Tonight is our ward's Relief Society Birthday Enrichment. My calling in this ward has me front and center for tonight's event and as such, I've been knee-deep in preparations for several weeks. The theme for tonight is "classic birthday party" and we're combining with the other ward in our building. It should be a lot of fun. As a way for sisters to mingle with those they might not otherwise meet, we are seating them according to the months of their birthdays (let's hope there isn't like, ONE April birthday in the bunch, at a table all by herself...sad. But anyway). I realized today that I'd forgotten to make cutesy month signs for each table and while I was ready to take on the task, I felt like there had to be something easier. And then I remembered my huge teaching bins in our closet! So, I started digging through them and lucky for me, found exactly what I was looking for in the first bin -- my month by month birthday cakes that I used to use for posting student birthdays! Jackpot. Twelve cutesy birthday-cake-style, months-of-the-year signs coming right up:)
Now we can begin reminiscing.
As I pulled the birthday cakes out of the box, I saw that I had never washed last year's student names and birthdays off of the laminate. As I read over those sweet, dear little names, floods of wonderful (and, maybe, some less-than-wonderful) memories filled my mind. I fell in love with those students all over again in a different way today - almost in a "mother's love" kind of way. It caught me a bit off-guard. All of a sudden I missed them so much and wanted to hug each of them and tell them how much I love them; how fabulously fun, special, miraculous, adorable, and brilliant each of them are; each in their very own way.
The kids I taught in my 3 years at Geneva changed my life, and most definitely for the better. They taught me life lessons I couldn't have learned anywhere else. They instilled in me life-long passions for teaching, learning and discovering. But most of all, they loved me for who I was, and they showed it daily (well, most of them did...).
But going back to those specific names on the birthday cakes today...there was something different and special about that last group of kids I taught. Maybe it was that they were my third group, so I was better at my job with them than with the others. Maybe it was that they were the kids I taught during my pregnancy - a very special time in my life. Maybe it was their reactions to the pregnancy - funny name suggestions, comments on my size, and crazy bets they made with parents and grandparents about Charlie's gender. Maybe it was the weekly "lunch picnics" I got to have in the classroom with groups of them, or the Christmas caroling outing, or the High School Musical dance party, or the multiple programs we practiced and put on for parents and friends.
Maybe it was that they were my last. My last group of kids before entering into early retirement. The kids that sent me on my way, into the unknown world and wonderment that is parenthood. The kids that helped me understand, a little more, what it would mean to be a mommy.
Whatever it is, those sweet names and faces will be with me always. I can never forget them.
And I love them for that.
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4 comments:
Oh, Em! I LOVE this post! Mostly, I remember my time at Geneva as being really dang hard, but when you remember the individual kids, it makes it so much more sweet. There were some really great little people there!
I think had those same birthday cake month signs. Sigh. Teaching. I'm sure I mentioned to you that going back to see my kids again at Christmas, more grown up and in their new classes, it gave me a little more closure than I'd had. But at the same time broke me heart all over when I saw their reactions of surprise and genuine excitement to see me. It brought it all back, all the time we'd spent together in that little classroom, sitting next to each other, talking, sharing, hugging. It was hard work but once it's over you don't remember the work, you just remember how special it is to be involved in the lives of children. Sigh. I sure miss them.
As a "retired teacher" myself I truly loved your reminiscing. Thanks for sharing. Take Care.
I miss teaching too. I guess I only had my kiddos for a year but some of them I still wonder about where they went and if they are with someone who will work with their special needs. I still see one of my students every week. Their family moved one building down in our apartment complex right after the school year ended. How cool is that? And the mom was my room mom so we have tons of fun together. I loved teaching. I still sub sometimes and love it so that has helped. It is amazing how much serving someone makes you love them so much.
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