Sally Gerard

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I asked my students to write about someone they respect. Most of them wrote about their parents, but I had to look the word up and write the definition down before I wrote. It opened my eyes to the meaning of a word we use so often in school. According to Webster, respect means: to consider worth of high regard, to regard highly and prize accordingly. So in that sense, what I respect relates to what I value, and when I see those traits that I value in others, I respect them.

Then I had to ask myself what I value or esteem: honesty, a strong work ethic, integrity, creativity, graciousness, a willingness to give back, to help others, and to lift up among other things. This finally brought me to writing about someone I respect-and there are many!

I have a lot of respect for our neighbor and friends, Marlin and Sharon. They have lived their lives with integrity, worked hard for what they have, and they always take the time to help others. They will drop what they are doing to sit and have coffee most anytime we

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happen down their driveway. They are generous to all and live their faith in action everyday.

Even though they are ten miles away, I know that if I needed help, one or both of them would drive over. They often call to make sure I’m okay when my husband is on the road or the weather is bad, or to see if we are ready to go out for pizza and some ice-cream. We recently celebrated our first anniversary with them. I hope to be like them when I grow up.

Everyone has their definition of love. Love is sharing a life. It is looking forward to doing the things you love to do together, and having other things you love to do yourself but you can share that experience with your other. I love to write, read, play guitar, to anything horse, going to plays and musicals, running, teaching, learning, farming, cattle and so much more. Does that mean my partner has to love all of that? Of course not, but I can share my experience of those things with him and he can share the things he loves with me.

Love is sharing a life. Being comfortable talking, knowing there is trust and sharing something significant, caring for and going the extra mile for that person. Encouraging them to be their best, knowing they aren’t perfect but loving them for who they are, even when they annoy you. It is looking forward to seeing them, to watching the sun rise or set together, to notice the layer of frost on the trees, working beside them, going out to spend time together, or staying home to watch a movie with popcorn and a RC Cola.

Love is sharing a life. It is companionship, belonging, shared interests, adventure. Love lifts you up instead of trouncing you. It isn’t all hunky-dory all the time. It means saying “I’m sorry” after the storm passes. It means forgiveness and healing. I believe in love, in the richness and fullness of it, in the gift it is from God.

No matter what we come up against, that spirit inside of us will carry us along, or at least we’ll stumble along which still counts. I think the human spirit is one of the strongest threads in the universe because we overcome so much adversity.

There is something about grit, determination, pull yourself back up and get going, and just out-and-out stubbornness that gets us through tough times. Of course, some go through trials and frustrations with more grace than others, but what does it matter?

In the end, we shine like the beacon at the top of the lighthouse to others when we persevere and continue to reach for our goals and passions. The most important thing is to come through with our ability to love intact. That spirit takes us where we need to go. That spirit helps us get out of bed and face the day, even the one filled with grief.

That spirit lifts our face to the sunrise and brings us to the new beginning. That spirit straightens our spine when we face unfair criticism. That spirit makes our voice strong in front of a larger crowd than we anticipated. That spirit helps us try over and over again until we get it right. That is our spirit-gift of God.

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Sometimes my students come in to class and I can see in the slump of their shoulders and the way they don’t meet eyes or answer my, “How are you today?” that they are down. One day I wrote this prompt on the board: What do you do to feel better when you are down?

When I’m feeling down, I do lots of different things to get

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myself out of the doldrums. I might watch a favorite movie like Serenity. I might go for a long walk or a run and pray. I might groom my horse, saddle and ride for a while.

If I’m in a town, I might get a mocha or a hot

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fudge sundae. I might write or call a friend. Everyone feels down sometimes and that’s just okay. But don’t dwell in it. Figure out what it takes to dig yourself out and do it. Maybe keep a list of things you can do to feel better. Start with number one and work your way through your list until suddenly you notice that you feel better and remember how to smile again.

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I believe in power, grace, and love. Power lives within each soul. With power comes the responsibility of grace. Grace is seeing what can be, no matter what actually presents.

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Love is all that matters in the end. If you have not love, you have nothing. Love shows itself in each tiny gesture that reaches out the hand of grace to another.

That is power.

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I wish someone would make me untie the knot inside myself and live without so much stress. I’d like to just get it all out there and never hold stuff inside. Fat chance. So, in lieu of that option, I wish someone would make me a chocolate lava cake and some hot black coffee.

I wish someone would make it snow and snow so I could watch all those flakes coming down, get my snow shoes on and go explore, and come back to some hot coffee or hot cocoa with marshmallows. 

I wish I could wake up and decide that I’m just going to head up west today and go for a hike or to meet a friend for coffee or both.

I wish that I’d been able to reach through the toughest student exteriors into what I know is a place where they just want some understanding, someone to listen, and to know that they really will be okay in this world.

I wish I could get my act together and decide what I want to be when I grow up.

Last week was spring break for my brick and mortar school and one of my online schools. All my other students were still in class and working, and so was I. The best part of the week, though, was Thursday. Every other day the weather was grey, foggy, and wet. No complaints because we needed the rain and it was peaceful. Thursday was absolutely beautiful though and I spent some time with good friends, Elaine and Emma.

We talked, teacher talk! We rode, horse talk! And we broke bread together, pizza, fruit (our  version with caramel) and cake! It was a wonderful few hours and my break too. What does that have to do with Long’s Peak you ask?

I never thought I’d finish climbing Longs. I tried twice in my early 20’s and didn’t make it. I came close though. The third time was with Elaine, the best hiking partner on the planet. We left the trail head around 2AM and reached the top somewhere around 10 or 11 and ate our PB and J’s and Cheez-its, took pictures and headed back down.

That is the short version, but it was so incredible. If we were going to do it again, we’d be smarter about what we ate and when so we wouldn’t run out of energy part way up and then suffer from that all the way down. I think we are both ready to plan our hiking adventures for this summer!