Often times growing up we had to write an essay on who our hero was and why. Every single time my answer was always the same, my mom. I had the opportunity to grow up going to school with my mom who was an elementary school teacher. All through elementary school I watched my mother work tirelessly to be the best teacher for her students all while being the best mom for me and my siblings.
Looking back, my mom did it all. She was the best mom who cared for me and provided every opportunity I could ask for. She made sure her students were cared for and taught everyday with enthusiasm and joy. She gave me jobs to help her before school and always let me help grade her papers. She is the reason I became a teacher because she made teaching look fun. I am sure she does not remember this like I do. She is my hero and I was her little shadow. I am almost certain she went through this time period carrying the stress of a working mom and constantly wondering if she was doing enough. To be honest, looking back I wish I could have told her she was doing a great job. I now ask her all the time, how did you do it mom?
I now know how she was feeling then because now I am her. I am now a teacher with a little shadow who comes to school with me each day. Each day I feel as though I am failing at it all. I try my best to be the best educator, wife, mother, daughter, and friend however some days not all of those get the best of me. I now have a little shadow, my daughter, who comes to school with me. I see myself in her and I now see my mom in me. I am grateful I have the opportunity to take her to school with me and I try to make her feel as special as my mom did. I pray that I might be raising a future teacher (hopefully by then the pay and workload will be better!). My mom is my hero because she showed me, her little shadow, that showing up and putting forth your best effort is enough at the end of the day. Each day I hope I am doing the same for my daughter!
I made so many connections to this post! My mom was also a teacher and now I look back and always think "how did she do it all?" I have those exact same feelings about trying to do it all, yet feeling like you are failing at it. Teaching requires so much of us every single day and it is so hard to then turn around and give everything at home. I feel you on all of this!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful words about your mother, and I love the connection you made that now the tables have turned and you now exactly how she felt because you are now walking in her shoes.
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