Let's Thank The Teachers

I write often about this journey of motherhood and how important I think it is to embrace who we were before becoming moms and to take the time for ourselves. On that same note I also think it's important to remember those individuals from our past who shaped our lives and helped make us who we are today.

Somewhere along the way this journey of motherhood inspired the journey of gratitude. Being thankful for all the people and things in my current life but also all the people that once touched my life in such positive ways.

I would imagine most of us can remember a teacher from our youth that truly made a difference wether it was a small subtle triumph or something that changed the course of your life. I was lucky enough to have many amazing teachers throughout my life. It wasn't until after I graduated from college and started teaching myself did I realize how fortunate I was to have these incredible women as teachers in my elementary years. Specifically there were three that stood out to me and all for different reasons.

At that time I felt a strong desire to reach out to them and let them know how I remembered them and most importantly I needed to thank them. Lucky for me they were still all teaching at the very same elementary school.

I sat down and wrote them each a letter.

I told my 1st grade teacher how I remembered she used to play guitar for us every Friday and that very ritual inspired my love for guitar. I asked and received a guitar for Christmas that year in first grade but it wasn't until my early 20's that I finally learned to play guitar. All the while I never forgot how I was first introduced to my favorite instrument.

I told my 4th grade teacher how she was a huge influence in my decision to become a teacher. I told her how much I loved going to school everyday because of her teaching style, her sense of humor, and passion for her students.

I told my 3rd grade teacher how she inspired my love for writing. It was in 3rd grade that for the first time I was encouraged to write short stories and I absolutely fell in love. I told her how I remembered she used to keep some of her favorite ones in a binder call the SSS Book- which stood for Super Short Stories. I remember how proud I felt when some of mine were chosen for the SSS book.

Two of the three teachers wrote me back and it was the greatest feeling to know how much they appreciated their letters. Solidifying the old adage "When you give you get back!"

Little did I know just how much I would get back.

Included with the letter written back to me from my 3rd grade teacher were three of the short stories I had written when I was in 3rd grade! I couldn't believe my eyes as I read the stories I wrote as a child that I hadn't seen in nearly 20 years!! She had saved them all these years in the SSS book. It was like finding the letter you wrote Santa Claus when you were 8 years old. It was truly one of the coolest things that had happened to me. Had I not written her the letter I probably never would have seen them.

The stories are affectionately tucked away in a memory box and I can't wait to share them as well as share this very story with my children someday. It's definitely a favorite of mine in the chronicles of my little life and all because I thanked a teacher.

Is there a favorite teacher you've had that touched your life? Have you reached out to them to let them know?

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What We Don't Say....

Yesterday I was blown away inspired by this post Just Be Kind and Brave from Glennon of momastery.com.

It was one of those moments where I felt overwhelmed with the beautiful wisdom I had just absorbed. I  shared it on Facebook. I pinned it on Pinterest. I wanted to shout out Yes! Yes! Yes! And tell everyone I know to read it and save it and print it and read it to your kids, and share it, and read it again and again and again!

I think the reason it resonated with me so much was because I too had "An Adam" in my childhood. I'm pretty sure most of us can remember a child that was not liked, picked on, sad, didn't have the greatest personal hygiene.  Her name was Diana and all through grade school I can remember how she was the outcast and teased relentlessly. Just as in Glennon's post I too didn't participate in the teasing but I never did anything to stop it.

I remember a very specific moment when the teacher asked us to get in line. Diana went to line up and one by one kids were moving to the back of the line to avoid standing next to her. I remember the look on her face, I remember it like it was yesterday. She was just standing there looking at each child as they were all avoiding standing next to her. She didn't look mad just defeated and heartbroken. She didn't cry. Sadly, this type of behavior went on all the time.  We were in 6th grade and she couldn't have been older than 11 years old.

When I look back on this as an adult and try to wrap my brain around the cruelty this little girl suffered I am filled with regret. This was a little girl who had the right to feel safe and secure everyday at school just like I did. She should have been supported and encouraged and above all treated with kindness. I never remember anyone standing up for her including myself. I do remember being nice to her one on one but when it came to actually telling the "mean" kids to stop humiliating her that's where I stopped short.

Many people have a Diana in their past. We all can relate. I want my children to know this story and how over 25 years later I can still remember little Diana and how I never defended her, how no one was there for her and how we collectively failed her.  If we want bullying to end, if we want compassion to prevail these are the types of conversations we need to be having with our children.

We need to be sharing our stories so as to not repeat our mistakes and to pass on the lessons learned. In my experience the lesson is this...

It's something I not only what to teach my children but words I want to live by as well. It takes a lot of courage to speak out against bullying, to go against the crowd. Stepping in and saying something would have mattered for Diana. Hopefully by remembering all the "Diana's" out there we can have the strength to speak up against the injustices that exist and perhaps in the process we may just change the course of someone's life!

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