Originally Published in my Tumblr 2013
I read something on Facebook today that got me thinking. “Snow Day! Miracle”
Having spent the majority of my adult life in education and the majority of that in administration, those words caught my eye. It is the most dreary time of the year for teachers in the midwest, and other locations as well. But in the midwest, in the snow belt, it’s the middle [[MORE]]of the long run from Christmas Break to Spring Break. It’s almost like the teachers and the students feel trapped inside the building, being held prisoners of the tilt of the earth’s axis.
You’d think that it truly was a miracle when the phone rings at 4:45 AM and the phone chain starts, or the automated message drones on, or the text message chimes in… But the miracle is the renewal that occurs in the heart and mind of the teacher!
If you’re the leader of anyone, anywhere make certain you pay attention to the moment when they need a “Snow Day.” It’s researched and documented that our sense of hope is easily lost when life and work just plods on and on and on. Hope plays a huge role in our lives. Whether it’s about the weather or a small salary “bump” or an opportunity to show your dedication. Hope lives in the deepest, most amazing part of us, but it also is the most fragile and easily crushed by worry and doubt.
Not everyone gets to take a snow day off! But everyone in leadership needs to know when their team needs a break so everyone can have that very special skill that Snow White and the short guys have! “Whistle while you work”