Dragon.

Chinese dragons traditionally symbolize potent and auspicious powers, particularly control over water, rainfall, hurricane, and floods. The dragon is also a symbol of power, strength, and good luck.

I bought this when I was in Old Shanghai, to me it was a symbol of beauty and power and it seems I am not to far off. Dragons are so often associated with water, with fluidity. This year of the dragon, I think that is becoming my motto, fluidity, flexibility. Change is the only constant and the only easy day was yesterday.

So far my year of fluidity has been amazing. I love my job, have new friends, and generally I am just enjoying life. I have my moments of panic, my moments of fear, and my moments of rigidity, but the beauty, the almost scary beauty of the dragon reminds me to remain fluid like water.

It's a beautiful thing, I am learning to see change as such too.

I was talking to a chinese friend of mine and her significant other is leaving China forever, and she is struggling. I simply encouraged her to enjoy their last days together, love is loss and life is sometimes pain, but when you can capture the moments of beauty in-between it doesn't hurt so much .

I rocked my class today, I was really proud of myself, I was able to just have fun with the kids.

A little boy named Lucas made my day brighter today. His parents have been worried that he is to shy to engage in the classroom, the entire lesson he was completely engaged with me, enjoying, laughing playing, all of those things. Then when I took him downstairs and was saying bye he ran over to me and practically knocked me over with a hug, jabbering how I was a good "laoshi". It made my day, yeah there were things I could have done better today and yesterday and the day before, but focusing on the moments like that one change your perspective. Just a thought.