I can honestly say that things are still not truly feeling real.
I sit in a half empty house starring at items that still need to be put into boxes. Yet I don’t feel the pressure to pack them.
Yesterday I went and signed some of the closing documents (the rest I will be signing from Montana). Yet, I didn’t have ‘the jitters’ I thought I would feel.
But tomorrow is my last day with my students. For some, this might not seem like a big deal. Some might even see it as a relief to not have to wake up at 5:20 every morning just to hang out in a room with 23 eight-year-olds. But, for me, it’s like leaving 23 of my children. I have watched many of these kids grow by leaps and bounds in their own way this year and my prayer is that they continue to keep that momentum going without me guiding the way.
It’s one thing to leave at the end of the year when the kids are so pumped about summer that they give you hugs and a series of “I’ll miss you’s” but then they run out the door with visions of late-night bedtimes, days at the pool, trips to the beach and no homework. I’m probably out of their mind by the time they leave school.
But tomorrow is just a “normal” Friday. They’ll be back to school on Monday but their school world will be different. I take solace in knowing that they have had the chance to get to know their new teacher who has been with them for a week. And, a sweet parent is donating our second grade milkshakes tomorrow. And in good elementary-school fashion they’ll be green (because don’t we all pretend to be Irish on St. Patrick’s Day?!) so they’ll have some fun distractions.
And I’ll have my other good-byes as I leave a job that I have had for eight years. Walking out those doors for the final time will be hard. I have watched this school grow from a staff of around 10 to close to 40. I have put a lot of time and energy to helping make my school great and it’s hard imagine not being there as it continues to grow.
But I am so excited to see what teaching is like in Montana once I begin again. And I know there will be amazing students whom I will be able to love and teach there as well. But I am also so excited about my time away from the classroom as I will get to love and teach Liam each and every day!
Now, my sweet boy will be having his own good-byes tomorrow as well…although he doesn’t realize it. He will be going to his last day with his babysitter, Ms. Kim, and his “Will and Ma-Ma” (her children). Kim is a God-send that I prayed for before Liam was ever born. Every mom knows the stresses of finding the best childcare and for us that came in the form of Ms. Kim. Ms. Kim is not a ‘good-bye’ though. She is most definitely a ‘see you later’. We will be having a play-date with them when we are back in June (only 3 months away!).
I have to say, as ‘good-byes’ and ‘see you laters’ have been going on for the past few weeks I have truly realized the blessing of friendships I can sometimes take for granted. And I am so thankful that I live in the day of technology where I can call/text/email/FaceTime. As my mom reminds me “You’re not going out on the Oregon Trail!”. To be quite honest, I’ve talked to some friends more in the past few weeks than I have in the past year. In fact, years ago one of my best friends growing up and I lost touch (as many friendships unfortunately do). But with this move we have reconnected and it’s as if we never lost touch.
I’ve had my calendar out a lot lately with friends and family planning trips out to see us this fall. It seems that only one couple wants to see us in the winter. HA! I wonder why! 🙂 But I am thankful for those who are willing to make the trip to come and see us in our new home and to be quite honest, knowing friends and family are willing to already start planning a trip helps the 2,000 miles feel not so far away.
So, though the next few days will be filled with some bittersweet goodbyes and see-you-laters, I am so excited to be only 7 days away from my new home!
And I know Liam is ready. When I came home tonight, Erika (my sister-in-law) informed me that Liam had a new knock-knock joke (how the knows about knock-knock jokes I don’t know). But it goes:
Liam: Knock-knock.
Me: Who’s there?
Liam: Daddy!!
So I’d say he’s ready to see his Daddy….and his Tippet.