beckroda1964

It is Official.

August 8, 2025

How do you feel? Do you love being retired? How’s retirement? All summer these well meaning questions have been asked, with an expected answer of , “It’s the BEST!” My surprising consistent reply has been the same, “I don’t know, it just feels like ‘summer Becky’ right now.”

Summer Becky is what my mind and body know. She is familiar, comfortable, free, and for the most part not stressed from day to day. In reality life’s stressors don’t break for summer but I think you get it; I know my fellow teachers understand.

However, like clockwork, stressful dreams began in July. Some were specifically school related, others just bizarre. Then August comes rushing in like a lion and my body knows it. My physiological being feels it.

I just returned from a delightful beach trip. Gifted to Linda and me, by our dear friend Juli. These two lovely humans had already hosted a retirement celebration from which I will never recover, nor do I want to.

Then, they decided the first week of school would probably be the best time to whisk me away from first day school pics, faculty first day photos, buses picking up and dropping off students of all ages.

They were wise. It was best and my body told me so. Upon arriving at our beach cottage excited and awaiting every moment to come, I decided to nap for a bit. I slept poorly the night before…was it it excitement about the beach, or built in back to school jitters that are out of my control, retired or not?

My nap was quite restless. I had some episodes of panic and heart racing–Why is this happening, I asked myself ? There I was at the beach with best friends and could not find peace or calm. I tossed and turned for nearly two hours, trying to rest, but my body resisted.

Upon stepping from my bedroom into the light of Juli’s cozy cottage my anxiety began to diminish. It’s ok to be here, it’s ok you aren’t at school, its ok to have fun today, it is OK to let go, I tell myself. My girl’s encourage me and lovingly share it may take a year or more for my body to adjust. I reassure myself that others will take care of, love on, and teach the incoming students; a new family of 8th grade babies that would have become MY kids the moment they they walked through my classroom door. With puddled tears, I know they are in good hands. They will be loved well and I will miss them, because this week they walked through someone else’s door. It is official. Mrs. Jones is retired, but my motto still stands…”Once in my class, always in my heart.”

beckroda1964 August 8, 2025 2 Comments

Musings from the Bungalow

“To’ksa

August 1, 2025

Toksa-for many years I taught my students this Lakota Sioux word as it means “see you later” in their native tongue. A kind Sioux native explained its meaning to me and I began to hold its meaning close, for I love the connection it holds when it’s time to part. It leaves space for seeing one another again, and as hard as it was to let go of students from year to year, toksa was honest and sincere, making it just a bit easier to say “good-bye.”

Today’s walk through the hallways of a school I love was quite different, sweet and comfortable, but also sad.

From 1976-1979 I hailed it as my junior-high; 7th-9th grade. I was proud to be a Viking and represented them as a student, cheerleader,runner, and softball player. Those were influential and memorable years.

It was during my 9th grade year I began thinking to myself, I want to be a teacher.I want to teach, guide, love kids well. Coach McCord, Mr. Davis, Mrs. Cleveland, Coach Gentry, and Ms. Medlin are names I hold dear. They influenced me in ways I didn’t fully understand at the time, but upon reflection, they helped mold me into the teacher I became.

Fast-forward several decades and from 2015-2025; I became a Viking again, only this time as a teacher. I left an elementary school I also hold dear and moved into the world of middle school and yes it is its very own chaotic, beautiful, hormonal, stressful world-one I felt called to after over 20 years in elementary. I was insure if it would be the school from which I retired but I thought it might be and in May of 2025 it became my final school year. I blinked, ten years passed and it’s time to turn the page.

Today, the day we work in our room before the children arrive-I did not work, my husband did not bring dinner, and I didn’t stay until 9:00pm or later to ready my class-room for students… making it warm and welcoming for day one and all the days to come, but like a fly to butter, I could not let the day pass without seeing my people, my school family.

With eagerness and a twinge of sadness in my belly I went to visit my friends, peek at their rooms, give them hugs, and wish them well as a new school year begins. I could not stay away. While in the halls and their rooms, I felt excitement and hope for the new year but understood their exhaustion after a week of meetings, agendas, new guidelines, county expectations, the list goes on. I promised I would give hugs and make it quick, as I know how valuable and fleeting those hours are; some of us doing a week’s worth of work in a day, while others not quite so pushed as they came in on their own time long before school re-opened.

I kept my promise to myself and to them and did not overstay my welcome. It felt good to be there and believe it was where I needed to be at that time and in that space.

Upon leaving, I took a deep breath and sat quietly in my car. I felt the tears welling my eyes and that familiar emotional pounding in my chest. Unsure of whether I’d share it; I videoed that moment to try and capture the real and unedited emotion that overcame me.

Stepping away from the classroom I have loved for so long is like leaving behind part of myself ; part of my identity. How did I get here so quickly? If you are feeling the same, I pray this finds you.

Toksa Vikings, this is not goodbye.

#onceavikingalwaysaviking

#retiredteacher

Video may not load. I am new to blogging and figuring it out as I go-my apologizes.

beckroda1964 August 2, 2025 2 Comments

Musings from the Bungalow

Affiliating and Creating?

7.29.25

Not for the “faint of heart”

Keeping it real…I am missing my people. It’s as if my body has done the same thing for so long, it knows I’m usually prepping for a new school year about now. It’s hard to explain, but I feel it–like I am programmed to be back with my school friends, sit in meetings, work late in my room everyday. Again, I think to myself: Becky you retired, stop texting them and let them work.

However, my emotions had no freedom to roam today as I spent hours learning to monetize, linking accounts, and posting items; all as a side hustle to help pay the bills and save for our HOBBY FARM (a dream we’re working towards) and let me repeat- “creating, affiliating and associating” it is NOT for the faint of heart. I can hear my momma saying, ” I understand why God let young people have children” and I can now add “and be creators and influencers”!

I finally learned how to make and create a link-tree to list items all in one place. Ya’ll Im just a gal who is willing to learn new things, but I tell you the struggle is real. At 61, to link from here to there, change over to a professional site, get verified, and link social media accounts, I digress.

It’s good for me. Im competitive even with myself, and this is challenging me in new ways. There is a a learning curve, indeed-but I’ll get there. Its part of the journey; the new beginnings.

You too can own my mowing hat! Its in my link-tree here! https://linktr.ee/beckroda1964

Is that how you do it?

Peace,

Becky