Slice of Life: DAY 31 aka THE LAST DAY

For the last day, I would like for each of you to write a reflection on your Slice of Life Story Challenge experience. Begin with your initial thoughts on the project (this year), explain any changes in your perspective throughout, and then end it with how you felt by the end of the project. Anyone doing the blog project, make sure to polish your writing to the best possible grammar before posting it on the blog. 

Comments are welcome, but I ask, for this last day, that you comment a minimum of three replies to different people. 

It has been wonderful to read all of your slices this year with their ups and downs and everything in between, and I hope that more of you than not have reaped the benefits of daily writing. 

Happy Slicing! 

Slice of Life: DAY 30

Sister Jackson's Slice: 

What I'll Leave Behind

I don't have floorboards, so I'll find baskets or storage bins.

I'll find something to hold memories within. 

Between the layers of schoolwork and drawings I’ll leave:

Notes for my children, sporadic and heartfelt. 

All the worries and doubts I never voiced. 

A list of chances I took that didn't pan out. 

Piles of photographs printed yet never framed. 

Ideas that saw the light of day—and some that were buried with time.

The wish I could have gotten the better of laundry instead of it getting me. 

Journals peppered with words I never intended to be read but wrote down anyway. 

Love. Remembrance. Faith. Thanksgiving for this life I've been given. 

Tucked in boxes, bins, and baskets, I'll place these things for someone to find.

What will you leave behind? 

Leave your slice in the comments below and make a reply to others! 
Happy slicing! 

Slice of Life: DAY 29

Sister Jackson's Slice: 

Lying down in front of the computer, I stare at the blank canvas called a post box, and I just don't know what to write. I am tired from our first Monday back. I ate so much sugar that I'm sure my doctor will want to put me on a diabetes watch list (no joke). Also, I wrote so much over the past four weeks that I don't really know what anyone would care to know about. I mean, I'm the teacher! I doubt even half of you even read this. 

But I digress. I figured out what to write about! I will write about how much I hope at least some of you will go back through the slice days and respond to anyone with no replies or who has just me as a commentator. That would make me happier than getting tons of replies for my own slices. It feels nice to get feedback on our personal narrative writing. 



Leave your slice in the comments below and make a reply to others! 
Happy slicing! 

Slice of Life: DAY 28

Sister Jackson's Slice: 

I can't be sure if having spring break is a good or a bad thing. 

On one hand, it seems like everyone really needs a little reset once the weather begins to turn. Spring break offers a chance to catch our collective breath. 

However, on the other hand, now that spring break is over, how many of you feel trunky for summer? 

I can't even go there. Just know that we can do this if we are a team. Lots of learning to do still, so keep up the good work! 
Leave your slice in the comments below and make a reply to others! 
Happy slicing! 

Slice of Life: DAY 27 Happy Easter, Everyone!

Sister Jackson's Slice: 

Easter. A time of year when all of Christianity rejoices in the glory of the atonement and the miracle of the resurrection. I rejoice in these things. 

Without the atonement of Christ I would be a condemned soul, and the condemnation would come from myself because I would feel so hopeless in ever being able to overcome my many faults and shortcomings. Aren't we all our own worst critic? Yes. Who do we forgive first--ourselves? Never. I have learned to forgive myself better, but it is a general struggle with us humans. We want to see the best in others, but we are our own worst critics. With Jesus having suffered for all our mistakes and even our afflictions, I recognize the miracle and try to let go of guilt as I repent and work to improve myself. 

Not everyone in the world celebrates Easter. Not everyone believes in Christ. But I believe and I celebrate because with Christ, my Savior, my Redeemer, my Brother, and my Friend, I can overcome all sorrow, suffering, and sin. By his loving grace, I can live forever in glory instead of guilt. I can live forever with those I love. I can be who I am intended to become. 

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/akb0kD7EHIk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Here's the link to the video in case the embedded box doesn't show up for you: World’s Largest Virtual #Hallelujah Chorus


Leave your slice in the comments below and make a reply to others! 
Happy slicing! 

Slice of Life: DAY 26

Sister Jackson's Slice: 

Spring is here. I see it in my yard now that the snow has all melted and green things are poking their sleepy heads from out of the earth. I need to go take care of them, invite them into the world, for before long spring will have sprung and summer will be here instead. 



