For the Love of the Work

2/13/12  For the Love of the Work

St. Valentine’s Day... We think about love this time of year. In English, we really have one word with multiple meanings. Love for significant other/s, friends and family easily (Greek-Agape).  But.. Don’t forget school, geographic location. Or, job and work (Greek-Philos)?  Is there a difference between “I love my job”, or “I love my work”? The semantics of language are as important as the time of year in directing when and how we think about things.  Certainly our job is the vehicle by which we accomplish our work.  We know our jobs because we have job descriptions. But our work is what we DO at our jobs and may be less easily defined though just as important to consider and define if we are to accomplish it. My work is the sum of the activities that I do to facilitate student success. Personally, I love (philos) the work that I do. This makes my job worth some of the hassles and pitfalls that go with a typical job. Also, though, I LOVE my co-workers (agape and philos). I don’t want to ever lose sight of the importance of doing the work with great and growing skill and in a loving way.  Consider this quote…”When love and skill work together, expect a masterpiece.”- John Ruskin. Happy Valentine’s Day!