Lucky Iowa Woman

I am a very lucky woman.  I am reminded of this every day as I drive to school, watching the seasons change through my windshield.  I have been enjoying the views of this gorgeous western Iowa countryside for 22 years as I drive from the small Iowa town where I live to the smaller Iowa town where I teach.    For those of you who might wonder where exactly Iowa (NOT Idaho, NOT Ohio!) is on a map...we are what some call a “flyover state” in the middle of the country. 

(From Wikipedia Commons)

We have some lovely cities, but where we really shine is in our small towns.  Iowa towns are full of kind, creative, hardworking, achieving, interesting people raising families and enjoying friends as they live their lives. I have the privilege of teaching the children of these families.

 Here is the early September view out my window as I drive. The sun hovers over the rolling fields, burning the morning mist away. I have never been able to capture it the way I see it each day - perhaps because I would need a panoramic run of photos to really do it justice and photography is not my strongest skill.  This view makes me feel blessed in the morning and nourishes my tired mind and body on the drive home.  

Two of my three children are on the cusp of creating their own lives as they graduate and begin college.  If I could give them only one piece of advice (and I’ve given them many, many unsolicited pieces, believe me!) it would be to follow your joy.  The joy of this place, this career, these students, this staff that have become friends and family is amazing...and getting to help students nourish their brains, their creativity and their true selves is a gift to me.  I am a very lucky woman.