Rainbows

I've been working at the new job as school counselor for the past nine months. It's been challenging and I sometimes have doubts about my ability to deliver what's expected. It's a new position and I'm literally starting from scratch, building a foundation to a program which will serve the students for years to come.

The school year has gone by quickly and these last few weeks remind me of final deadlines yet to be met. I never cared much for the term multi-tasking but realize it's what I do. The days are never boring and I'm learning as I'm doing. I think the students have accepted me, as much as teenagers can. I have gotten to know some of them and feel very protective. They are becoming "my kids".

I am so busy trying to get it right that I sometimes forget to step back and enjoy small victories, like finding a tutor for a struggling student or taking a busload of high-school students to their very first college fair or helping to unlock dreams and wishes for the future.

Something happens today. For some reason, all the many things-to-do unexpectedly fall into place like pieces of a puzzle. I am needed by a colleague and provide a valuable service. I see positive changes in my students, more hope and excitement building for attaining new goals. Everything clicks. Projects I have been working on for awhile start to shape up. New resources and possibilities emerge. I truly feel like I have finally become a part of the school community, no longer an outsider. Even though it is a typical fast-paced, hectic day, I have never felt more peaceful.

As I drive home, I watch dark clouds racing around the mountain tops and listen to the distant rumble of thunder. The local forecast is predicting stormy weather but I am smiling.

There is a rainbow in my heart.