Sandy Bastien of New Windsor manages her busy life as an instructor, business owner, author and mom by staying focused on what's important. Photo: Michael Bloom
Sandy
Bastien makes the disparate parts of her life work together by practicing an individualistic
sense of minimalism, which she's also working to pass on to the five kids in
her household: four of her own and one a guardian ward. She's also pregnant
with another baby that's due in a few months.
"I've
always loved helping others," said Bastien.
Many people
in the Newburgh area know Sandy through her work at the Newburgh Armory Unity
Center, where she's the instructor for the its popular Saturday morning kids'
enrichment program. She also recently wrote an illustrated kids' book, Is It
Saturday Yet?.
Taking the
next step
Bastien
likes to tell stories about her children, 14-year-old Fatima, 5-year-old Dylan,
3-year-old Vernon and 2-year-old Marvella, along with a relative's daughter,
Mayena, age 2, of whom she is her guardian.
"I used
to work with the New York City Department of Corrections on Riker's
Island," said Bastien, about what drives her, yet also keeps her balanced.
"I've always found a way to lend a hand helping others and when my
husband, Pierre, lost his job in 2018, he decided to go study ESL (English as a
Second Language) at the (Newburgh Armory) Unity Center, where I discovered
their enrichment program."
The rest is
history.
"Our
personal development has a lot to do with our success in life," said
Bastien. "One always needs to perfect a skill. I started volunteering at
the Armory, then filled in with reading, after which I was given a reading
class."
Inspired by
how excited her son, Dylan, would get about his Saturdays at the Armory,
Bastien put his experience in her new children's book, Is It Saturday Yet?,
which was published by Amazon in August and soon will be available through
local bookstores.
READ MORE: DIY bookmarks for kids
The book adds to her previous writing
credentials, including a memoir and several self-published, inspirational
works.
"I've
always loved writing," Bastien said. "This is my way of gifting the
Armory with a 'thank you,' to share all the different things the Armory
offers."
In addition
to her writing and Saturday morning program, Bastien also runs a home-based
business, Plumeria Bouquets, where she designs and sells floral arrangements.
Creating
balance
"I
always prioritize," she said. "I have a list that marks off days of
business, days doing the books, days for planning ahead. I don't try to do
everything every day. If I'm doing the Armory, I just do that for the day. I
try to do a minimum; I keep my kids important."
Bastien also
works off her smartphone, which allows her to work in bed or while she's with
her kids.
"I try
to simplify as much as possible," she said. "When I complicate
things, I don't do as much. This way, I do more and I'm encouraged to get
everything I do done."
READ MORE: Balancing a busy schedule
Before
Bastien and her husband moved to New Windsor, they lived in Harlem in New York
City. After their son, Dylan, was born, the couple decided to move out of the
city to, "find a place where we could feel excited to get home," said
Bastien. They also wanted more flexibility.
"You
lose focus," she said. "You use each moment to get to the next
moment, but then you change your mindset and realize that life is about living
in the moment."
Those
moments, Bastien said, now include the time she spends when picking up her kids
from the bus stop after school and being present and available for their needs.
"You
get to see your children's lives inside and out," she said.
Bastien also
recalled how her parents worked hard to get her into private schools but didn't
have time for family life. She said it's important to model a righteous life
for one's children.
"My kids, I've learned,
teach me how to think like a child," she said. "They show one how to
make more from less, which I then remind them about when we get pulled towards
things-toward wants. It's the memories we build that count most."
Paul Smart is a father who writes for a
variety of publications in the Hudson Valley.
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