Sunday, March 15, 2009

Ms. O'Donnell


Wow. I can not begin to express the thoughts and feelings I've had this past week since the passing of my aunt on Tuesday morning. My mind has been a whirlwind and my heart has been a literal drum pounding against my chest for hours on end. All the plans I had for the week, which were daunting at best, seem like nothing compared to the last few days. I have been amazed at how much my aunt influenced the lives of her students and it leaves me with a sense of longing to carry on her legacy with them. I feel an urging, a strange desire, to be close to the kids who loved her so dearly. I see their faces etched in my mind as tears pour from their eyes, their hearts silently breaking from the loss of their mentor, their teacher, their mom, their friend. I feel the need to stay close to them: the soccer team who are dedicating every game this year to her, the young man who silently walked up to me and hugged me...he couldn't even speak, the other who came to tell me all she meant to him, the girls and their mom who found her, and many more. Their faces are a constant in mind. I can't seem to let them go.
I spent almost two days in her old school. As I walked in the front door on Thursday afternoon and walked toward the office, my eyes centered on the bulletin board. A big picture of my aunt was right there in the middle encircled by the words We Miss You Ms. O'Donnell. As if that weren't enought, both kids and adults in the school had written their goodbyes all over the board. "You were the best teacher to ever roam these halls.......You will never be forgotten.......Thanks for always being there for me...." Friday I returned to the school alone to take pictures of the board. They sent me to the auditorium to see the star they'd made for her as well. The kids were having a talent show that afternoon and the seniors had decided to dedicate the show to her. They made a large star out of paper and placed her picture in the middle. On the star in sparkly letters was written, "You are our shooting star, Ms. O'Donnell."
As I was leaving, the halls were filling as students filed into the auditorium to see the show. I met the soccer coach just before I left, and he expressed his condolences and how much Aunt Sherry meant to the guys on his team. She had gone to every game and cheered them on even on the cold nights. She was always there and they wanted to present a game ball to someone in the family. I was there and they weren't going to be able to attend the memorial that night because they had a game. So, I stayed. I silently went into the auditorium and tried to blend into the back wall as they began this show. I was nervous and a little uneasy about my situation and did not know what to expect. After about four acts, they called the soccer team up on stage. The coach introduced the players and then me. He told the kids there was someone very special here that he wanted them to meet..."Ms. O'Donnell's niece, Kristi." I honestly thought that most would meet me with indifference and was shocked as the place erupted and kids began shouting "We love Ms. O'Donnell!" at me as I walked down the aisle and up onto the stage. The soccer team stared at me as if they expected something of me, like maybe a hug or something miraculous. I honestly don't know but remember feeling at a loss that I couldn't be more or do more for them. Then as they presented me the ball he said, "We never got to thank Ms. O'Donnell for all she did for us, so let's go ahead and do that now." Once again, and even louder than before, the air exploded with shouts of adoration for my aunt. I can not tell you how that felt except that I am glad to have been able to experience it. I could see no faces and it all seemed a blur. Tears filled my eyes as honor and respect filled my heart. I thanked them for the ball and for loving my aunt the way they did. I am proud of her for making such an impact on the lives of others.
In one of her emails just two weeks ago, we had been discussing why we taught, she expressed that she wanted to leave this world a better place. She wanted to make a difference.


And that is what she did.

Friday, March 6, 2009

Dream - Makers

So, our church has brought this group in called Team Impact. They're a group of big muscly men who break stuff and lift very heavy things and at the same time share their love for Jesus. They spent Thursday and Friday going to our schools and talking to our kids about goals, dreams, and working to acheive them. The kids loved them and were so excited to see them break baseball bats, bend metal rods, and crush cans of soda all over the place. It was exciting. But when all the breaking and crushing was finished, their message was simple. What are you...a dream maker or a dream taker? With what or whom are you surrounding yourself...dream makers or dream takers?



My kids got it...quickly...and I'm already using it to motivate and instill within them to be all they were created to be.



Thanks Team Impact for caring about kids and for giving me another way to help build them up.

Dream Maker or Dream Taker?


What about you?

Sunday, March 1, 2009

Excuses

I was scolded today for starting a blog and then not posting anything on it. :) Sorry, I know I should keep it current. And really, what's the point of having one if I'm not going to post? So, here is a post along with a couple of excuses...for your amusement. And I promise, I will do better.



- When I get on the net at home, I get hung up on tooling around facebook. Arrrgggh.

- I have another blog that I work on at work called "Arrington's Island". It is a edublog where I post thoughts on my profession and work my kids have done in class. Our current big project is "Arrington on the Air", a radio show recorded and partly written by my kids. Great fun!

Check it out if you'd like....http://www.mrsarrington.edublogs.org/

- I find it difficult to sit down and write without a specific purpose or thought. Once I have one of these thoughts, I then have to find the time to sit and write. These two things don't usually coincide well. So, I tend to postpone adding the post until I have a good amount of time to thoughtfully write it. (see the first excuse here)

Thanks JP for being my blogging conscience. :)