I Am Only One

It's true, I've been MIA on the blogosphere world lately... I haven't updated my blog or checked into others to see what is going on in the world of school counseling.  I haven't even gotten on Pinterest in weeks!  I've  been in my own little corner struggling, feeling overwhelmed and under-prepared for the work that I'm doing-- or lack there of, because I feel as if I am constantly playing catch up and only able to half-do everything on my to do list.  The worst part of it all is that I feel like I have so much to give and that I'm responsible for and yet, I am constantly responding to situations that arise, that I can't give my all to my students.  There is a new need every single day.  Today I continued to add to an endless list of students that I am behind on seeing, that are struggling with issues and feeling pain that I can only imagine, that are having problems in class or at home and as much as I want to help them-- as much as I feel called to be there for them-- there is only me.  Just me.  The only counselor at a title one elementary school of 550 students.  The character ed coordinator, the testing coordinator, the HUG coordinator, the records custodian, a Girls on the Run coach, an educator, a consultant... the list truly goes on and on.

But, I know there are times when everyone feel like this.  Like no matter how hard I try and feel so passionately about what I do, I just can't do enough.  I came across this quote last week and didn't even realize then how much I needed to read it:  "I am only one, but I am still one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do." -Edward Everette Hale 

So, tomorrow is a new day.  Even though it is a day off from school, I won't be taking the day off, but using it to play catch up.  To get everything ready for the testing beginning next week.  To send and receive records that are weeks behind.  To hopefully find a better system to organize the students that I need to meet with and then follow up with.  To screw my head back on straight and find ways to do what I can do rather than allow that helpless, overwhelming feeling to sneak back in and take over.  After all, I am only one and I can't do everything, but I certainly can do something and I need to step back, take a deep breath and take that something one day at a time.

:)  Hopefully next time, I'll have something awesome to share that I did with students or a wonderful success story.  But today, you get the true confession of an overwhelmed, first year school counselor.