Retirement: Day 1

                                                                                                     

This is what the first day of retirement looks like at Frogpond Acres.  It's very pretty.  Yet sort of sad.  And sort of... nebulous ("What just happened???").  

Bouquets of flowers light up the house, along with cards, a bottle of champagne, plants, a framed poem (about me!), gift cards, and even tickets to the theatre.


I'm overwhelmed with love and gratitude.  The generosity of my coworkers and administrators has me reeling.  Suddenly I'm wishing like crazy that I'd been better at my job.  That I'd tried harder.  That I'd been more everything for my students. I realize that this is a silly feeling, but there it is.


But that part of my life is over now.  This has been such an interesting school year.  It started in August with the death of my daughter through suicide.  That was also a time of flowers, incredible generosity from friends, family and even strangers.

And then it finished off in June with the end of my teaching in the public school system.  Again accompanied by flowers, gifts and the kindness of friends, family and even strangers...

Even though I'm still at the deer-in-the-headlights stage of all of this, I know that I'm blessed.  I'm so very blessed!