More, much more

Isn't it interesting how some of the most influential people in our lifetimes, may come in the most interesting packages.

A former student of mine has taught me more than most of the other people who have come through my life. Not only was this little jem the reason which I was brought to dreadful tears on my 21st birthday, but she is also the reason why I am now awake at this early hour and crying tears of joy. That's right folks. Jen is crying. Never in my two years of teaching have I actually cried with joy due to the actions of one of my students. I am not typically a person of whom actually cries with joy, but after the story I am about to unfold here, I am sure you will all understand why.

Earlier tonight I attended a meeting for Holly Day Preschool. This meeting began at the new site that will be the home of our new school. After this meeting, instead of going to a local coffee shop as initially intended, we decided to continue the meeting at the near by home of one of our founding parents. The eldest daughter of this household was a child that was in my preschool class for the 2007-2008 school year and is now entering kindergarten. She was so thrilled to see my self and her other former teacher that she couldn't fall asleep and ended up staying up for the entire meeting. After the completion of the meeting she asked her mother if she could give me the present that she had gotten for me. Her mother said that she could and this little girl retrieved a simple white envelope. She than told me the story behind my gift. And it was as follows. Shortly after this summer began her mother decided that her daughter was old enough to begin performing simple household chores. For every successful chore that was completed on her own, the little girl would receive a quarter. For every four quarters that she earned, she could trade the quarters in for a "buck" and than had the option of either going to the dollar store and buying a little goodie or saving it. The little girl informed me that with one of the "bucks" that she earned she purchased my gift from the dollar store. This little girl was always enthralled with all of the various necklaces that I wore throughout the school year. Here is the truly genuine part-she bought me a beautiful necklace from the store with the very first dollar she ever earned.

My little bunny rabbit (that was her symbol in class, of which I assigned her) is a fantastic little person. She will grow up to change the world, make it a better place. I know this, because she has already made me a much better person, a much better teacher, than I ever could have been on my own.

Thank you little rabbit. The world is not done-it needs more, much more, of what you have to offer.