Next Tuesday will be my last day as a teacher. 

I really can’t quite comprehend it. But still, it’s happening.

Are you looking forward to not reading about my retirement?  

I sort of am too. New topic please!

I want to thank the generous and sincere people who welcomed a brand new “outsider” to a little community 34 years ago.  There were so many people who walked right up and said “Hello” and welcomed me. I appreciate that very much.

There were people who helped me find a place to live, who recommended things that helped me survive as a young, poor teacher, and there were people who supported my young, immature self with unconditional love and care.

Thank you.

For as much as I bash parenting, I must say to you that there were very few who were negative or challenging. There are wonderful, solid families, led by fantastic parents in this community, and I am indebted to your generosity and your care over the years.

I am so thankful to have become friends with many of you, and I am also grateful many of you have kept me posted as “our kids” grew up.  I’m so proud of them, just as you are, and I was honored to have a small part working alongside you as they came up in the world.  

And when you told me that I’d understand things a little better when I became a parent, it made me mad. 

But you were so, so right!

To my students:  when I decided to become a teacher, I had no idea what it meant to be a parent or what it meant to become invested in the life of a child.  Thanks to all of you, I have had over 1,600 chances to do that. 

I made a huge load of mistakes, but I know we were able to laugh and learn along the way. I hope, regardless of our circumstances, that you knew that I cared for you and how you turned out.

Again, let me say I am proud of who you have become and I hope that we can see one another from time to time.  Hold on to the parts of you that made you an inquisitive and joyous child. Try to find something to laugh at every day

And keep writing in cursive when you can. It’s good for you!  

To my teaching colleagues, thanks for being my friends while I was growing up. I was a huge pain in the patootie more than I like to admit, but so many of you taught me what it means to be a solid friend. 

I am so grateful for what I learned from all of you, and how there were so many times you made me feel like maybe something I contributed was worthwhile. 

Also, I appreciate all the times my dumb questions, that you most likely also thought were dumb, were received with such grace and mercy.  

I know you saved the laughs for after I left, but that’s OK.

We all grew up together, didn’t we? We went to one another’s weddings and supported one another as we began having families.  We dealt with the struggles of life and helped one another make it through the day during difficult times.  

School was often the stability that we needed, as it was for our students.  

I have two “Shirleys” to thank for taking care of me. My mother, of course, supported me and encouraged me. For “the other Shirley,” who taught me how to pronounce German names and kept me in line as I floundered through the early years of teaching.  Both women had a tough approach to many things, but also taught me the true meaning of loyalty and again, unconditional love and care.

Shirley is a good name.

I am looking forward to having time to be quiet in my own head. To not manage anyone or have to be one or two steps ahead of someone. I am looking forward to new opportunities and things and places to explore.

But along with looking forward, we look back. We realize that those in the past are the ones who helped us shape our “looking forward.”  

Again I say, thank you folks.

God bless.