Leave your slice in the comments below and make a reply to others! 
Happy slicing! 

Slice of Life: DAY 25

Sister Jackson's Slice: 

Every side has something:
Multifaceted,
Texturized,
Dynamic.
Time would not fly. 
Something would be missing.
Life would not be right. 
Friendship makes us complete.

Leave your slice in the comments below and make a reply to others! 
Happy slicing! 

Slice of Life: DAY 24

Sister Jackson's Slice: 
Spring Break Agenda
Las Vegas (Temple) wedding for my friend's daughter
Rest
Sleep
Watch movies
Go to the movie theater to watch a movie
Get a pedicure
Grade papers
Connect with my home by cleaning it
Write
Research publishing options for a poetry book
Write
Grade papers
Rest
Sleep
Avoid eating too much Easter candy
Exercise
Sleep
Do NOT forget to edit that dissertation. 

Wish students would give me at least a little bit of positive feedback about my slices too.  


Leave your slice in the comments below and make a reply to others! 
Happy slicing! 

Slice of Life: DAY 23

Sister Jackson's Slice: 

Last night, I went to my very first caucus, and last night, I was elected to be a county delegate. The whole process was awe inspiring, and I must say that I feel proud to have such a strong sense of volunteerism as well as patriotism. Now, I just need to learn what to do with all this amazingness! 


Leave your slice in the comments below and make a reply to others! 
Happy slicing! 

Slice of Life: DAY 22

Sister Jackson's Slice: 

Social media is a tricky thing because it cracks the world right open when you use it like we do. And there are so many nooks and crannies in which to hide or misconstrue. There are so many ways to misunderstand and ways to feel things that aren’t real. But sometimes our intuition is correct, but there is no way to know if it is unless we ask for clarification. I think about how much social media has affected my life for good, and I feel thankful for all the friends and family I've grown closer to because of this tool.  


For the last ten days of slicing, I challenge each of you to seek out someone you've never commented on their slice before, and give them a comment instead! Come back later on if you're an early bird slicer in order to accomplish this request. 

Also, over these ten days, if you've got a little extra time, there are later gator slicers who could use comments, so go back through the past days, and find people with no comments. This is simply for classroom community purposes and for your enjoyment, so if you can't fit it in, don't stress out about it. 

Happy slicing!

Slice of Life: DAY 21

Sister Jackson's Slice: 

The mom hat, teacher hat, even the sister hat—any hat can overload us if we don't take a little break from time to time. Sometimes I think about these things as I run around like crazy. I think about this thing as I wrap up a weekend of helping my BFF get her daughter married off and settled into her happily ever after and all the life that lies in between. I think about how I wish I had more me. 

I wanted so very much to spend time with my cousins. I wanted to go to lunch. I wanted to go to dinner. I wanted to tie ribbons around every napkin at every place setting. I wanted to go for a walk and a hike and go to the movies. I wanted to take time to see other friends. I wanted to help clean up. I wanted to say so much. 

We can get so overloaded if we don't watch ourselves. I will be glad in the knowledge that I seized the day for fourth meal (even though it was actually only my third)/second breakfast (even though we didn't even eat breakfast)/elevensies (even though it was like 1:00 a.m. my time). Instead of wishing I could do more, I will be glad I focused all my effort to polish and help to make perfect my BFF-once-removed's special day. I am glad I couldn't spread myself so thin that I might have ended up regretting not giving my all to one special moment in time. I am glad I served and loved and communicated. I am glad I set aside all the hats I wear and was just me. 

Leave your slice in the comments below and make a reply to others! 
Happy slicing! 

Slice of Life: DAY 20

Sister Jackson's Slice: 

The other day, I was asked when I earned my Young Women's medallion, so they could make a special plaque with everyone's names on it to hang next to where the Eagle Scout plaque hangs. It was December 2014 in case you were wondering.

I don't need further recognition though. Accomplishing something so significant after such a long time helped me recognize within myself how much I have grown and changed. I better recognize how much God loves me and how he has a plan for me because he recognizes my needs. He saw and continues to see my effort. 

