“I have lived a lifetime in the last 4 years.”
These are words I didn’t think I’d be thinking or saying again in my 40’s. Life is funny like that.
Four years ago I was fresh into a career transition. I had left my last job, a labor of love that cost me a small fortune in time and money (and also gave me a great deal of joy and purpose). Since then:
- I started and completed expedited coursework, completing a Master of Arts in Teaching
- Completed a 13 mile Spartan Race
- Interviewed for 9 different jobs
- Took my first teaching job
- Took my oldest son to college
- Saw my wife change jobs/towns of employment
- Took a different teaching job myself
- Experienced a global pandemic
- Sold the family homestead I had labored over for 10 years
- Moved into a new home. Also a fixer upper.
- Moved Mother-in-law into our home
- Continued teaching through a global pandemic.
“I have lived a lifetime in the last 4 years.”
My beard is greying.
3 years ago, as a new teacher, I was regularly mistaken for being in my 20’s [flattering];
Now some people assume I’m 50 [this is fine by me].
“I have lived a lifetime in the last 4 years.”
Tim's Teaching Thoughts 
You certainly experienced a lot of changes in the past four years! Congratulations on completing the good stuff such as getting your Master’s degree and finishing the race, and also congrats on getting through the tough stuff, including teaching through the pandemic!
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All that comes our way teach us so much if we are ready to learn.
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There is a sense of underlying joy in this post despite all the changes. And yes embrace that grey beard!
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Wow! You have lived a lifetime in four years. Congratulations on all the milestones.
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This past year alone has seemed like a lifetime I can’t imagine all those other things on top of it. Here’s hoping things slow down a little.
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Oh my Lord, it sounds like what happens to Presidents; they visibly age a lifetime in those four years. I admire your courage, giving up a career to go into teaching – so many stories, but what I see here is that they’re knit with family, love, resilience… and overcoming. So much power in it. Grey hair is a sign of wisdom anyway (-right??!).
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Sometimes we look back over a short period of time and it is just amazing what we have been through. Your past 4 years highly qualify for a “Whoa, can you believe it!” moment. The way you wrote it I absolutely thought of what is often said of Presidents after the weight of the 4 to 8 years of running a country. But running a life can be a great weight and all we can hope to do is be able to look back on that time and say, “Wow, look what I managed to do!” Stay strong and carry on!
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