Throughout life we have those moments that all we can say is "WOW". Whether it is seen to add or detract from our lives, we have these moments. Moments that change the course of our life unlike any event that has happened before. This year has held many of these moments for me. Not all of them have put a smile on my face. To back up slightly, at the start of my second year of teaching, I was surplussed. WOW moment number 1. This means there weren't enough kids to keep me at my school so I was transferred to a school that didn't have enough teachers. I had one day to tear down the classroom I had just spent a month setting up, and one day to set up my new classroom. Leaving my kindergarteners was heartbreaking. Parents and students cried. Though thankfully, my new school was very welcoming and accommodating. I went back to first grade so at least I was familiar with the curriculum. This should have been a sign that this year was going to change my life in more ways than one.
So, the adventure started of getting a class 4 weeks into the year, trying to wipe their minds of all previous management skills and teach them mine. Throughout the year I had 11 students move in and out. The highest turn-over rate of any class in my school. I feel like I should have received a prize. And no, they didn't move out because they were scared of me. All students who moved out gave me a big hug and said they didn't want to leave.
At the start of November I moved to a new apartment and found what I thought was a lovely young lady to take over my lease. Jump ahead to January and this same lovely girl ditched out on rent, trashed the room she was in leaving illegal narcotics in the apt., provided an opportunity for the apartment to get robbed, and left me paying double rent until March. WOW moment number 2. Though I want to see the best in people, I have now learned to be more cautious.
Fast forward to March. In addition to the typical challenges of teaching, my health was crap this year. I was sick so often it was hard to feel like myself at all. One morning I got to school with alarming chest pain and difficulty breathing. Paramedics and EMT's later I was allowed to leave the principals office and head to instacare. An X-ray later I was diagnosed with double lung pneumonia. WOW moment number 3. Off to the pharmacy I went to fill 2 prescriptions and rest at home. Back to work after only 4 days of meds was not the smartest idea. I was very weak, but hoped my students would be helpful. They were their resilient selves and didn't leave much time to recoup. After finishing taking my meds, I was feeling good. Starting to get my energy back and not coughing so much.
WOW moment number 4 happened when I was least expecting as often WOW moments do. I met a man who is spectacular. I could not even dream of a man more thoughtful, caring, attentive, and kind. Though life tried its best to make this WOW moment fleeting, our relationship is still going strong. You'll find evidence of life being jealous and trying to end it in just a second.
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