Many Moons Ago

Many moons ago I was a classroom teacher. As a child I had always dreamed of being a teacher. Of guiding my students. Embracing teachable moments. Of sharing my love of learning with others. I spent roughly seven years working toward making that dream a reality. I spent four years working on it at the University of Hartford (where I was told I was among the Universities best and brightest. An honor that I still carry with me today) followed by three years of graduate study at Simmons College while I was working at The New England Center for Children. After I graduated from Simmons I landed a teaching job in the public schools, got married and upon returning home from our honeymoon began my new job. During that first year teaching my adviser from Simmons invited me to be part of an alumni panel for the following years graduating class. I gladly accepted her offer and headed back to NECC with my portfolio in hand. After the evening was over she asked if she could hold on to my portfolio to show other grad students. I said "sure" knowing full well that I would not be needing it any time soon.  

Fast forward almost eleven years. Chris recently came across my portfolio in her office and got in touch with me to see what I would like her to do with it. We spent an hour chatting on the phone and made plans that I would call her soon and set up a time to come by and pick it up. Before the girls and I headed out on our afternoon adventure today I gave Chris a call to see if perhaps we could swing by and pick it up. A time was chosen and the girls and I headed out. On the way, I chatted with Grace and Emma about my life before them and they asked lots of questions as we made our way to NECC. So many memories of the countless days I drove this route came flooding back to me. The sweet little voices in the backseat kept asking things like: "Did you help your students like you help us?"  "Were we in your belly when you were there?"  "Did kids have things in their backpacks?"  "Did you have lunch there?" 

Finally, we arrived and the girls ran up to Chris as if they had met her countless times before. She brought us into her office where jellybeans were offered (and gladly accepted) and pictures of mama teaching were shown to the girls. They especially loved the one of me dressed as the Cat in the Hat!

Chris flipped through my portfolio one last time and we chatted about all the lessons that I had done while I was her student. Finally, it was time for us to head out. A few last jelly beans were scooped up for the road, hugs were given and off we went.

It's amazing the twists and turns on the road of life. It's amazing how you can, at one point, have such a clear vision of where your life is headed only to later on realize that where you are now is not all all where you thought you'd be back then. A dozen years ago a colleague asked me if I would ever homeschool. I have no idea what she saw in me that made her ask me this but she did and I totally laughed at her. And look at me now. A proud mama of two of the sweetest souls walking this Earth living the exact life that I laughed at and loving every blessed minute of it. Looking at these pictures, reading the letters of recommendation, the cards, the notes, the lesson evaluations, made me feel like all this was a lifetime ago. And I guess - in many ways- it was.  

The funny thing is that I am getting to live my dream. Teachable moments are all around us. I get to share my wisdom with the girls and they share their wisdom with me. I get to watch as they master all sorts of things. As their confidence soars. As they come to realize that they can do anything they set their mind to. I get to be there as they ask "what if?"  or "what do you think?"  or "Mama, can we.....?" Did I need those two degrees to be able to live this life?  Nope.  But the experiences that I had have helped to make me into the mama I am today. And for that I am eternally grateful.