In my former job, I was often called upon to mete out justice — all teachers are. It falls upon all school staff to make sure that students follow the rules: wear the uniform appropriately, keep your hands to yourselves, respect others, abide by the honor code, etc. Any of my students would tell you that if I saw a shirt untucked, I would address it. If a student was eating in the hallway, I would take their food and throw it in the trash. If two students began a verbal exchange that threatened to escalate, I was quick to march them to the office to see the Dean of Students. I was on it. I often joked that I actually worked for the FBI, teaching was merely my cover.
Perhaps the fact that I owned that responsibility so tightly contributed to my soldiering. While teaching in the high school, I could quickly “put on” my Michelle Pfeiffer Dangerous Minds persona if I needed to “kick some butts and take some names”. Tough times call for tough personas. Truth is, that persona often clung to me a little longer than necessary. I was in the business of “getting it done” for many years. I was a tough cookie. As with anything else in life — being a tough cookie has its pros and cons.
Tough cookies don’t have a lot of time to be sensitive to the needs of others, but they can hold it together under extreme pressure.
Tough cookies don’t let their guard down very often, so they are often first to see when something isn’t quite right.
Tough cookies demand respect and often get it, but at what price?
Tough cookies are difficult to enjoy — they have to be dunked and dunked and dunked before they soften up enough to make them palatable.
Did I go too far? Probably.
Here’s the thing…the past 2.5 years of dealing with health issues have put Michelle Pfeiffer on the shelf, probably permanently. I don’t have enough energy for all that bravado.
The good news is that I am no longer in a position where I have to scrutinize the behavior of others. I am no longer required to mete out justice. I am now in a position where I can offer grace — a second chance.
Ahhhh…..
Let’s look at all the places that God has provided for me to offer grace:
- I’m a new grandmother — guys, all I have for that little girl is love and grace.
- My new job is working with students who have failed and failed and failed. They think they will never read and never be successful in school. The strategies I am learning can and often do, in a matter of weeks, result in improved reading and comprehension scores — often multiple grade levels! I get to watch kids get another chance at success!
- I am the only mother living on a college campus — I have already had a few opportunities to walk students through decisions or to provide resources with no strings attached.
- In all of the roles I’m in right now (including my new job) I am easily twenty years older than everyone else. I am praying that the wisdom of those years will transform into grace in all my interchanges.
Dear Michelle Pfeiffer,
It’s been a good run. I’ve appreciated borrowing your leather jacket; you can have it back now. This tough cookie has begun to crumble, I think I’ll be buying a few cardigans.
John 1:17
Now the law was given through Moses;
grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
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