“There are things that we never want to let go of, people we never want to leave behind. But keep in mind that letting go isn’t the end of the world, it’s the beginning of a new life."
Today was my last day of teaching. Next week is Exam Week, my last week with my kids. I packed up my classroom this week. The walls are bare, the cabinets are clean, and all paperwork has been cleared out. The shelves of art supplies which provided hours of creative fun have been boxed up and moved home. I spent hours during the year planning useful and fun bulletin boards which have been taken apart and packaged away for the next spanish teacher. Yesterday, I stood at the whiteboard at the front of my room, and for the last time, taught my classes using my favorite Expo markers. Today was my last field day (we won!). As I plan to move to Egypt in September, I have been acutely aware of all of the "lasts" over the past few months. As I stood in my rather bare classroom today, I felt a little like crying. I am going to miss teaching. I will miss planning new lessons and stimulating a love of learning in my kids. I will miss the art projects, Spirit week, homecoming, and cheering on the Conquerors. But mostly, I will miss my kids. I hate seeing my room so bare, but it is the knowledge that these are the last few days with my kids that is so hard. I love these kids. They encourage me, they challenge me, they teach me. I love their sweet spirits, their uniqueness, their individuality, their potential. I love them. I have poured the last three years of my life into teaching, into this job, into these kids. It hurts to leave them. And yet, even as I already miss them, I am excited about the next step. As I close this chapter, it is with confidence that I move to the next. The One who is directing my steps also directs the steps of my kids, and there is such comfort in knowing that He loves them far more than I ever could. It's hard to leave CBS and my kids, but I'm ready. On to Egypt.
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