Blame It On Your Cerebellum!

This week, my science students just finished up learning about “Communication and Control” Systems….basically our brain (Central Nervous System) and how it interacts with it’s environment (Sensory Systems). An interesting thing about the brain, is it is divided up into 3 parts: The Cerebrum, Cerebellum and Medulla. The Medulla runs all our ‘automatic-involuntary systems’ like heart beat, breathing, blood pressure etc. Our Cerebrum is the learning, talking, hearing, and those kinds of things. But our cerebellum, which is our second largest part of the brain, helps with balance…yes, walking upright, not falling, and allowing us to move about in our environment.

Many years ago, my boss called me into his office, and we had a conversation, that looking back on it now, has 20:20 clarity. He said he admired how I kept my life in balance. Between putting in many hours at work as a new teacher and having a young marriage that needed nurturing. He asked “how do you keep it balanced, making sure you aren’t putting in too much energy into one, and neglecting the other”. I didn’t have much to say besides, “you just have to”.

When I teach about the brain, I think about everything that it has to sort through in a normal day. From information, memories, decisions, reflecting (which the cerebrum has to do), to keeping an organism alive(my body). But the cerebellum, it has the toughest job, it has to keep me balanced.

Currently I don’t get paid my educational worth, so I work a second job. I don’t see my husband much because he works a second job too. Between rising costs of daily neccessities and cuts in pay, we try to give our children a life of more experiences than just going to school, and coming home. We don’t do movies, go out to dinner, or have new clothes, or new cars, or go on any vacations or even have cable TV (plus cable is a rip-off anyway). It’s no better or worse than many of my other fellow middle class America. The point is, do I still have balance in my life?

I do. For balance in your life is not: do all areas of my life have equal percentage of my time and attention? But instead: Do the areas of my life have equitable needed attention. Equity being: What attention is needed so the relationship is healthy and productive. I keep a balance by reading at night to my children, talking while in the car, swimming with my kids instead of watching them while I read a book, sending emails of “sweet nothings” during the day to my husband, and many other “small things” that don’t seem like much, but it keeps the camel’s back from breaking.

What small things do you do that helps you keep balance in your life?

photo credit: perpetualplum via photopin cc

A Reflection of 50

I was born on an interesting day. Not only did my parents celebrate Easter that day, they celebrated my birth. But what of other anniversaries on the day of my birth, April 14th? Well, they include the day Abraham Lincoln was shot, the Titanic struke an iceberg, the 1 billionth Chinese person to be born (in 1989), the French Revolution begun, and Les Miserables opened on Broadway.

From a scientific perspective, it is the recognition of a day the Earth is in the same location in relation to the sun in space. On Jupiter, I would be a lot younger, and on Mercury I would be a lot older. Some say the placement of the stars influences the person’s personality. I have many characteristics of an “Aries”, but I have found more in common with other people named Mary, than with other Aries.

But what about the day for me? My first vivid memory of a birthday celebration, my 5th, was me sitting at the head of the table, with my family and friends around it, singing Happy Birthday, and me, I was crying. Looking back at it, I think I was happy, but the attention was overwhelming. Other birthday celebrations included parties, outings to special places and being spoiled by family. The past several years, I have celebrated with one of God’s greatest gifts, a loving and amazing husband, and two beautiful and healthy children. Today, I was served a delicious breakfast, and will be treated to a “home spa” by my family. They tell me it’s an oatmeal day (which explains the oatmeal pancakes).

As I look in the mirror, I can’t think of what I thought I would look like, on this monumental benchmark. I know others who look younger than I at my age, but most look older, or at least act older. I credit being a teacher and having young children, for why I am active and energetic, (I have to be to keep up). I am healthy, with no health problems that I can even think of. A few gray hairs are shining in the sun, but I don’t need to color my hair to hide my years. Some wrinkles on my face are moisturized nightly, but still accent the edges that frame my smile.

Of all the things I reflect on this year, and lately every year, is the true appreciation of my age. So many people were not as fortunate as I, to make it to this number. For whatever reason, they passed on at a much earlier age. I think of my friend in high school who died from a motorcycle accident, he didn’t get to graduate. I think of the baby who died in the hospital room down the hall who won’t have any birthdays, yet my baby was born alive and healthy. I think of the college student who enlists in the army, doing what he felt was right, and is killed a month later.

There are many people, who don’t and will never have the pleasure of seeing the wrinkles, the gray hair, and to look deep into the eyes of the reflection of a person staring back at them, that hold the memories of a life time, ready to document more. I can’t and won’t ever complain about how old I am, for I am blessed to have made it as long as I have.

photo credit: Aih. via photopin cc