A gift

It has been one of those weeks. I forgot things. I let some people down. I also made two wonderful, no-fail recipes that I managed to mess up. In the midst of going back to school, revamping a syllabus, and getting ready for my in-laws this weekend, I lost my mind a bit and forgot some important stuff. Yet, in the midst of that mess, God gave me an undeniable blessing on Wednesday morning.

I was feeling particularly crabby about leaving the house at 8:20am for my faculty meeting. What could they possibly say that I didn't already know after 5 years? What good could come from another of these meetings, where I always look around and chastise myself for not being as smart and creative as the rest? Plus, my baby was dragging my pajamas around the bedroom as I got ready, asking me to put those back on instead. "Dat one, Mama. Dat one."  Leaving that sweet boy was not on the top of my priority list.

Then I remembered we were going to hear from a panel of former English 101 students, and I had recommended two of mine. I wasn't sure how many students had been recommended and didn't know if both my students would be on the panel, but I was looking forward to hearing from them anyway. The idea was that we'd learn what "works" in 101 - what stays with a student, aiding them in their future research and writing assignments.

As it turned out, both of my students were on the panel. I hugged their necks and was so glad to see their faces. As their portion of the morning began, I found myself welling with pride for not only them, but the other students as well. They were articulate and grounded and definitely going places! They spoke of the assignments that had helped them most in their college classes, as well as in their GRE preparation, internships, and graduate school applications. They made us laugh and, finally, they made me cry. The session closed with the question, "What is the best thing you remember from English 101?"

One of mine, Maryscott, said having a teacher who was so approachable had made all the difference to her. My other student, Chad, answered that it was the relationships he'd made. My eyes welled as he found my face and said he was thankful for Mrs. Dangel. He was also thankful for a friend he made in my class, who, even to this day, sends Chad his papers to review. He smiled as he recalled I had been pregnant with Henry, we had class at night, and a few times we didn't have heat in the classroom. He ended by saying, "I guess I remember a lot!"

Smack dab in the middle of a nutty week God gave me one of His thousands of gifts. He reminded me of why I still teach, even though I know some are far more capable of it than I am. I teach with heart and, apparently, it shows.