December is complicated for teachers. There’s the joy of teaching the last few a-ha! classes of the semester, or “landing the plane,” as I have come to think of it. And there’s the misery of grading a gajillion-billion finals before you can actually exhale the word, “Touchdown.”
I’ll take it all. I love being a teacher like I love salted caramel swirl ice cream; I cannot get enough of it. Maybe that’s because I came to it so late in life; maybe it’s because it’s what I was supposed to be doing all along. Either way, nothing beats the omg of a student saying, “This class changed my life.” I will never get used to it. I’d never forgive myself if I did.
And so I’ll take the hours and hours (and hours) of reading hundreds of exams and papers. It goes with the territory. And I am old enough to know that every job, even the best job in the world, comes with its “I’d rather not” parts.
As does life. I’ll take that too, three scoops with chocolate sauce, please. |
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The comments continue to pour in on my post about “sad parents” on Instagram, where I lamented that lots of people my age (and thereabouts) are grieving the lives their adult children seem unable to build. Lives of meaning, that is. Lives with jobs.
Last I checked, the post was approaching 400K views, with almost 700 comments and 2500 shares. Of course, there were naysayers in the bunch, but most people were like, “You nailed it, Suzy, I am a sad parent. My kids hunger for purpose. Where is it?”
One of them is, I honestly believe, the Becoming You methodology, so there’s that. If you haven’t gone through it already, our next Three-Day Intensive is fast approaching, January 16-18. There are still a few seats left, so please consider coming. It’s where hope and realism intersect, and you walk out the door with new direction, clarity, and resilience.
And, hey, bring your mom. I personally guarantee it will cheer her up. |
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“Everything is weird right now.”
The comment was after a long work day, when a few of us were still hanging out, wrapping up loose ends. The words hovered in the air for a moment. Someone nodded, another person said, “Yeah.” No one disagreed. It has been a week, with one tragic headline after another.
I felt off-kilter through it all, and grievously sad. Surely you did too. |
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And yet in the midst of it, wonderful things happened to each one of us too, right? Can that be denied? My grandson said, “Dada” for the first time while splashing in a bubble bath. A Becoming You coach called in happy tears to tell me about a life-changing breakthrough for a client. After searching for months, we finally found a brilliant young teacher to create Becoming You’s high school curriculum. My best friend’s daughter landed her long-sought VC funding. Her product is a prenatal medical device that will someday save babies. What could be more exciting?
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So yes, this week was weird. There is no papering over that reality. It was weirder than most. Darker, harder, crueler.
That does not and cannot diminish that it also had its moments of joy, peace, hope, and wonder. Such is the intractable mystery of life, its painful irony, and its permanent hmm.
Making the precious stuff more precious still.
Speaking of – you are precious to me, Becoming You community! I will miss you next week as the newsletter takes a holiday hiatus. See you soon after to face 2026 together – with purpose. |
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What's coming?
→ January 2026 Three-Day Becoming You Intensive here
→ May 2026 Three-Day Becoming You Intensive here
→ Becoming You Certification Program, learn more here
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Am I a Good Mother-in-Law? And Other Questions That Save Families with Dr. Tracy Dalgleish
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In this special episode, I'm joined by clinical psychologist and relationship expert Dr. Tracy Dalgleish for an honest, deeply human conversation about values and family. We discuss: What does a good mother-in-law really look like? (And yes, I cold call my daughters-in-law to find out if I am one.) Why do the holidays so often expose unspoken power dynamics and values conflicts? And how does insecurity – especially in family systems – cause us to lose curiosity, shut down, and stop asking the questions that actually build connection? This episode is for anyone navigating in-laws, holidays, or family tension, and wondering how to stay true to themselves without losing the relationship. |
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