I couldn't ask for more recognition than that. 


Leave your slice in the comments below and make a reply to others! 
Happy slicing! 

Slice of Life: DAY 19

Sister Jackson's Slice: 

Writing is my friend. With a pen in my hand and something to write on, we connect. My mind has ideas, but when I spend time putting the words together in strings of meaning, I understand more of what I want, more of what I know, and I like myself further than I ever thought possible. Writing shows me how kind and thoughtful I am. Writing gives me purpose when I am so full of ideas that I can hardly contain myself. Writing never lies; it just tells me what I know or even reveals what I wasn't sure about. Writing makes me happy. 


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Happy slicing! 

Slice of Life: DAY 18

Sister Jackson's Slice: 

At this point in time, I begin to fail at knowing what to slice about. This story challenge pushes me to dig into my heart of hearts and sharpen my writing abilities. I tend to question said abilities right about now. If I am such a prolific writer, why then do I run out of ideas? Or is it simply part of it becoming routine and the novelty wearing off that puts a different lens on the challenge? Why write every day for a month? Does it actually do anything except push me into this corner? 

Questions and questions and questions. All are an excuse (possibly a vehicle) for copping out on writing anything worth writing about. Or maybe I just did. What do you think?  


Leave your slice in the comments below and make a reply to others! 
Happy slicing! 

Slice of Life: DAY 17

Sister Jackson's Slice: 

St. Patrick's Day has never been a big holiday for me growing up or since I've been a parent. I remember always needing to wear green or I'd get mega pinched at school. 

One time, I was all ready to walk to school, and my mom realized I didn't have on any green, so she pinned a cute shamrock and leprechaun pin onto my shirt to keep me safe. But the crazy thing is that I still got pinched a couple of times. I recall yelling and pulling that pin toward someone's face (still attached to my shirt) showing them how perfectly green it was, and reasoning that I deserved to pinch them double hard for that!  

Nowadays, it's like totally banned from many schools to pinch people for not wearing green, but I'm glad I had the experience. A little fear goes a long way in making a good story. 


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Happy slicing! 

Slice of Life: DAY 16 YOU'RE HALF WAY THERE

Sister Jackson's Slice: 

Big League Chew. Penny candies. Nickel gum. Orange Tic Tacs. Slurpees. These are the things I'd save up my money for when I was a kid. 

My brothers and I would scrounge up change and make the trek down Owens to Nellis to the corner 7-Eleven, crossing the superhighway of a road that Nellis always has been (or so it seemed to my little girl self). We would load up on treats just enough to give us the strength to make it back home all sugared up ready for another row in the mud or a dirt clod fight. 

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Happy slicing! 

Slice of Life: DAY 15

Sister Jackson's Slice: 

The promise of fireside chats in the backyard have me excited for summer. Burning marshmallows and doing Dutch oven chicken are what summer nights were made for. Seeing the stars on a clear warm night that's just chilly enough to need the fire and possibly a blanket, children playing nightgames with flashlights in the park behind the house, wishing for the day to linger: these are the things that make summer something to long for. Summer is coming.


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Happy slicing! 

Slice of Life: DAY 14

Sister Jackson's Slice: 


Sometimes growing up can be tricky with knowing what to let go of and what is valuable forever. I did this funny thing called grow up, but you know what's even funnier--how it didn't seem like I was growing up at all. Little by little it just happened. It really is difficult to tell when the scales were tipped, but I believe it could possibly have been the first time I decided to not go outside to jump on the trampoline when everyone else was going. It could be when I gave my Barbie collection away when I went into sixth grade because "I am too old for Barbies now."  Or maybe it was when I finally stopped dressing up for Halloween (last year). Maybe it was when I had to say goodbye to my parents and not be able to give them a call to ask advice, forced to figure things out on my own. 

Leave your slice in the comments below and make a reply to others! 
Happy slicing! 

Slice of Life: DAY 13

Sister Jackson's Slice: 

The little children see me in the hallway, and they either smile or they cry. Being the song leader at church for 1 1/2-3-year-olds has been one of the happiest times for me in a long while. These tiny people love me just because I make sure they have snacks and I sing with them for 5-10 minutes (depending on their behavior) once a week.

