Music for Monday: You Gotta Be

This is a song that I posted back in September 2016, but I just have to share it again today. I shuffled an old playlist of mine last week when I got home from teaching and this song came on. I have always loved this song but I was especially moved by it last week. Some of the messages in this song are especially pertinent in this season of my life and they are exactly what I have been needing to hear.

This teaching internship is one of the hardest things I have ever done in my life. It has challenged me in ways I never expected to be challenged. It has humbled me and helped me to look at our world with more tenderness and love. These kids have taught me more than I could ever teach them.

My school is considered a low income school. The kids in this school deal with more than I could imagine dealing with. And, because of the parts of life that these kids have been exposed to, they are a little tougher than I was as a 10 year old. Heck, they're tougher than me as a 22 year old. And, I spent my first couple of weeks with them thinking they were going to eat me alive. Still, some days I wonder how they haven't eaten me alive. But, the chorus of this song gave me my answer.

You Gotta Be - Des'ree

You gotta be bad, you gotta be bold, you gotta be wiser.
You gotta be hard, you gotta be tough, you gotta be stronger. 
You gotta be cool, you gotta be calm, you gotta stay together. 
All I know, all I know is love will save the day. 

This internship has really pushed me outside of my comfort zone. I've had to toughen up in leading these kids. I've had to remain calm on the outside when I was totally not keeping my cool internally. But most importantly, I've had to prove to these kids over and over again that I am on their team. That I love them and that I will continue to show up for them. So yes, through this teaching stage I've had to be bolder, tougher, stronger and calmer than ever before. But, I also believe more than ever before that love really can save the day. I hope with all of my being that my love is doing something for these kids.

See you tomorrow with a recipe,