you've already been the filling this role whether you've realize it or not. I'm going to fully embrace my new title, Chief Inspiration Officer and I hope you will too. Heart-FULLy Yours, Kacey Chief Inspiration Officer Journal on this: What does Inspiration mean to you? How do you currently foster your child’s creativity? What things are you doing to encourage your children to cultivate and grow the things that inspire them? Don’t miss a post – sign up to receive the blog in your inbox every week. Scroll to the top of the page and you’ll see a box to enter your email in the upper right side of the page. |
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AuthorI started writing this blog because I wanted to have deeper conversations beyond "How are you?", "Busy", with other parents. Over the years I've shared personal stories, articles, authors and topics to facilitate conversations with parents about the joys and the challenges of parenting. |
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© 2021 Balanced Heart Coaching
Disclaimer: I may receive affiliate compensation from the resources and websites mentioned on this website.
© 2021 Balanced Heart Coaching