Promises to Keep

It has been a minute since I posted here, and I still keep running into lizards everywhere I go. There have been many transitions for me this school year, and the processing for them has been all-consuming. Moving out of 15 years in administration back to the classroom and other hybrid roles has left me very introspective. Add to that the declining health of some other close family members, and you have a recipe for an introspective, anxious, busy season.

Record-setting rains rendered me all but silent. However, the words kept tumbling on the page despite my (unusual) silence. The physical act of writing soothes me, especially when the afternoon sun hits my notebook just right. The dark ink glistens on the page, and I marvel at the strange symbols forming language. I am doing a lot of thinking about where language forms and how it evolves since my husband was diagnosed with a variant of Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD).

I have returned to say that I have been weary of promises, but like Frost, I have some to keep. I promise to keep myself accountable to memory and memories. I promise to keep the hearth burning for us. I was intrigued by the concept of Vestal Virgins tending to the hearth of Rome when I was in middle school, and now I know why. A kept flame is a promise.

And here is the promise of a bountiful spring with this image of Irises at the Huntington. Enjoy.