Sock Moments

By Jennisen Lucas on 12/22/2021 • ( 0 )

Have you ever pulled a freshly dried pair of socks straight from the dryer and put them on your feet? If you haven’t, try to imagine that feeling of warm dryer heat covering your cold feet and then drifting up your legs to warm your body up. It is a feeling that lasts only a few seconds. However, it is a feeling that makes me pause and be entirely still and in the moment for those few seconds of pure happiness where I am perfectly present in that one moment in time.

What, you are probably asking, does this have to do with school librarianship? Or maybe you aren’t asking because you are getting used to my blog posts. Well, school librarianship is really hard right now, as we all know. Teaching is hard, being present is hard, and we are full of anxiety. We have a break coming up. I challenge us to use this break to focus and notice those little moments in which we find stillness and happiness–those fleeting moments in which we really allow ourselves to still and be present. If you already know these moments for yourself, try to pay special attention to them.

If you don’t already know your moments, seek them out. Maybe it is that first sip of coffee when the house is still quiet. Maybe it is the moment you first put your hands into the warm, sudsy dishwater. Maybe it is the moment when your child falls asleep in your arms. Look for moments that are not the once-in-a-blue-moon occurrences that we report on via social media, like when my student announced loudly the other day that the school library is a safe place. Look instead for those quiet moments that we may often pass up in our routines of daily life. Recognize them. Revel in them. Write them down to remember.

We are going to need these moments in the upcoming year. We need to find them each day and give them space in our lives. Educators are often told we need to take care of ourselves, but this broad declaration rarely comes with specific ideas for how to do so. When there are suggestions, they can feel overwhelming. I don’t have another 30 minutes to go to the gym, learn a new hobby, read more, tutor, join a club, journal, or do anything else that helps me “give” to other people. I really don’t. I have a hunch many of you feel the same way. However, I have noticed that I have time to focus on seconds-long moments in my days that make me happy. I watch for my sock moments, which also include hugs from my 8-year-old son and spouse, stepping under a hot shower, petting my dogs when I get home from work, turning on my heated steering wheel, and yes, putting my hands into warm, soapy dishwater.

So, what are your sock moments? As part of this call for peace, I invite you to share your #sockmoment on social media. Let’s build each other up over the break by pausing, taking a moment, and helping each other find moments of peace.

I wish you each a wonderful winter break and happy times with whatever seasonal holiday you celebrate. I also wish you all the joy of the small, perfect moments in your everyday. Maybe reading this blog post will even be a #sockmoment.