Lean On Me

I walked into work and hugged my co-worker right away, as I saw her right inside the door. Walked into my classroom and was told that we were all going outside. No one wanted to be inside. Didn’t want to separate into our  own classrooms to eat breakfast. We wanted to be together. The little ones were surprised at us going out so early, but they happily followed. They all sat down on the playground while we handed them breakfast. It was a real treat being able to eat breakfast outside! What got into their teachers, they wondered.

What did get into their teachers? Was it the beautiful weather on a February day? No, the weather was nice, but was not the reason that we decided to spend all morning outside. Was not the reason that we all wanted to be together. We stood on the playground, trying to let the shock of the news from the day before sink in. We watched the kiddos happily playing once breakfast was finished, not having a care in the world. We hugged them perhaps a little tighter, when they would run up for a spontaneous hug.

One co-worker started singing Lean On Me as we all had to smile. Smile as we  fought back the lumps in our throats. Smile as we wondered what all the future would hold. Smile as we didn’t understand why decisions were made and smile as we tried to hold back the feelings of anger.

Smile as we gazed on children that we had poured our hearts into and that now too soon we would have to say goodbye to.

We couldn’t stay outside any longer. Lunch time was drawing near. We lined up the children as we started the walk back to the building. The walk that we had taken so many times, but now the days were numbered. We pick up the rope for the little ones to hold onto and we start singing “Lean on Me” again as we head inside. We have leaned on each other for years,  through the good days and the  bad days, we would continue to . We may not know what the future holds, but we know that we will have each other to help each other through. “Lean on Me”, that’s what Friends are for!

Don’t want to leave unanswered questions in your head. As you probably guessed, the daycare that I work at is closing. We were just informed this week. It has come as a great shock to all of us. Many questions and not many answers. It has left angry and  hurt parents, as well as similar feelings among the staff.  No, it has nothing do do with passing State Inspection. We have always passed with flying colors each year. This is a decision that was made by the board. A board that has  no staff members on it or parents. 

The last day is June 2nd. One more bend in the road that I didn’t see coming, but who knows, great things may lie just around the bend!

Yesterday morning I wasn’t feeling excited about going to work. I knew we all were still feeling shocked and it was hard to be happy around the kiddos who were totally unaware. I had been emailing a friend about something totally unrelated. In the email, I had typed how “today would be a wonderful day, right?” I was trying to think positive. He replied in his normal upbeat manner that of course the day would be wonderful for I had choices, and why wouldn’t I want it to be wonderful.

  When I read that email I had to smile. I knew he had no idea of what was going on with my job. I hadn’t shared with anyone,  for I just needed time to process it myself.  Reading the words, “I had choices”,  held a light meaning for me and a deeper one. The deeper one was this.   We can let things weigh us down or we can keep looking up. I prefer the looking up choice!  Yes, there was sadness that day at work, but also smiles. Smiles as we decided that we had a choice to make. A choice to make the remaining 3 months  that we have miserable or to make moments that we won’t forget!

What choices are you making today? Another dear friend posted a poem that spoke to me.  Are we seeing the beauty through the blur? Finding the happy gems that may be hidden at first? Once again she had no idea what her words would mean to me.  Which brings up again the topic of how important our words can be. We can write them meaning 1 thing for us,  not knowing how they will affect others.  Thank you to my 2 dear friends who unknowingly gave me the words that I needed to hear at the right time.