Yesterday was my last day of work at the elementary school. It's bittersweet and comes with sadness but I know great things are to come.
When I started working 4 years ago as a Proctor (noon aide) I never expected the impact these kids would have in my life, in my heart. They have become "my" kids. I became their protector and my motherly instinct went into overdrive daily. Working with these kids from kindergarden to 6th grade, I've seen kids that are loving, angry, abused and kind. These kids touched my heart in such a way I have no words.
So as I arrived at the school yesterday morning while the kids were at recess I was overwhelmed with the flood of kids asking "please not to leave". I received multiple homemade cards from them along with a few tears. I felt so loved and appreciated by them as well as some of my coworkers. I never knew it would have been so difficult to leave a job that seemed so miniscule.
Children are are future and if I made a difference in just one child my work has been done. We can all be an influence on children everywhere, whether it's at work, school, home, or at the market, children reflect what they see. Give a child love and respect and you'll receive it ten-fold.
I have been truely blessed and fortunate to have made such great relationships with all these kids and will cherish it for a lifetime. I know God has plans for me elsewhere and that is why this opportunity for a new job has opened up. It was time for me to move out of that comfort zone and follow the path that God has prepared. Whomever takes my place at the school is one lucky person, these kids are some of the greatest and kindest I've seen. Open your heart and let a child touch it, you will never be the same.
Love and some regret comes with the move, but great anticipation awaits me.
Did you watch Emmitt Smith's Football Hall of Fame speach last night? Here is a snipet of it. "Now let's talk about some specific steps I took that were critical to sustaining my vision. There's a difference between merely having a dream and fulfilling a vision. Most people only dream. I only not had my childhood dream, but I did everything in my power to fulfill it. In addition to the acknowledgments I am privileged to make today, this moment creates a unique opportunity, an opportunity to share critical life principles. The first and most important principle is to be of service. The hardest service is for everyone. The second principle is we all need a championship strategy to guide us to help make those dreams come true. The third principle is, claim your inner champion. When you claim your inner champion, you will learn to see, hear and feel differently than others. So what I most want to convey here is, never, never let others define you; you define yourself. For example, I wrote down my goals and how I was going to achieve them because Dwight Thomas used to tell us, It's only a dream until you write it down, and then it becomes a goal. Over the course of my career, all of those things came to pass, and I know that writing down my goals was an essential strategy. Another critical principle is consistency. Consistency shows value. Consistency is necessary for trust, durability and longevity. You have to show up every week no matter how difficult the game or life might be. I not only showed consistency, but I did everything in my power to be the best that I possibly could. Over time consistency will allow you to achieve your goals. Next is balance. As I stated earlier, balance was the key to our success. We had all the balance you could possibly have. I exhibit balance in my personal life when I put my family in its proper place, and that is number one. Standing before you today, I know this is real. I know it's not a dream. But it almost feels surreal." True words of inspiration, Priceless!!!!!!
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