Tag Archives: Retirement

Simple Love Notes

1 Reply

It took six days but I finally have my classroom cleaned out of 32 years of saving, creating, collecting, and reusing stuff!  It only took five or six wheelbarrow loads a short trip to the dumpster and a LONG walk down memory lane.  Deep in the corners of drawers, cupboards and shelves I found trinkets, artwork, and gifts I have received through the years.  Precious things that a teacher just cannot throw away.  Amongst these treasures were a variety of love notes from former students.  Some scribbled on scraps of paper.  Others drawn with crayons or markers and the paper filled with colorful drawings.  Reading those forgotten notes brought back vivid memories of children I taught who are now adults with children of their own as well as students I have had more recently.  Many letters had no name on them to identify the writer just the words “I love you” in a child’s print, but I saved them all just the same.

The offering of love is a precious gift. One that we should all freely give.   Children seem to understand this better than we adults.  Four little words,  You’re the best teacher”, scribbled on  the back of an old wrinkled spelling test years ago, filled me with such joy when I received it and again when I uncovered it last week.  Six words…..”I wish you were my mother”.  Three words….”I love you”.  It seems so simple….feel something and express it, but we know that giving love is risky.  We might be hurt or made fun of.  The feeling may not be returned.  We can think of many reasons for not opening our hearts to others.  It seems easier just to keep it to ourselves.

After experiencing the overwhelming warmth of love I felt as I read each note I found, I’m determined to be braver and more willing to show others how I feel about them.  Maybe it will be through a smile, a hug, a gift, or who knows, even through a love note.  It doesn’t have to be elaborate.  It doesn’t have to be planned.  It just simply has to be shared.

Before I started cleaning out my classroom, I promised myself (and my husband) that I wouldn’t bring too much home with me.  I must confess though, that I could not bring myself to throw away those precious acts of love I had been so freely given.  I tucked them away in a special box to be gone through again when my heart needs reminding about the wonderful power of a simple love note.

A Simple Love Note

A Simple Love Note

Celebrations

Leave a reply

Oh my!  So much has happened since my last post.  It has been a whirlwind and I haven’t quite stopped spinning yet.  In the past two weeks I have been the speaker at the 6th grade commencement,  finished the school year with my Second Graders, made it through my retirement ceremony, spent the weekend on a mountaintop with girlfriends, and traveled with my family to Indiana for my nephew’s High School Graduation Open House.  Whew!

As you can see, my last two weeks have been a series of celebrations!  It’s funny, each event celebrated an ending but at the same time they also celebrate new beginnings.  The Sixth Graders are leaving Elementary School behind but will be making new friends in Middle School.  My Second Graders will no longer sit in their small desks in my classroom but will instead move down the hall into larger desks and will learn so many new and exciting things. I am no longer a teacher at NFES.  There are so many parts of that I do not want to end, however there is a small tickle of anticipation beginning to grow in my soul at the thought of taking a new path.  My friends and I escaped to a mountain retreat to celebrate not one but THREE retirees!  We each have taught for many years and to see it end is scary and yet each of us have new hopes, dreams, and goals we desire to fulfill as we begin this new life stage.  And finally, my nephew has accomplished so much and has made us very proud during his High School years but now he will move on and begin his path to finding the perfect career.

These past two weeks have been filled with laughter, hugs, reminiscing, and yes, tears. Through it all I am reminded that though life presents many endings it also gifts us with new beginnings that take us into unchartered territory. Thankfully it does not send us there unprepared.  We take with us all the lessons we have learned along the way, the support of those who mean the most to us, and the confidence that our steps are guided to lead us right where we are meant to be. Yes, endings can be sad and scary but discovering the possibilities that our new beginnings offer us are definitiely a reason for celebration!

Count Down To Retirement~Day 5

1 Reply

Well let’s see, since I last posted,  I’ve ridden a school bus for my final class field trip, cheered through my last Field Day, and today, graded the last set of papers of my career.  I have to be honest.  I won’t miss field trips, field days, or grading papers too much and yet it makes me melancholy just the same. As I reflect on that, I guess even though they weren’t my favorite things about being a teacher, they are still part of the job. As with anything, you take the good with the bad and if you’re lucky the good outweighs the bad.  I’ve been very lucky.

For the last 32 years I have been honored to work with the most wonderful teachers and staff.  Our school has been a place of support, cooperation, and encouragement for our students and each other.  My fellow teachers have been my sounding board, shoulder to cry on, and at times the voice of reason that I needed.  I truly couldn’t have made it this far without them.  I’ve tried to figure out a way to let them know what they mean to me but have decided it’s impossible.  How do I put into words all the feelings that fill my heart?  First of all, I am an emotional wreck in the best of times. This week will probably be a super storm of feelings for me anyway, so actually saying the words (if I had them) will be virtually impossible.  I only hope that a smile through my tears, hugs that are tighter than usual, and whispered thank yous will convey to them more than just those simple gestures.  I hope it will let them know that they are blessings in my life and have given me the best gift anyone can receive.  They have turned a school into so much more…..a place to turn to when I am troubled, a place to share my joys, a place of protection, a place of inspiration, a place to laugh, and a place to grow.  The good has abundantly outweighed the bad. I may have been a teacher for 32 years but I have learned more from my school family than they’ll ever know.  And for that, I am eternally grateful.  Yes, I have been VERY lucky!

