The World Is A Group, Work With It

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Everything has a beginning, middle, and end. In the summer of '96 I took the last courses I needed to earn my MSW. One of the classes I took was Group Work, and it was a good one. We were taught to pay attention, in working with a group, to beginnings, middles, and ends. And I believe the lesson applies to life.

I'm at the end of the beginning and approaching the beginning of the middle of my break from teaching. Week three: day three, of nine complete weeks with no official, external work commitments. The end of the beginning is a hard time, as are all endings. Beginnings feel pure when they start, like anything but continuous starting is impossible. But even beginnings end. They give way to middles, from which you already see the end.

I love when people get (or I should say loved when person got) that what this break means. I know many teachers that don't teach in a camp or a school over the summer, don't go on to school, or get another job, or go on vacation or remodel. They just are. And this time just is, what it's meant to be.

I am grateful to have studied social work and to have that gene inside me. I am grateful to all my good teachers at Wurzweiler. In particular I thank Sunny Brandler who wrote the following in her inscription to me:

Dear Neil,

Your comments in class have touched on so many powerful feelings. It has been a joy for me to have participated in your education.

Fondly,

Sondra (Sunny)

Brandler