A Sad Day.

To all my kids:

You made my day today. It was a hard day knowing it would be the last time I get to drive the bus with you, sing crazily at the top of our lungs, find our mystery clues together, see your smiley faces as you greet me “hi miss terra!” I was trying so hard to not think about how sad it made me, that this would be my last Sunday with you. And I was doing a pretty darn good job of keeping it together until you all surprised me with the mystery clue – and all my Krew kids came in too.

And I know that it was supposed to be a happy thing that you were doing, giving me the cards and the flowers – and I know my tears probably confused you. But see, they were good tears. Cause i am going to miss you all SO MUCH! Some of you I have seen grow from preschool place all the way up to big 3rd graders! And as you came up to give me hugs and give me your cards, I was just thinking of all the special things I wanted to tell each of you, and to pass on to whomever comes in next to take my place. But I don’t know how to get it all out.

So I’ll just say what’s on my mind and heart here, even though I know that most of you will never see this. I need to get it out. I need to let someone know that Paige and Ana and Peyton are some of the best singer motion helpers you can find (and they will help you look and feel less stupid as you try to remember all the motions yourself!) And that Seth doesn’t like the music all the way turned up cause it hurts his ears sometimes but if you give him a big hug and tell him how proud of him you are, you will get THE BEST HUG EVER back in return. And that WITHOUT FAIL Karissa will have to go potty right in the middle of the story, and that will spur about 23 others to remember that they too suddenly have to go to the bathroom and canNOT hold it another ten minutes. You have to be somewhat versed on the latest Battlefield or Battlestar or something like that video games for the DS, DSi, DSXL, Wii, AND XBox 360 or you will never be able to understand a word that comes out of Noah or Micah’s mouth. You have to know that even though it LOOKS like the boys in the back aren’t paying attention, they are absorbing every word you say, and if you try to surprise them and ask them a question, they will blow you away with the insight they usually have.

I am so sorry that I can’t explain to you where I’ll be or why I won’t be there teaching you anymore. I can’t explain what I don’t even really understand myself. You Krew kids – you are a smart bunch. Your cards to me, with your heartfelt words about what you’ve learned from me as your teacher (“if you sit at the Reese’s Pieces table with miss terra you get like 150 reese’s pieces!!!”) meant more to me than I can ever tell you. I want some of you girls to keep on being JUST who you are – even when you get to big bad junior high. People may make fun of you because you aren’t “just so”, or because you are a know-it-all, or because you wear glasses or because you still like to wear clothes your mom picks out for you. But all of these things make you YOU – so keep on being you. And all you tough boys who like to act like you don’t care about anything – I know you do. I have seen you throw your head back and laugh at the silliest of things and I want you to always keep that laughter, that ability to just let loose, have fun, and go with the flow that you have now.

so I don’t know when I will see some of you again, and I don’t know what you know or what you think of where I am going or what I am doing. maybe some of you just don’t care – and that’s fine too. But know this – you were NEVER a burden to me, not a single one of you. Week in and week out you were always on my heart and my mind. I have prayed for you for three years and I will continue to pray for you, and your families. Even the last few weeks, it was never “awkward” or “hard” to keep coming to church to see you, to have fun in Klubhouse, to hear about your weeks or to make a beaded bracelet with you in the hallway before class started. You all made every minute of hard work WORTH IT. The teachers who volunteered their time to help you and help me made it all WORTH IT.

YOU ARE ALWAYS WORTH IT.

Keep on praising Jesus with your whole hearts as you sing and dance and laugh and learn. I will always want to hear about your weeks, or get your hugs, or help you tie the knots on your shoes or the pretty bracelet you are making for your mom. I will always give you 150 pieces of Reese’s Pieces if you sit at my candy table for the lesson.

I will always love all of you. Thank you for letting me be a part of your lives for a little while. Thank you for loving me and showing me what “childlike faith” really means.

Keep on Drivin’ That Bus –

 

Miss Terra