Trust Your "2nd"

Hello from Mile 9406 

...and a time warp!

Where were you in 1998?

I was in a classroom stocked with Mr. Sketch "smelly" markers, an overhead projector, and an endless supply of transparencies...

PowerPoint wasn't a thing yet.  And I didn't own a cell phone.

It was my second day teaching middle school.

That's when Lynne showed up.

"This is your assistant," said a random school administrator.

Five minutes later, we welcomed a class of rowdy teenagers.

We had to roll with it.

I'd never had an assistant, but Lynne and I found our rhythm easily.  

In no time, I trusted her implicitly.  

Sure, on paper she was second in command.  But she could run the show.  (And what a show it was!)

It's good to have a "2nd" you can count on.

Second days aren't like first days -- they're for the long haul. 

See where I'm going here?

It's only the second day of this challenge, and already my energy is flagging.  

I want to walk, but I still have to do my "day job," plus everything else -- like unpacking groceries, doing laundry, making meals, washing dishes, and dealing with a moody leg and digestive system.  

In all the excitement, I forgot to account for the new normal, and the stamina it requires.

(Gulp!)

So at Mile 9,406, I call my Trusted 2nd.

"Hello, 1998?"

In all these years, a lot has changed. 

Lynne's kids have grown up! 
(And so have we.)

But Lynne and I still share a strong connection.  Coincidentally, we've both had major health struggles.  She lives within a "new normal" too.

The second part of our lives has been much harder than the first.

Even if we DID survive teaching middle school!

Do you have a Trusted 2nd?  

A wing woman...
A right-hand man...

A partner-in-crime (or corralling 8th graders...)

Someone you can call - across any distance and any time?

Maybe the relationship has evolved - like phone cords to Bluetooth - but I'm betting that trust stands strong. 

Walk on,

Rebecca