There are certain moments that are ingrained in my brain from when my Dad was sick. One being the Thanksgiving Dinner we received after having been in the hospital 3 hours away from home for several days. Check the archives on #WriteRelief to read more.
Another moment that I will always remember is the day we met with the funeral director after he passed away. We were sitting at our kitchen table in my childhood home in Peshtigo. A few extended family members had come for the meeting. I remember it being a cloudy, cold day and the lights were dim in the house. There was a knock on the front door. I got up to answer it and my mouth dropped. It was my kindergarten teacher who I hadn't seen in years (I was 24 at the time!). She saw we were busy and gave me a quick hug and left me standing in the doorway with two huge containers of still warm chicken noodle soup. I don't even remember what I said I was so shocked. That kind gesture and of course the delicious soup was the relief my family needed that day. It was a hug for our bellies.
Having gone into elementary education myself, I can't even describe the "love" us kindergarten teachers have for our students. They are our "kids." Mrs. Menor carried that loving attitude ahead 19 years and I am so thankful. She also taught my sister and in our high school cross country/track years was there supporting us and her own children. It is one huge benefit of having grown up in a small town.
Kindergarten "back then" was only half day. I loved school and started my quest to be a teacher that year I'm sure. I remember making gingerbread houses out of milk cartons. The patience from teachers that a project like that takes is immense! I also remember one particular day at snack time. It was another student's birthday and she hadn't brought a birthday treat. Mrs. Menor made her feel special anyway by letting her pass out a whole graham cracker to everyone (instead of the standard half we got on a non-birthday snack day). It is small gestures like these that made Mrs. Menor such a good teacher and I will forever be grateful for her warmth and generosity when my family needed it the most!
