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From My Kids to Yours

     
On Monday I had to take our youngest daughter to see her orthopedic surgeon.  We’ve been keeping a close eye on her spine and hips; monitoring her scoliosis and hip displacements (respectively).  Among other things, Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) is a “progressive” disease in that those afflicted with it get progressively worse over time.  Needless to say this dictates that we must keep a close eye on her muscular as well as skeletal systems.


The appointment did not go quite the way we expected it to go…without going into too much detail I can say we had to make some hard decisions…and we are working through the logistics of those decisions.


The last thing that day I needed on my mind was to have to think about how my class was faring with a sub.  My energies needed to be with my family, they needed to be with the thought processes my wife and I went through, they needed to be with Ella.


When I returned on Tuesday I sat at my desk and reviewed the note from the sub.  I am going to quote a portion of that note:


                "Dear Mr. C,
                  It was a great day in your class—you have the nicest class I have subbed in this year!!”…


The note went on relaying all that went on that day.


The sub was in the building on Tuesday and right after I read her note she showed up at my door.  She wanted to tell me, in person, how wonderful my class was.  She went on and on.  I sat back in my chair after she left and thoughts of your kids entered my mind.  I couldn’t wait to see them.


If the occasion arises again this year where I must be absent for one of my "personal kids", it is extremely comforting knowing that that my “school kids” are--who they are.

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