It’s hard to believe next week is the last week of school. My baby has nearly finished kindergarten. My firstborn is practically an elementary school upperclassman. Where has the time gone?
Before I begin feeling too melancholy, I want to focus on the positive. What I’m most grateful for this year is not “things”. No, what I am thankful for are the people who have made this such a great year for my family. I’m grateful for my childrens’ teachers.
I’m grateful for Ms. Sifferman, Crisana’s teacher. This class has had its challenges, but she has faced each day with cheer and enthusiasm. Crisana has loved going to school, and has loved the friends in her class. She has grown by leaps and bounds in her reading and writing skills, and has grown into a confident, eager student. I am grateful for Ms. Sifferman’s patience and dedication to each student in her care and for the way she has celebrated them and their accomplishments throughout the year.
I’m grateful for Mrs. Snyder, Trey’s teacher. I am especially grateful for her faith, for her Christian walk and the way she lives it out in front of the students. I am grateful for her prayers for our family throughout Matt’s treatment, and her compassionate and sensitive heart. I’m grateful for the way she has nurtured Trey and helped him to achieve more than he ever dreamed possible. I’m grateful for her enthusiasm toward her class and her job, and the dedication she displays day in and day out. I’m grateful to not only be her assistant room mom, but also her friend.
I’m also grateful for the staff at McGowen. The sense of family within the school walls is so real it’s almost tangible. The teachers, staff, and support personnel truly care about one another as well as the children and the families they represent. It’s a special place, where children are truly valued and respected. I’m so grateful for the office staff, who were lifelines for us in our times of greatest stress. I’m grateful for their support and care for our children, as well as their genuine concern and friendship toward me and Matt.
Above and beyond, I’m grateful for Jesse McGowen. I’m grateful for his legacy as a man of faith, a man of principles, and a man of learning. I’m grateful for his presence in the school and in our childrens’ lives. I’m grateful for his encouragement of the students and the staff, and the way he makes it a priority to be involved in the goings on at the school that bears his name. I’m grateful for the privilege of having my children at “his” school.
And while my heart breaks just a little for the days gone by, I know that there are better days that lie ahead. That there is even greater joy in watching my children grow and develop in the year to come. That there are more moments of celebration in the accomplishments yet to be. For all that has been, I am deeply grateful.