This week...

This week was my last week of work.  My boss who travels between stores, came by to see me yesterday, and say goodbye.  He has been amazing to work for and at the end of the day, walked me out to my car.  We hugged goodbye and he handed me a card.  Inside that card, were some wonderful words, and part of what he said was, "It isn't what you say,  It isn't what you do.  It's how you make others feel."

That's it.  Those few words hit me harder than perhaps he had meant them to.  I don't really have much for friends here, but I do have people I associate with. They may not be people I hang out with after hours, or people I invite over for dinner, but perhaps more importantly, many of them are people I train with.  They are people who are on a similar path as myself, with a similar mindset.  People aiming for mastery.  They are people I care about and people I feel close to, and it's in the way those people make me feel that adds sadness to my leaving.

When I'm teaching the kids,  it's important to build good rapport, and I do this by keeping in mind, how my actions and words make people feel.  It's so important to make kids feel confident in who they are, confident in their own actions.  It's necessary to make them feel respected and appreciated.  When I think about it, these are things all people want to feel and so I need to be mindful of that, and doing acts of kindness allows me to stay more conscious of my actions and words.  Of my intentions.  Especially how I make people feel.

This week at the black belt class, we did some energy work.  I was pretty tired that day, as Thursdays are long days for me, and so was relieved to slow down a bit.  I didn't realize it would be such an interesting and appreciative class, but it sure was.  I came away wanting more.  This is twice recently I have learned about energy.  I want to research more about our energies; how to access them and how to utilize them and how to read the energies of others.

I worked with Sifu Kobe during the class, and what a fine young man he is.  I have really enjoyed teaching the kids classes with him.  On Thursday night, i appreciated that he was not uncomfortable working with me.  I like that about the youth at kung fu.  They are comfortable with the adults around them.  Many youth I have met, are not.  Sifu Kobe and I were able to do the exercises necessary without either of us being distracted with feelings of being uncomfortable. We learned many things working together, and I appreciated that a lot.

This week, I had a long day on Thurs as I stated earlier.  I worked an 8 hour day and then went to the kung fu school right after to practice and work on my demo.  I got there just after 3, and left at 9:30 after the I ho chuan class. After the black belt class, I sat down to rest my legs.  Instantly I felt something coming on.  My throat became scratchy and I felt something in my sinuses.  Yesterday it became apparent that I was in fact getting sick, and my very unsettled night last night confirmed it.  I know I need time to slow down a bit, but I was hoping to really dive into my practices this week as I am not working, and have the time to do so.  Once I get to BC, I can slow down as much as I want until I find work.  For now, I want to use my time here wisely.  I wanted to start by attending the tai chi class this morning.  I want to train, I want to improve, I want to be ready.  My kids need me this week as well, and I will be supporting them with what is going on, as much as I can.

This week is my last week here in Alberta and I want to make the most of it.  It will end with a family gathering in which my children's dad will be here as well.  I look forward to this gathering.  Yet it won't be the end.  There will be more like them in the future.  Alberta hasn't exactly seen the last of me.