Thanks for Being a “Why” This Year

I wanted to share a special moment my son had with one of his teachers yesterday.  

He and a small group of other students were pulled out of class for a surprise recognition and treat for being standouts to one of their teachers this year. 

His teacher wrote them all individual letters and read them out loud about how and why they all stood out to him this year. 

My son’s letter was so heartfelt as his teacher detailed his best attributes and examples of him being the “epitome of a role model” but it was his teacher’s words at the end that really choked me up. 

He said, “Thanks for being a ‘why’ for me this year. You were definitely a major reason ‘why’ I loved my job this year, ‘why’ I wanted to come to work, ‘why’ I wanted to do my best for all of you this year! I wish you all the best as you continue your educational journey next year and, in the years to come. I know you will be the reason many teachers are inspired to come to work to be the best they can!” 

Wow! Just wow! Besides the incredible act of expressing his observations and gratitude for them in such a beautiful way, there was something so profound about being told your child is inspiring him in his career. 

My son was beaming last night because he has so much of his own gratitude and praise for this teacher. So, to be recognized by him in such an amazing way is something that he will never forget and I know it will continue to inspire him to always be the best he can be.  

While teaching has faced so many challenges in the last few years, you all still manage to create classrooms full of learning, creativity, enthusiasm, kindness, encouragement, and most of all, inspiration and my son has absorbed it all and thrived this year and every year academically and personally because of it. 

Thank you teachers for choosing this admirable profession and while you are all so good at telling our children their importance, please know your importance to them and me as well. 

Happy Mother's Day

One of my favorite memories of my greatest joys.

To my sons about motherhood:

 It's the ultimate joy and the aching pain,

The warm sunshine and the cold rain,

The lifting up and the crashing down,

The sweetest smile and the inevitable frown,

The loving more than you thought you could,

The doubting yourself more than you should;

It's the liking and not liking what you see,

the being the person you did and did not think you would be, 

the absolute yes and the very firm no,

the unexpected yet necessary ebb and flow;

It's the long days but short years,

the sometimes confident and the never-ending fears,

the becoming your own but changing so much,

the less time and more rush,

the constant reminders to give it all you got,

the I’m always here with you until I am suddenly not;

It's the saying less hellos and more goodbyes,

the occasional laughs and the late night cries,

the moving on to bigger and better things,

the watching the excitement when freedom rings;

It's the part of our lives that we hold dear,

the joy, the pain, the excitement, the fear,

the name we are given that we proudly display,

the words of endearment we embrace on Mother's Day;

It's the challenging journey we share until the end,

the I love you, I hate you, I am and I am not your friend. 

the I need you more now than I will then,

the but you can count on me to be there no matter when,

the sincerely knowing you will always be my greatest joys,

the because you are forever my precious baby boys. 

Happy Mother's Day!