Adventure Awaits

1 Reply

A new adventure awaits me.  There’s nothing God can’t do… But when I take a leap of faith, God will see me through.

It is an absolutely beautiful Sunday here in West Virginia!  Time sure has flown by since my last post.  It’s an extremely busy time of year at school as we try to wind everything up and fit everything in.  The last day for students is only seven days away and so that means that the end of my teaching career is officially over in nine days.  I have been struggling with this idea of retirement, of late.  Feelings of sadness and insecurity have been seeping into my soul. Sadness because I really do love teaching children and for 32 years being a teacher has been my identity.  Insecurity because I DO NOT LIKE CHANGE!!!!  I know how silly all this sounds but I figured you should know how wacky I really am!  I continue to remind myself that I am blessed beyond measure to be at a place where I can retire and that it IS time for me to move on. During my quiet time this morning it became clear to me that this is an opportunity to trust and have faith.  Trust that I am on the right path and faith that God has a new plan for my life.

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I wish there was a magic wand that I could wave and suddenly I’d have all the faith and confidence I will ever need.  Unfortunately, that’s not how it works.  I am learning that it is a process….the proverbial two steps forward, one step back.  It drives me crazy!  As a person who is a perfectionist- people pleaser, this process isn’t easy. I want to get it right and and get it right now!  Thank goodness God and the people in my life are patient and don’t give up on me!

imageWalt Disney said, “Without change, there would be no butterflies”.  I am trying to take this to heart and embrace what the future holds for me.  Will I move through it perfectly?  No.  Will my faith never waiver?  No.  But, I am going to step onto this new path trusting that I won’t be traveling alone and that an exciting adventure awaits!  I hope you will come along with me as I begin this new journey, but I warn you, it may take some patience!

Arrived and Excited

2 Replies

imageThe Poetry Box has arrived!  It came to school on Wednesday and I when I opened it, I was greeted by these smiling authors’ faces.  As you can see I posted them as one more clue for the students leading up to the unveiling.  I have been watching from afar and have noticed a few children discussing that the pictures match some of the books on the table, exactly as I had hoped!  The curiosity is growing and so is my excitement!

Arriving at a destination usually does bring excitment!  A family gathering, the beach, a cabin getaway….the closer I get to each of these the more my anticipation grows!  I find myself in a funny place now, however, in my life’s journey……the end of my teaching career.  While there are moments of excitement there is also a mix of jumbled emotions I am not quite sure what to do with.  Sadness, fear, and insecurity mixed with joy, relief, and satisfaction.  Now that I think about it, I guess I have been here before :  moving from Michigan to West Virginia to teach, getting married, and having a family to name a few, and now the new path of retirement.  We are all on the road going different directions.  Some trips more pleasant than others. While we may feel that we have made a wrong turn, found ourselves at a dead-end, or are in the middle of unchartered waters we are not alone.  It continuously amazes me how God brings me just what I need when I need it!  This weekend I have been questioning myself about making the right decision to retire or not; and today this was my scripture reading:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart;

do not depend on your own understanding.

  Seek His will and he will direct your paths.”

Proverbs 3:5-6

My destination may be unknown to me, but my GPS (God’s Positioning System) will guide my steps.  I HAVE arrived but my new path awaits…… Now THAT is exciting!

Preparing for Travel

4 Replies

It is with unsure footsteps that I begin this journey of becoming a blogger.  I have an open ended ticket with the destination unknown, but excitement for this trip is urging me on.

I have been a teacher for 32 years. Twenty-six of those years I spent as a Special Educator.  I then moved on to Fourth Grade and that lead to my placement now as a Second Grade Teacher.  I have discovered that Second Grade is where I’ve always belonged!  The children accept me as I am (wacky), still love learning, and laugh at my jokes.  I receive precious love letters, gifts of feathers, rocks, and shells, and one-of-a-kind pieces of art regularly.  It doesn’t get much better than that!  It has been a privilege and blessing (most days) to spend time with my students. I have come to a place though, where I am ready for a change.  With much prayer and thought, I have decided that this will be my final year as a classroom teacher and I will retire in June.  The thought of retirement stirs feelings of fear, excitement, sadness, and relief.  There is a churning in my soul, however,  that prompts me to move on to this next leg of my journey.  It is my hope that I can share with you stories from my classroom and the lessons I learn on my jaunt through life.  Pack your bags and hold on!  Adventure awaits!