Saturday, October 11, 2014

The end of an era.

Out with the old, in with the new.

Yesterday was my last day teaching. It feels so strange to even type that. I have always known this day would eventually come, but it always felt like it was forever away. Even Thursday night, before my last day, didn't feel real. How in the world can I just stop and quit?

Well, I did and it happened. It was extremely bittersweet. I said goodbye to all my kids and amazing coworkers. I turned in my badge. My work laptop has been wiped and returned. My work email account has been deactivated. It feels so final. I'm just DONE and I can't believe it.

While it was a hard goodbye, I am actually really glad I felt/feel so sad. Ending wasn't as exciting as I thought. (Not that I'm not excited- I am thrilled for our next steps with having a baby and moving, but change is hard!) I'm glad I feel sad because that means I left something that was so good.

Teaching at my school was so great. God so perfectly orchestrated me to be there. We used to live in Minneapolis, and after I graduated from Bethel, I couldn't find a job. At all. Not even a summer nanny job. In hindsight of seeing God's plan unfold, He didn't grant me a job there because He knew we were supposed to be in Des Moines. Before we moved to Des Moines from Minneapolis, there weren't any openings at my school. I had checked around with other schools and had a few interviews. I didn't get one, but did get the other. I was going to teach 3rd grade at a different school in the area, and even started setting up my classroom and met all my new coworkers. Then, I didn't get my teaching license as quickly as hoped (passing one of the tests to get my MN teaching license first was very difficult), and ended up having to leave that school right before the beginning of the year started. That was an extremely rough few weeks for me, but within one week (just one week!), after that I had my job at my school and ended up staying there for three years and two months.

His story in getting me there is amazing, and His faithfulness in allowing me to grow and teach there for three years is also amazing. What a great Provider we have. God truly provided for Kley and I while I taught there, allowing me to make enough money for us to pay for what we needed to while Kley was in school. He also surrounded me with amazing Christian women to partner alongside with. I had the absolute best two coteachers I could have ever dreamt of. I had, for the most part, amazing families in my class and wonderful kids.

I really and truly loved my job. I enjoyed it almost everyday. I am so thankful for that. I grew up there in many ways. This was my first teaching job, and my first ever real job. I learned so many things there professionally, spiritually, and personally.

I was extremely blessed to work in a wonderful and positive environment. That was perfectly displayed to me yesterday in leaving being showered with flowers, treats, cards, and kind words. I cried multiple times yesterday in saying goodbye, and I'm glad I did. I'm glad it was hard to say goodbye, because my time there was amazing, impacting, and will be memorable forever.

Now, I am blessed to be on maternity leave and awaiting the arrival of our sweet baby. (I'm so thankful that they granted me my maternity leave pay without having to go back. I will be paid the rest of my vacation/sick time until we move to OC near Christmas, which is so nice!) This week will be a test of patience for sure- it's only Saturday morning and I'm already sitting here just wishing I was holding our baby right now! I know it will come in time, and I am grateful to have this time to wait. Kley always said I am horrible at relaxing, which is true, but hopefully I can actually relax while we wait. I'm sure that won't happen much once the baby arrives!

Today I feel very blessed. Blessed to have had such an amazing job, and blessed to await the arrival of our new baby (which will hopefully come very soon!).

Happy Saturday!

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