6 years ago, I was working part time in a library. My kids were not thriving. I had been a stay at home mom for years before then, but I had gone back to work. Over the 3 years since that time, I had watched in horror as my kids, and all of my carefully crafted child raising began to fall apart. I finally had to admit the fact that my kids needed me, at home. They needed their Mom. They needed someone to be there when they walked in the door. They needed someone to talk to the minute they walked in the door, and they needed the stability that only comes along when one person is constantly home to run the house.
For the 2 years after that, I was a full time stay at home mom. My father in law died. A child in daughter's class died from Leukemia at the age of 12. I child in my son's class died in a car crash- her 18 year old brother was driving, and she was 14. Another child at the high school died of Leukemia. A friend of the kids lost their father. He had brain cancer, and he left behind 3 children, ages 12, 14, and 16. It was a tough time. No one wants to face these harsh realities of life. I am forever grateful that I was able to be home with the kids. Times were tough. The loss of three young lives was difficult enough for the parents. The loss of those lives so quickly- one right after the other was devastating for everyone, but all of the kids took it very hard. The loss of grandpa, and the loss of Mr. Ed, hit the kids hard. Father's aren't supposed to die when their kids are still at home. And Grandpa. Well, he was invincible. It was inconceivable that he could be gone. The kids took it hard. Daughter took it hardest of all.
Things started to stabilize, and I tried to get back into the library. In spite of what the library had said when I took the time off, they had no space for me. Multiple positions opened up, I submitted my resume, but somehow, they never called me in for an interview, and they never found a place for me to go back.
Never one to be easily pushed down, I decided to do the unthinkable. I became a substitute teacher. It put me on the same schedule as my kids. I reported to work after I put them on the school bus, and I was home within a half an hour of them. Much to my surprise, I enjoyed subbing. I had a great time. It was ideal.
I had kept my teacher certification up long after I left the classroom "just in case". Thankfully, my active teaching certificate earned my an extra $25 every day I subbed. That was a nice little bonus for taking the trouble to renew my certificate every 5 years.
I enjoyed subbing so much that I began to search for a job as a classroom teacher. Much to my disappointment, nothing ever came of it. I have been to more interviews than I care to admit, but I have never yet gotten a job offer.
Meanwhile, in those years, I was active and involved in the community. I was a business and public relations mentor for a robotics team. I've been a Girl Scout Leader. I've been president of our women's group. I even managed to finish a master's degree online. (Not bad for someone who's going to be celebrating her 13th annual 36th birthday this summer!)
I was thinking last night about everything I've done in the last 6 years. The list is long. It's varied. I am very proud of the things the kids I've worked with have accomplished, and how much they've grown and become independent adults who are focused on their goals, and know how to go about accomplishing them.
My kids have grown. Two of the kids are in college. The third is a Junior in high school, and she will soon be flying the coop.
This week was my last week of subbing. I start a new job next week. I'll be in a library. An academic library. It's exciting. Working in an academic library has been a goal for a very long time. Realizing that I'm finally achieving that goal is something else. This job runs from 8 am until noon, five days a week. I'll be leaving when daughter walks out the door to the bus, and I'll be home long before the high school lets out.
I'll still be sharing stories of the kids for a while to come. I have a wealth of stories from over the years. Actually, I'm thinking of putting them together into a book. I'd like to look back on some of the amazing kids I worked with over the years and sit back and laugh at the crazy things they said and did. It was a great experience. I'm glad that I left while it was still fun. I'd hate to have waited until I was dreading the days that I went in.
Now, on to the next adventure in my life...
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