Closure

I've got plans.

Yes, I've definitely got plans for this summer which involve crafting, reading, cooking, seeing friends and hanging out with my family. I want to walk around Columbia more, go to as many Columbia 50th events as I can handle. I'm going to splash around at the pool, shop the Farmers Market, get as many books as I want at the Library, and noodle around on Ellicott City's Main Street.

In short, it won't be long now before I have the whole summer off and I have just enough money set aside to be comfortable for a few months. Not extravagant, mind you, but enough to get by. For me, that's a big deal.

But first I will have to say goodbye to the seven little friends who have been my day-in, day-out companions. Today is our last day together. I will be leading them in song for the last time. We have been on an amazing journey together. It has been new for all of us.

And now we are packing up and saying our goodbyes. Yesterday, as we were gathering up all of the children's belongings and artwork, one little girl stopped and said,

"I'm going to miss school." And she gave me a hug.

If past experience is any indication, I won't feel the emotional weight of this until the last child has walked out the door, and then it will wash over me. It takes me a while to process transitions like this. The end of a school year is filled with so much activity that there isn't much time to process feelings. There are rehearsals and celebrations, water days and picnics.

When today is over I will probably fall asleep thinking of how much we all learned and grew together.

If you are a parent, please know how much teachers care about your children. If you are a teacher, I haven't written anything here that you don't already know. Cheers. I hope you have some happy plans  to help ease the transition.