Simplicity

Simplicity...It is a goal of writers. Ernest Hemingway said, "My aim is to put down on paper what I see and what I feel in the best and simplest way." It is not my nature to write simply, but I want to learn. There is beauty in simplicity--not only in words, but in art, design, mathematics...life. So Hemingway's goal is my goal for this blog: to put down what I see and what I feel in the best and simplest way. That is the scariest sentence I have ever written. To claim Hemingway's goal as my own sounds presumptuous. I am a long way from where I need to be, but I have to start if I want to move in that direction. 

Let's begin with a simple introduction: My name is Cathy Hill (hence, the blog title My Hills and Valleys) and I am a life-long educator. I wanted to teach math from the time I was five, and I spent the majority of my life preparing for or doing that. I am married to a wonderful, supportive husband, and I have two adult children who are getting started on their own. We are not perfect--and I don't want to paint the picture that we are--but we are always trying to learn from our mistakes. 

We have intentionally evaluated and simplified our lives periodically throughout our marriage. As a result, we have focused on three primary things: family, education/work, and faith. Family is important to most people, and we are no different. However, we have moved multiple times in our married life, so maintaining a system of support and encouragement within our family has been important. Education and work are listed together because, although we are not all certified teachers, each family member works in schools. My husband, my son, my daughter, and I are invested in equipping others to achieve through impacting various aspects of the K-12 experience. Finally, our faith as Christians guides us daily. Again, we are not perfect, but we do hope that the fruit of the Spirit--love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control--is exhibited consistently in our lives.

Simplicity...According to Leonardo da Vinci, "[it] is the ultimate sophistication." I am not confident that anything in this blog will qualify as "sophisticated" in the sense that immediately comes to mind, but my hope is that it will go through the "process of becoming more complex, developed, or subtle"--which is the definition of sophistication according to Merriam-Webster. I like that thought: "Simplicity is the ultimate complexity." Please, join me on this journey and share your experiences.