A List, Part 1/12

Hello, friends!

I have low self-esteem. I wonder all the time whether I am making a difference. So, to combat that, I challenged myself this year to write down, daily, the difference I've made, no matter how big or small it is, and give thanks. 

My definition of "making a difference" is pretty broad. It can mean anything from helping someone, to working with my students, to doing something on the weekend other than sitting on my butt. The purpose of this activity is to give me something tangible to look back on when I'm feeling down, so I can say, "Yes, I am worthwhile, even when I don't feel that way." If there's a secondary purpose, it's to remind me that small things matter just as much as big things.

Here are a few from the month of January.

• January 1 - made Lindsey laugh.
• January 2 - did laundry and dishes.
• January 3 - helped Tammy clean her room.
• January 4 - advocated for my 4th-grade student.
• January 5 - got to know the kids at my new after-school job.
• January 6 - filled out paperwork.
• January 7 - helped my 4th-grade teacher.
• January 8 - helped Tammy with job coach interview.
• January 9 - recorded Melissa's trombone playing.
• January 10 - helped Kelsey make cheesecake for Jeff's birthday.
• January 11 - looked up some materials to use with my 4th-grade student.
• January 12 - taught my 4th-grade student the word "uterus."
• January 13 - wrote in my blog.
• January 14 - asked a friend how her grandma was doing.
• January 15 - successfully completed a week of sex ed.
• January 16 - washed Melissa's dishes.
• January 17 - made chex mix and puppy chow with Lindsey.
• January 18 - made potato soup and chicken casserole.
• January 19 - worked with my 4th-grade student.
• January 20 - watched the inauguration with Tammy.
• January 21 - texted Lindsey an endless stream of Bernie gifs.
• January 22 - discovered a new feel-good TV show.
• January 23 - planned all of my outfits for National Lutheran Schools Week.
• January 24 - brought Bryan Culver's for lunch.
• January 25 - laughed a lot with a kindergartener at my after-school job.
• January 26 - wrote up my observations of my 4th-grade student for her evaluation.
• January 27 - tried to teach my 4th-grade student how to hula hoop.
• January 28 - emailed my after-school-care supervisor about some students.
• January 29 - made delicious sautéed cinnamon apples with peanut butter and granola.
• January 30 - made chocolate bundt cake (my grandma's recipe!).
• January 31 - went tubing with Kelsey, Jeff, and Melissa.

I give thanks to God for all of the good things he's put in my path this month!