Don't Forget to Dance in the Rain

I have a file I have been building for the past 19 years. It's labeled "Memories" and it contains photos, drawings,  cards, notes, and other items I've received during my teaching career.  This file contains things that have really touched and encouraged my heart over the years.

This week I took time to sort through each item in the file, because after 19 years of teaching,  I have accepted a new job as the Coordinator of Gifted Education for Mathews County Public Schools. It's hard for me to believe I am leaving the classroom after all these years, but I am really excited about this new opportunity. 

During this quest to pack up my classroom and move to a new location,  I found a precious letter one of my students wrote to me about 12 years ago. One line from the letter read, "Thank you, Mrs. Bray, for teaching us to dance in the rain." I have thought so much about that letter, and for the life of me I can't remember a single time I ever took my students outside to dance in the rain. 

But then I decided, it really doesn't matter whether I remember dancing in the rain or not. She remembered it, and it was important enough for her to write to me about it. If I had to guess, we probably got caught by an unexpected rain shower on the playground,  and we giggled and acted silly all the way inside. I can't be sure about that, but it sounds like something I would do.  What I do know is that 12 years later, the lesson from a first grader rings loud and clear in my soul.  Embrace each moment and make the most of it, because you never know how your actions will impact another, and you never know if you will ever have another opportunity cross your path again. We always have a choice as to whether we focus on the good or the bad in all situations.  Some of the greatest life lessons I have learned have come from my students.

I have loved teaching at Lee-Jackson Elementary School. The friends I've made and the lessons I've learned have shaped me, and I am blessed to have spent so much time there. I cannot thank the parents enough for supporting me and  for sharing their precious babies with me.  It has truly been a joy.

Now it is time for me to move on to this new adventure. Sometimes change can be hard, but mostly it's exciting.  I've had an amazing ride over the past 19 years, and I cannot wait to see what happens next. I don't know what each moment will hold, but I do know I will always have the opportunity to dance in the rain.