pomp and circumstance

So my rookie year has come to an end. Commencement was yesterday. It was held, coincidentally, in the same theater in which I received my Master's degree four years ago. A beautiful space. A beautiful day, in fact. Perfect for graduating, commencing, moving on, that sort of thing. I was somewhat surprised by my feelings this weekend. Between the Baccalaureate mass (final mass for seniors and their families) and Commencement, I would have expected to be an emotional wreck, torn apart by the frustration and sadness at leaving when I shouldn't be leaving. I would have expected the battle to be raging inside me, full of harsh words for anyone who got in my way.

But I wasn't feeling those things this weekend. I think I was just feeling proud. I only had the privilege of teaching about sixty of our three hundred or so seniors, but I still felt myself bursting with pride that I had contributed somehow to their lives, even if it was only for one small part of one semester. Truly the greatest gift, to see them walk across that stage.

Since this was my own graduation, in a way, from this high school community, maybe this is the right place to make a few thank-you's. Most of them will never read this, but sending positive thoughts out into the ether never hurt anyone, so here goes:

1.) To every student that made a point of telling me how sorry they were for what has happened, or how much they enjoyed my class, or how they thought I should definitely keep teaching, or wanting to know what they could do to help. Thank you. You've shown class and respect and compassion that outshines many adults in this world. Keep making moves like that.

2.) To every teacher who stopped me in the hall, put their hand on my shoulder, and told me how frustrated they were with my situation. Close friends, new acquaintances, and some who I barely got a chance to know. I truly appreciated each and every word of support and encouragement. They will not be forgotten.

3.) To everyone in my circle of friends and family who has listened to me talk about this same subject for the last six weeks. Your patience, understanding, gentleness, honesty, and quiet challenges to me have made a world of difference. Thank you for being the most important people in my life.

4.) To Corey, who has not gone unharmed in this process, but who has shown nothing but love and compassion to me. You have been my rock. I would never have made it this far without you, and I thank God every day for the gift of your presence in my life.

5.) And finally, to the anonymous student and her family who sent me a lovely bouquet of flowers and a thoughtful note of appreciation on my last day of school. You made my year. Thank you so much.

So that closes the book on this year, in a way. But I don't think we're through yet. A few loose ends left to tie up. Stay tuned . . .

Posted: Mon - May 31, 2004 at 10:41 PM

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pomp and circumstance

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