The cutest thing happened when one of the little cuties' mother ran into me at the store. Her son was in the shopping cart, and she didn't call attention to me until he was right next to me, and the look of pure surprise and wonder and disbelief at how his music teacher could be at the store was priceless. I'll never forget that look. I felt so beloved as a person in that moment--even though he was rejecting reality!

Leave your slice in the comments below and make a reply to others! 
Happy slicing! 

Slice of Life: DAY 12

Sister Jackson's Slice: 

I miss my mom. She's left the earth for heaven for thirteen years now, but I can't ever let this day go by without honoring her. I've decided to do something a little bigger than just my written words this year: I want to challenge you. 

To anyone who reads these words, I challenge you to write a note of love and gratitude or give a phone call out of the blue right now or send a text just to say you care or find her and give her a warm and generous hug. And do this for you--not for me--not for her--do it for you. 


Leave your slice in the comments below and make a reply to others! 
Happy slicing! 

Slice of Life: DAY 11

Sister Jackson's Slice: 

Eleven is supposed to be a lucky number (I wonder who was the first person to make that up.) . . . but I digress. Since I was told eleven was considered lucky, my brain picks up on 11:11 at any time of day or night, and my heart makes a wish, I send eleven things in a list instead of top tens like a baker's dozen but one less than a dozen (if that makes any sense). Eleven makes me happy now with two ones side-by-side, separate but a real team. Eleven is lucky. 

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Happy slicing! 

Slice of Life: DAY 10

Sister Jackson's Slice: 

I want a deal--not just any deal either--I want the deal of a lifetime. I want an eternal companion I can share mutual trust, love, care, and the goal of growing together forever. That's a lot to ask, so I figure if I give my everything and can find that, I've been given the deal of a lifetime, and I'll never let it go. 




Leave your slice in the comments below and make a reply to others! 
Happy slicing! 

Slice of Life: DAY 9

Sister Jackson's Slice: 

Sleepless
Wishing
Hoping
Praying
Wanting to make a difference

Working
Cleaning
Trying
Organizing
Making room for more of what I want

Thinking
Feeling
Planning
Doing
Keeping watch for change to break like dawn over the horizon


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Happy slicing! 

Slice of Life: DAY 8

Sister Jackson's Slice: 

The lights flick on outside, the house begins to simmer down, and in the quiet night I realize that spring is on its way--another spring to want a garden and plant new trees, another spring to see if I can find a swing of things that will be effective. I want my garden to finally be a happy one this year. I want to look forward to the warm summer nights when I go out in the garden and watch vegetables grow and see the stars begin to pop through the dark blue fabric of night. 



Leave your slice in the comments below and make a reply to others! 
Happy slicing! 

Slice of Life: DAY 7

Sister Jackson's Slice: 

This slice makes a week of them, and even I am wondering how I will make it through this challenge. A couple of things keep me going. 

First, how on earth can I expect my students to make it through thirty-one days of writing without me leading the charge? It would be pretty pitiful if I couldn't make it, but they did. Pih. Tih. Ful. 

Second, this is my fifth year participating in this Slice of Life writing madness. It's too perfect of a streak to ruin things--at least that's what I keep telling myself each time I stay up too late or get up extra early to get this stuff busted out.

Slice of Life is worth it. The ideas, the feedback, the support, the challenge: I love it all. 

Now, I just need to get through twenty-six more slices, and I'm home free . . . until next March. 


Leave your slice in the comments below and make a reply to others! 
Happy slicing! 

Slice of Life: DAY 6

Sister Jackson's Slice: 

Ye shall have a song, as in the night when a holy solemnity is kept; and gladness of heart, as when one goeth with a pipe to come into the mountain of the Lord, to the mighty One of Israel.
Isaiah 30:29

A song in this heart and gladness of heart are things I strive to cultivate on a daily basis, but I never considered to what degree and quality I am promised them. I shall have them because God sees me and he knows my heart. He knows what I need to grow and become the magnificent person I was born to be. 

This month I want to focus on remembering this promise, letting it comfort me when times are difficult, and seeing how my song and gladness can make a difference each day. 


Leave your slice in the comments below and make a reply to others! Happy slicing!