“There is no good news!” exclaimed my wife as she switched off the TV. “There’s strawberry milk in the fridge, mum”, came the calming sage response from my son. It made us laugh and reminded me that there are still lots of good things to be grateful for.
As Mrs Liz Hurlow said last week in The View, we need to pause. The relentless pressure of all the different struggles going on is wearing us down. We need to get away from it, have a break.
Is it as simple as “Don't worry, there’s strawberry milk in the fridge"? We don't usually have a 2L strawberry milk in the fridge, as it’s something special, something sweet to look forward to. What have you got in your life that you look forward to? Is it a walk with the family, a bike ride with a mate or spending time outside away from technology? I look forward to a pause every Saturday by going to church and connecting with friends.
How are you going to pause?
What can you do to reset?
A few days later, we were finishing dinner when the phone rang. With my roles at school, work is never far away. I answered the phone automatically thinking it would be about work. The call made me pause - it was not what I had been expecting. My wife was sitting next to me and was able to hear. She just looked at me and then smiled and gave me a hug.
A good friend of mine, Dr Darren, once quoted, “For one negative comment you need at least five positives to balance it out”. That phone call was worth at least ten positive comments. God's purpose for my life was affirmed, I was reminded of why I am a teacher. That phone call was my strawberry milk. The IT Department often recommends a switch off and restart, and my phone or computer always seems to run a bit better afterwards. Things need to be put back in order, realigned and put into perspective. I love strawberry milk.
Could you be the one to help someone else pause? Can you add something positive into someone else’s life?
What’s your strawberry milk?
Mr Ken Tosen
Stage 4 Coordinator (Years 7 & 8)
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