One of the teens, a 7th grader, told me school was already getting hard - even though it just started. I asked him if he ever used deep breathing as a coping strategy when things seem difficult or when he was experiencing nervousness? He said no - and he had never considered deep breathing to actually be a thing.

September is the month of maturity; the heaped basket and the garnered sheaf. It is the month of climax and completion. September! I never tire of turning it over and over in my mind. It has warmth, depth and colour. It glows like old amber. – Patience Strong

I spoke to the staff development director about my desire to go to the conference and bring my family since I was still nursing my baby. She looked at me like I was nuts. She told me she doubted that could happen. She asked if I thought this was a professional request to make? That discouraged me. It made me feel small and unworthy.