Due to the blizzard of 2011 I have been finishing cleaning jobs that became the piles of "get to it later". To my shock later finally came. So after we moved to Bville for my teaching position in Nowata our house sat empty. We had a mail slot so for the first couple of years we still got mail delivered. Upon moving back I was digging thru the pile of mail that was heaping over the mail basket. There were ancient sale ads and tons of junk mail. Nestled in the mess was a long lost Christmas card. It was from one of the parents of a 1st grade student from my first year of teaching. The post mark was from 2004. It was so sweet she had said she had remembered how I had wanted to keep up with my students. It included a few pics and the sweetest note. I planned on writing back and put the card and all it's contents in a safe place. Things were busy with the last years of raising children and the birth of grand kids. I think I may have sent a Christmas card one year back to her but I'm not really sure. Every time I cleaned I shuffled that card and it's contents and wanted to take the time to write back. I had really wanted to thank her for everything she did that first year.
Yesterday upon finding the card again I decided that I could take the time. Thinking I might have sent a Christmas card and never heard back and it being so many years since I has gotten the card I thought the address might be wrong. So being the Face book guru I decided to look them up. I had tried to do this several times before but had misspelled the last name. So card in hand I set out on my quest. Knowing how many young people have a face book I decided to try her son first. Right away I found his page and sent a friend request explaining that I was his 1st grade teacher. I saw his moms name on there and some numbers. Quickly I set off on my quest to find Mary Lou and thank her for everything she had done for me that 1st year. I typed in her name carefully (because I don't type) and got no results. At first it didn't bother me. It is common for adults not to have a face book. But I noticed at the bottom of the page some google results and it had her name in the obituaries. Looked at the age and it was about right and town was right. NO! It couldn't be I hadn't told her thank you properly. It must be a mistake. Her son now 20 had quickly accepted my friend request so I gently sent him a message telling him how I wanted to thank his mom and asking if he remembered the highlights of that year. He responded that his mom had passed in July suddenly and my heart sank. I had missed it, my chance to tell someone what a wonderful gift they had given me. I just sat and cried. I didn't know what to do. I had to tell someone. Well this is where this blog comes in I'm going to tell you what a gift she gave me.
Holding the card in my hand more priceless now, it contains pics of her 2 sons in Oct of 02, Christmas morning 01, and one of Christmas 99. The card reads "Cathy, Thought ~you often over the years. Never forgot you wanted more pictures of your 1st grade class. I still need to unbury those among other thing! I hope you are still teaching. I talk ~ that year often. Tyler and I enjoyed you. How are all your children? Write or call when you can. Best to you and your family."
See what you don't know is I had to wait 5 years after getting my teaching degree to get my first teaching job. It was at a private church school for less pay than public and I felt lucky to get it. I had interned in upper grades and was frankly scared to death that I wouldn't be able to teach these children to read. I also had recently had a miscarriage and was torn apart. We had tried to adopt after that but had been lost in the shuffle. Then in October we found out that my husband was permanently laid off from his job of 16 years. I was pretty much a wreck and was doing my first year of teaching. I grew to love the students and they me. Mary Lou had taken off from work to stay home with her youngest son. Her outlet was to come up to the school and volunteer. She was the glue that kept me afloat. She decorated my bulletin boards, made copies, and many countless tasks. She was always there to listen and pray with me and me for her. I remember when it came time for my birthday and the kids asked how old I was going to be. Jokingly I said 19 (that was the age of my oldest son). To my surprise on my birthday in walked Mary Lou with a cake and decorations. She said Tyler said it was turning 19 and they wanted to give me a party. So we had my 19th birthday party with cake ice cream and the works. The cake had the 19 candles on it. She was always doing something. She took pictures of all the class events and was my homeroom mom. With her help I had to make 2 trips to the car with Christmas presents. One was from them and it was an I heart teaching 1st grade pin. (I still have that) At the end of the year she gave me a necklace one of those charm kind that were so popular. It had 2 charms one is a teacher charm the other is a heart. It is gold tone and I usually wear silver but this one still comes out many times a year. I never fail to be asked about it and I remember how awesome Mary Lou was to me. I tell them it was given to me my 1st yr of teaching by a very special student and his mom.
The truth is Mary Lou I have thought of you often too. When I was so broken, lost, thinking God had forgotten all about me he sent you. Like an angel you were there for me showing God's love. I truly don't know how I would have made it without you. You loved your boys like I had never seen before. It made me try to be a better and stronger mother. I just want to say THANK YOU for bring God's servant and for everything you did for me. I wished I has been able to do this in person.
Take the time today to thank those that God has put in your path. Don't be so busy being a Martha that you let your Mary moments slip you by.
