Our Family: Wonder

Several days ago, my students and I were discussing the meaning of the word, "wonder." At first, the students wanted "wonder" to be a synonym for "ask." We eventually decided that a better definition was "to ask oneself."

Well, this has been a week filled with wonder. Les was wondering what I would like for Mother's Day. When I responded that I wanted time, energy and a clean house, his reply equated to "dream on." I had my blood drawn this week and the doctor called wondering how I was able to stand up and walk around with such a low iron count. I have been wondering the same thing!

Thursday was a day filled with wonder. 4:30 in the afternoon found Les ordering pizza and me baking chocolate muffins to take to "Special Person's Night," with Cassie's class. I was wondering how we were going to make it to school by 6:15. Cassie was wondering what she was going to wear. Les was wondering how we were going to keep Lacey quiet during the reading of 24 student essays. Les and I were both wondering what we were going to do about the note from school that said Lacey had been moved to the quiet table in the cafeteria after refusing to stay seated during lunch. Lacey was just wondering what all the fuss was about.

Well, in case you're wondering, we made it to school on time. The students in Cassie's class had each written an essay about a special person in their lives. Families gathered in the cafeteria to listen to the nervous students read. Cassie's essay was so wonderfully perceptive and thoughtful that I am going to share the entire thing.

"A Teacher and A Mom

by Cassidy Minihan

"My mom means a lot to me. She is kind and loves helping people around her. She's always there when I need her. So far my mom may not sound that different from other moms, but there are a lot of things that make her unique and special.

"My mom's a teacher, but she isn't just any teacher. Some teachers teach elementary, some teach middle, and some teach high school or college. My mom teaches high school which is not that special because a lot of people have that job also. What makes her special is that she doesn't teach a grade, she teaches ESL, English as a Second Language. When people from places around the world come to the US and they go to Arlington, they usually end up at my mom's school, Arlington Mill. Her students range from about 18-40 years of age. She has a range of people from gang members to maids. Her students come from all over the world, South America to Asia. All of her students adore her. She teaches them English. Every day stories of her students make their way home for my family to hear. Many of her students are poor and work fulltime just skimming by. But, a lot remain in school, working hard because of her. Many say to her, "I came here looking for opportunities and that's what I am getting from you, an opportunity.'

"My mom not only offers opportunities to her students, she offers them to me too. My mom makes sure I venture out and try new things. When I wanted to play the violin she encouraged me to do so. When jazz and tap were invinting, she consented eagerly. She helps me with my homework and teaches me the little things that aren't needed but she wants me to learn. She makes sure that my decimal points are big enough and my whole numbers look that way in a mixed number. My mom asks about school and makes sure to go to Back to School Nights. When we were adopting, she made sure I went along. She's like a super hero and I'm the kid on the street watching her. She's not only a teacher to her students, she's a teacher to me.

"My mom makes sure she's always there waiting for me and if she isn't going to be she tells me. She meets the bus always with a big smile on her face. She makes dinner and lets my little sister and me help. Even if it's a frozen meal, she makes it fancier by putting it on regular plates. She almost always takes me to ballet and does her errands during my class so we can get home when I'm done. My mom makes sure she always takes me to violin even if she's tired. She goes to all my tie-kwon-do graduations and is happy for me in the end. I don't know how she always keeps that smile on her face, but she does.

"Even when I make her upset, she always stays patient. When I won't listen she tries and tries again. Eventually she gets through to me. During violin practice she teaches me note after note until I know the song. She's like a calming yellow flower. Even if she's angry, she still acts fine. When my mom had a big kidney surgery, she was quickly up and running again so that she could take care of her family. She made sure she could continue teaching my sister and me as soon as possible.

"My mom wears bright colors, unique jewelry and has a style that only certain people have. She has a sparkling personality, a twinkling imagination, and a sense of humor that makes her students adore her. All of these things make my mom who she is and I love her for it."

What did I ever do to deserve such a wonderful kid?!