Saying Goodbye

Schools out! I picked my big boy up from school today. And instead of being elated to finally be on summer break he came home and cried. Heartbreaking, hysterical, crying.

Today he said goodbye to his beloved 1st grade teacher. She won't be coming back to his school next year. So the reality is he will probably never see her again. And she wasn't just any teacher. She was one of those teachers that made kids excited to learn. She was part mom, part teacher, part mentor.

And it hit me today that he has spent more time with her than with me this year.

And now she's gone.

My Big Boy wasn't the only kid crying today. Teary eyed kids surrounded her to give her one last hug...one last goodbye..long after the final bell rang.

I want to protect my kids from heartache. I wish I could take away his sadness. But I know today is just the first of many, many heartaches.

Parenting is hard. Thank the Lord for fabulous teachers who stand beside us, even if they do end up moving.

When I tucked him into bed tonight, he thanked God for his teacher. And through tears he prayed that his next teacher "would be good" and that she would "let them dance in the classroom."