Letters From "Home"

The teacher who replaced me at Ashcroft Elementary School attends morning workout.  On Wednesday, before class began, Gloria handed me an over-stuffed, large brown envelope.  My first thought was that she had found something I had forgotten when I cleaned out my old classroom in June.  However, when I immediately started to tear at the seal, Gloria told me her advice was to wait until later to open it. Hmmm??

While eating breakfast after workout, I remembered about the envelope I had slid into my workout bag, and dashed out to the car to retrieve it. The second I realized what it was, I literally flooded my breakfast plate with tears ... letters from my former students.

Obviously, after Monday's workout when my supportive workout buddies ran laps with me, Gloria must have told her students it was my "anniversary" and asked them to write me letters.  The Grade 7 students -- my former Grade 6's from the start of last school year -- poured their hearts and souls onto that paper, reliving what they felt the day I told them I had breast cancer and they would be getting a new teacher.  The Grade 6's relayed what it was like for them to hear and see crying students that day, and how the school wasn't the same without me.  Many expressed their disappointment with my decision to move to the high school, instead of returning to teach them this September. Several told me about their loved one who was also struggling, or had died, from cancer. I will cherish each and every one of those letters for a very long time!

Although every letter was enjoyable and special, one line, in particular, struck a cord with me. Wyatt said, "You're not a survivor. You're a thriver!" Upon further investigation with my online thesaurus, "to survive" means to "get through" and "persevere".  Yes, I HAVE persevered!  However, "to thrive" is equated with prospering, flourishing, succeeding, and having vigour.  That description resonates with me!

As excellent timing would have it, that very day I was scheduled to go to a meeting at Ashcroft Elementary School.  Imagine my delight when I went and visited all those precious students in their classroom at the start of their day.  Not only did I get bowled over with bear hugs, it gave me an opportunity to catch them up on my year of treatment, how I'm doing, and what the future holds. So many of them told me they couldn't wait to get to Grade 8 so we'd be at the same school again.

In many ways, Ashcroft Elementary still feels more like "home" to me than the secondary school does -- I know that's because of all the hours I spent there over 3 years.  What a delight to get letters from "home"!