"I don't know how you do it, Ellen."
People have often made comments like this to me in regards to teaching.
Since the pandemic started even more people have asked me where I get the strength to do my job.
Today when a friend asked me about school I said, "I don't do it. God does. I couldn’t teach without Him.”
I've learned to focus on today and to give myself grace. I try really hard to focus on my blessings and the things that bring me joy and to ask God to help me not let the "mountain" overwhelm me. Teaching in the context of the coronavirus presents challenges daily that I can't anticipate. My faith in God is my strength. I am so grateful to be able to teach at a Catholic school. It's important to me to be able to walk into my classroom refreshed and ready to learn with my first graders. My prayer every morning is that God will help me to leave my own concerns in His hands as I walk into our classroom.
I’ve been reflecting a lot on the joys that bring balance to my life. One joy that has always helped me handle the challenging times of the school year is baseball.
Those who know me well know that my love of the Phillies and baseball started when I was nine years old.
When the Phillies were down 13-2 against my Dad's Cubs, and my Dad asked me who I thought was going to win that day. I told my Dad I thought the Phillies were going to win.
Amazingly, the Phillies did win that day, and I've been a Phillies phan ever since.
For more information about that historic game, please read Rich D'Ambrosio's article:
Fast forward to Ellen, the first grade teacher.
I have had the privilege of seeing my Phillies in person many times in the past eight years. The first and only time I saw Roy Halladay pitch in person was in Atlanta in 2012. That was a rough game for Doc and the Phillies, but something pretty cool happened on that chilly rainy afternoon.
I met the Phillies' broadcaster Gregg Murphy "Murph" for the first time. What I remember most about that day was enjoying my niece and nephew's first major league game with my brother, and getting to talk baseball with Murph. I'm pretty sure Chase Utley had a home run that day, too.
Over the next eight years I would occasionally have the privilege of running into Murph again. He understood how the presence of my favorite player or the world's best team mascot could turn this usually well spoken teacher into her tongue tied nine-year-old self. What amazed me most was Murph always remembered my name. I don't know how Murph remembers the names of so many Phillies phans, but he does.
I'm grateful for the time in Pittsburgh Murph introduced me to Tom McCarthy "T-Mac" (the Phillies play by play broadcaster) when my friend and I ran into them after a game.
I'm grateful for all the Spring Training games I was able to watch while grading papers. I'm grateful for all the Minutes with Murph I was able to catch every March which is one of the busiest months in a teacher's school year. I'm grateful for Murph's postgame interviews, especially the few I was able to watch live from the field.
I'm grateful for all the time, hard work, and preparation Murph has put into bringing the Phillies home to all of us.
I know I'm one of countless Phillies phans who is feeling both gratitude and loss today.
Thank you, Gregg Murphy, for being the eyes, ears, and voice of Phillies fans. We're all praying for you and pulling for you in your next adventure.
We're grateful for all our minutes with Murph.
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