Nineteen Days

There are nineteen days between now and the end of the work month for me. Fifteen of those days are work days, and I am getting ready for the last winter break of my career (probably). This is a year of lasts for me. I will be retiring from my current job and transitioning into another role as a music therapy professional at the end of my contract year. This is my last December as a school-based music therapist, and I am both happy and nostalgic about it all.

If you know anyone who works in school settings, then you know that this is one of the most difficult times of the year - in ANY school. In my school, things are compounded by it being a residential and day setting for children, adolescents, and young adults who have significant developmental and psychiatric symptomology. Amplify the usual pre-holiday excitement with trauma backgrounds and the uncertainty of family involvement and you get the miasma that my students bring to their music therapy sessions this time of year.

Meanwhile, we have our first snow coming. Throw in changes in barometric pressure and the requirement to be inside all day, and this will be a great day to return to. Only three organizations have closed, and none of the schools around us have closed. Nothing seems to be falling outside my windows yet, but it is supposed to make travel slick and slippery at different points today. I think we had a snow day on this day last year, but I can't remember, and I don't want to look at last year's journal to see for sure. One thing is certain - I have to take my cold weather kit to the car.

Today we start the process to get the holiday sing put together. Each class selects a song to "sponsor" at the Holiday Sing. We then gather on one afternoon to sing the songs together. It is not a program, but a caroling party. This has become a tradition since I was no longer allowed to use the local community theater space and had to use the school gymnasium instead. It works for us.

So, it is now time to focus on the next nineteen days.

This week is our Country of the Month week. We will be discussing Poland this week - the traditions, the geography, and the music (of course!). Next week will be an ensemble of some sort (I haven't looked at the plans), and the last week will be holiday music BINGO with sticker prizes. We will have some cancelled sessions to accommodate things like field trips and special events. We have a reindeer visit on Wednesday during the lunch hour. The calendar is filling up.

This is my second December with no church responsibilities or obligations. I miss it a bit, but not enough to get involved with another church community at this point. I am still hurt about how I was treated at the last church. I do miss the traditions of Advent and Christmas Eve, but again, not enough to take myself to another church. Not being at church more than usual during this month is something that I am still getting used to.

I came up with a fun way to design therapeutic music experiences (TMEs) that I will share tomorrow. It worked well, and I wrote a new song/TME to use with my clients. I will try it again this afternoon to see if it works again.

Have a wonderful day, readers!