Blessed

I have been given an amazing opportunity to get to know so many boys and girls at different ages and stages of their life.  I tease my husband sometimes that I don't want to go into WalMart because I will run into a former student.  I enjoy it, though.  Catching up with someone who the last time I saw them was 10 years old and giggling as they strapped on their backpack on the way out the door. 

Having taught both high school and middle school, I have had the privilege to get to know near 1,000 of this counties super stars.  Currently I work with several former students who have become teachers themselves. I love running into them as grown ups, pushing grocery carts full of their own kids .  I love it even more when their kids are behaving better than my own.  I laugh and say, "Maybe you could teach me a thing or two."

We lost a former super star this week. I cannot begin to understand how parents find the strength to cope with such a tragedy. My heart is sad and heavy. Over the past 13 years this has happened a few other times. But this- this is a tough one.  I've been lectured about and even given the lecture about drinking and driving.  About not getting in the car with someone who has been drinking.  About calling for a no questions asked ride. About how I've been there, done that and as a grown-up I wish I had done better. Choices have consequences and some aren't fair.