Blooms in Uptown

“The secret of joy in work is contained in one word — excellence. To know how to do something well is to enjoy it.” -Pearl Buck

Finding joy in work can be a difficult thing. The pandemic is put strain and pressure on so many occupations. From staff shortages to supply shortages, it has been difficult on many people. I can relate to this with my job as a 5th grade teacher. Typically during the school year we might lose a teacher during the year, this year we lost four. Several others at the end of the end of the school year are leaving the school or education altogether. We were short staffed most of the year. Then there was supporting students who had been negatively impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. If it was just academics that would have been easy, but the social and emotional health of students was at an all time low. The pressure to get students “back on track” was higher than ever. Finding joy was a struggle, but one way I found was by doing the best I could everyday for my students. Doing my job well helped me find joy.

I have been taking advantage of my summer break the last couple of weeks. I used last summer, but after last school year I knew I needed a break. I took a long bike ride over to Uptown Charlotte last week, and I had the opportunity to see these wonderful lilies and hibiscus flowers blooming. I these wonderful flowers over at Fourth Ward Park. By the looks of both plants, they have just started blooming, and they have a way to go until they finish blooming for the summer. Fourth Ward Park is a small walking park in Charlotte, North Carolina. Its main feature is a walking path that leads to one of the older neighborhoods in Charlotte.