ABC's

December 19, 2012


Every time there is a snow storm, hurricane, ice storm or power outage we all joke at work that we should have been teachers. No one is calling to tell us to stay home. We don't get up to check the TV to see if work has been cancelled. We work all kinds of shifts and weekends and holidays. And we always hold up teaching as the perfect job.

But in truth I could NEVER be a teacher. Many teachers I meet at work both as patients and visitors always say to me, "I could never do what you do." But I could never do what THEY do. Spend all day with 20-30 kids in a classroom and mentor them. Impossible. At least for me. I remember when I dropped Hilary off for her first full day of kindergarten. They were BOTH in school for the next SIX hours!!! If I could do cartwheels I would have done them up and down Alden Avenue. And I never expected that they wouldn't be lovingly cared for. Maybe not always for Josh as he inherited my penchant for sarcasm. (Kidding. I'm sure ALL his teachers loved him!) But I knew they would be safe. And that someone much more patient than I would be helping them grow into responsible adults.

Thanks to all of them who put up not only with my children but with me as well. A crazy, biased mother who wanted EVERYTHING for her kids. The Sandy Hook teachers are heroes. Like most mothers they would never leave their children behind. ( I could never understand women who could give up custody of their children.) I would like to think I would respond in the same way if faced with such a harrowing situation.