Good for you , Erin. It is so hard after putting so much effort into something to say, nope it is n't going to work. but your post is so well thought out that it makes sense.

and although you are saying no to teaching - and I don't think you should go back to a class room full of kids , there might be some other kinds of programs that might use your teaching and organizational skills and let you be in a place where you don't have to be 100% on all the time. ( adult literacy ) But it may be way to soon to even think that way.

Whenever people find out that I work at the library- they ask me why I don't teach. Seriously? one on one interactions are good. Occasional presentations/demonstrations - no big deal. 30 to 45 min story times. Ok . But all day everyday in front of classroom trying to keep 30 kids attention. Then grading for hours? No way.

{{{Erin}}} best of luck in whatever you decide to do next.

Can someone tell me why I just accepted a 6:30-7pm conference call for today?

Oh Erin, good for you for figuring out what does and does not work for you. I hope your next steps get lighter and lighter as you head down the path to balance.

I'm grateful to say that my horrific hay fever phase seems to be over. I am still a bit snuffly every now and again, and my throat sometimes feels skritchy, but overall gratefully better.

It takes courage to make these kinds of decisions, and I wish you nothing but the best.

What Maria said. You are making a difficult but important decision and you're doing it for the good of all involved. You are amazing.

Porn made Cass a teabagger. Pass it on.

You take that back!!!!

I've heard that allergies all over are worse this year.

Even highly medicated, it really feels like it.

We have thunder hail. I didn't know this existed but there you go.

Erin, nothing is better than knowing your boundaries and respecting them. I think you're taking good care of yourself, and that is awesome.

Unrelatedly, my allergies haven't bothered me thus far, which I am attributing entirely to my daily Allegra habit. (Of course, now that I've said that, I realized I just invoked the wrath of 100 tons of pollen. I await the sneezes to come.)

{{{Erin}}} You have to do what you have to do. It takes courage to make these kinds of decisions, and I wish you nothing but the best.

Maria said it beautifully, so I will just echo her. I wish you the best.

I am attributing entirely to my daily Allegra habit

I need to turn the Zyrtec into a daily habit. In years past, I was able to get by treating the symptoms, but this year it's turned chronic.

I was impenetrable for the first 28 years of my life. The last 10 have seen a huge change. Bodies r weird.

God, y'all are making me sniffly in a good way. This is in no way easy, but it feels right; hard but right.

(ZOMG, I'm divorcing teaching! I might have a fling with it in the future, and I'll always think it's sexy, but we are splitting up. We just have to live in the same house until June.)

And I agree -- the trees and bushes and flowers are absolutely gorgeous, but my allergies are going like MAD.

{{{Erin}}} You have to do what you have to do. It takes courage to make these kinds of decisions, and I wish you nothing but the best.

I, too, want to echo Maria. Erin, this is such a tough decision, but it sounds like the absolutely right one for you. There's no doubt that teaching can amp up anxiety and depression (if it weren't for Pristiq, my personal miracle drug, I would have made the same move years ago), and I have nothing but respect for you making the decision you need to make for your personal health and your students' needs.

ETA: My allergies have been out of control these past couple of weeks, too, ftr.