The summer after I graduated from Meredith College, I went to Camp Mundo Vista as the assistant director. After an insanely wonderful summer, I had to leave camp, two weeks early, to start work at my first school. I remember how nervous I was that first day and how much I missed camp. I remember seeing a kindergarten teacher dressed in pink pants and seeing the art teacher for the first time. She was from Philly and wore a blue dress. I had no idea that she’d become one of my dearest friends and that the pink pants wearing kindergarten teacher would become one of the teachers that I admire most in this world—and one whose first child I helped pray into this world.
Her class was my favorite class that year. I loved when her students and assistant arrived for music. We had such a great time together. It’s hard to believe that those same kids have now graduated from high school! My all-time favorite student was in that kindergarten class. One day, when I wore a new necklace, he came up to me and asked, “Who gave that to you? Your huzzzzzzband?” I remember that moment with such clarity. I also remember a moment with her class during which we were playing rhythm sticks. More clearly than at any other time in my life, I heard God whisper to me, “This is where I’ve called you for now. But this isn’t forever. There is more for you to do.”
And then there’s that blue dress wearing art teacher. That first year we taught together, Barb and I were on opposite ends of the school. I had a room on the kindergarten hall and she had a hut with the 3rd graders. On occasion, I ventured down to her hut and we sat together and talked. Her accent was thick and hard to understand. One day she said she needed to order crowns. I had no idea why she needed to order crowns. I was imagining classrooms full of students wearing Burger King crowns when I finally realized that she was actually saying crayons :-).
Through our eight years together, B and I became really good friends. We worked at four schools together, teaching hundreds of students, preparing for countless programs, and tie-dying thousands—literally thousands—of t-shirts. She cooked foods that were new and exotic to me and drastically expanded my food pallet and ability to eat spicy things. She also introduced me to the Asian Market, at which I almost threw up because of the strong smell of fish!
One Christmas, I ventured into the Asian Market to buy B a gift certificate. I braced myself for the smell and went in saying, “For the love of B. For the love of B. I’m only doing this for the love of B.” :-) I was at the hospital when her daughter was born. I went to her grandmother’s funeral. I’ve visited her family members in the hospital. I cleaned her parent’s house for a few months. I helped her build a dog-turned-goat pen. B’s art work decorates my house and the orange fish she has given me make up the largest portion of my orange fish collection. B is one of my dearest friends. And I am so grateful that our lives collided.
I can’t tell you exactly why my pink pants wearing and blue dress wearing friends popped into my mind today, but I can tell you this: that first year of teaching—that transition from college to camp to the real world—wasn’t easy. But I made it. And I came out with some dear friends and life-long memories. Today, as I transition back to the office after being out for two weeks, I am reminded that transitions are rarely easy. Yet I know that I will make it. And I know that I will find blessings along the way. And I know that you will, too.
No comments:
Post a Comment