The home page gives you a little sneak peek into my life, but for this initial blog, I'd like to invite you in for a cup of tea (or something stronger)! For a long time, teaching was my identity, and honestly, I loved that about myself. I loved being an educator. I loved being "Miss Gish." I loved my work family (still do!). I loved the long hours - those hours that weren't in my contract, but were necessary. I loved the feeling of a "job well done" and "giving my all" to something, someone, some place.
I met Mitch back in 2007. I was a spunky 19 year old, and instantly fell in love with him when we were sitting at the Elephant Bar after church talking about just seeing the movie "Hairspray" and how "so totally hot Zac Efron was." We had an instant connection and a fun friendship, but there was a problem. Mitch felt he was bound for the monastic life. (No, I am not kidding).
I grew up in the Orthodox Christian Church, so the idea of monasticism was not foreign to me. The smell of incense, the sounds of tonal chanting, candle lit vigils, learning hymns in exotic languages.... All of these things are part of my being. Mitch had converted a few years before we met, and decided to work in Santa Barbara to pay off all debts and "go to the monastery to live and die," as he puts it. So off he went, and here I stayed.
From the tender age of 5, I knew I wanted to be a teacher. I kept old Highlights magazines as curriculum. I lined up stuffed animals as my students. I begged teachers to let me help them grade papers. And I never changed my mind! From high school, I went to college, and from college, I went to Grad school. 2 months from graduation, I was a 23-year-old First Year Teacher spending 14 hours each day setting up furniture and figuring out curriculum. I know, sounds hard right?That wasn't even the start of it! 1 week later, I had 26 four-year-olds sitting (mostly) on my Lakeshore rainbow rug.. T-w-e-n-t-y S-i-x. There were smiles and excitement along with language barriers and tears. And you know what? It was the start of a beautiful decade full of more learning opportunities than I can even count. In fact, I can bet that, in my 10 years as a teacher, I learned more than I taught.
So back to the love story, because I know you're DYING to know what happened... Mitch didn't end up a monk and we remained friends. We both had other relationships throughout the years, but the bond of friendship was strong, and the friendship grew to a deep love. Well, eventually. We had some ups and downs along the way, but who doesn't? We planned a wedding for June of 2020, and invited 451 people to join us. However, only our immediate family was able to be there (you know why), and it was truly a day of beauty. 2 months later, we learned of God's miracle growing in my belly, and Levi Harvey Silouan began his journey into the world.
My pregnancy was tumultuous, to say the least. Morning sickness became "Morning - Middle of the Night- Evening - Car Rides - Empty Stomach - Full Stomach" sickness. The week I started my second trimester, Mitch and I both got the dreaded C*vid. My body took months to recover from this. By the time I was in my third trimester, my blood pressure became an immediate threat. At 32 weeks and 5 days old, Levi was born. My beautiful, 4 pound, miracle only spent a fraction of the expected time in the NICU, and at 16 days old, he came home. My world immediately shifted into making sure my tiny son was warm, fed, sleeping, swaddled, comforted... little else mattered in these precious moments. The timing was such that I had the rest of the school year and the whole summer to bond and snuggle my little man. When the new school year was about to start, I was panicked. I wasn't ready. I tried going back part time, but ultimately, my heart string were being pulled, moved, shifted, yanked in another direction.
So, here I am. Sitting in my living room, watching the baby monitor as my now 1-year-old peacefully naps, at a time when I would be grading in a semi-organized (but super cute) classroom. And I'm reflecting on what my identity is today.
I'm a woman of faith, first and foremost.
I'm a mama and a wife.
I'm a teacher and a tutor.
I'm a creator of content and resources.
I'm a human desperate to provide for my family.
I'm ALL of these things, and I love that about myself.