Graduations: MaryCate, Can Do Gracie, & Auctioneer Daniel

It's graduation season. Hawkeye Daughter Sarah is receiving her Masters in Public Health from the University of Colorado this weekend, Cowpoke Lukie finished preschool this week, Purdue held its graduation last weekend, and the local high schools are graduating over the next couple of weeks.

For a teacher, this is a poignant time. It's hard to say goodbye at the end of the year to kids you have come to care about. For me, it was even harder - I had the kiddos for both 4th and 5th grade, and after two years together, those kids (and their parents) were like family. I cried and cried when they moved on to middle school. 

So, you can bet that when I am invited to a graduation party, I do my best to get there. It is so good to see the kids and their families again, hear what their future plans are, and catch up on what they have been doing. Last night was one of those nights.

MaryCate invited me to her party. I'm holding a little painting she made me years ago that I still have on display in my horse room. I brought it with me to show her and she was so surprised I'd kept it. I display it on the shelves behind my desk; you may see it peeking out when I take a selfie.

MaryCate (blue headband), her classmates, and me in a group hug on the last day of school.

Getting ready for the 5th grade celebration walk - all the 5th graders line up with their teachers and walk through the entire school.  The other classes and their teachers stand in the hallways and applaud and high five as we pass. (I've mentioned Can Do Gracie on the blog before, a girl who taught ME to believe in myself.  She's the reason I entered NaMoPaiMo - check out the link for the story. That's her, face to face with MaryCate.)

And, when I retired in 2018, MaryCate, Hayden, and Jackson returned to their elementary school the last day of school to congratulate me and wish me well. Yep, I cried.

(Hayden and Jackson have invited me to their graduation parties, so I will get to see them again very soon. Can't wait!)

Another former student, one who is almost finished at Purdue, was also at MaryCate's party along with his sister who was also in my classroom. 

Daniel and Nikki 

We had a chance to catch up, and when I asked Daniel what he'd been up to since we'd last chatted, he told me about a very unusual way he was earning money to pay for school.

Wow!! My first thought was, what an unusual side-job! And then it was, I wonder if he has ever auctioned model horses? And notice how it sounds like he is calling a horse race? I never expected to have a student who learned how to be an auctioneer and applaud Daniel (who loves antiques) for finding a way to pay for school by participating in his hobby.

I drove home, so happy to have seen some pretty special people. I reflected on my teaching career and how much I had loved it. I cried a bit as I drove, and while I still miss teaching terribly, I am grateful for the time I spent with kids like these.

Can't wait to go to the next graduation party.