upon knowing that they grew up~

One of my ongoing "Miller Bucket List" goals has been "to meet up with each of my Facebook friends in person, buy them something to drink and talk about life for a while."  Last evening, I was afforded the opportunity to spend some time with 3 of them in McPherson.  I'd love for you to meet my friends on Facebook and my friends in "real life" as well~Michael Wilde, Amy Pratt and Jan Moyer.

Ok, this would be Michael and it warmed my "teacher's heart" to see that after all of these many long years, he hasn't changed a bit.  He's just a kid in a "40 something", older guy's body.  I love that about him.  When I first met Michael he was just an "active" sixth grade boy and I was a beginning 24-year old teacher who encountered him in the hallways as we passed for classes each day.  Although my memory from the times has dimmed a  bit, I'm sure he always walked nicely down the hall in a quiet and reserved manner but then of course, I have been called a "dreamer" before.  Hard for me to realize that Michael is now married with two fine children of his own.  He has worked hard to make a great life for himself and his family.  I could not be prouder of him and his accomplishments. 

This would be Amy, Michael's older sister.  This child, now a very grown woman with 3 kids of her own, was one of my very first students the year I began teaching at Haven Grade School back in 1979.  She has not changed in any way either, still the same sweet young lady that I remember from those many long years ago in the land of "far, far away".  Amy has done exceptionally well for herself in this life and the pride that I feel in her brother, goes equally as well for her as well.  

And last, yet certainly not the least, here's their mom, Jan Moyer.  She's been such a great friend to me over the years and I'll always remember her as being one of the very first people that I had a "parent-teacher" conference with, now well over 30 years ago.  As a teacher, I remember and acknowledge  how nice it has always been to have parents just like Jan who make it their practice to support their children's teachers in whatever they felt it necessary to do.  Jan, a proud mother and grandmother, now lives in Nebraska.  It was wonderful to see her once again.  

I received the nice "invite" from both Amy and Michael to come and meet them in McPherson last evening for supper as they and their extended family met for the first night of their weekend Christmas get together.  Even though we have all been Facebook friends for several years now, it had been way more years than I could even remember that we had seen one another in person.  My best guess is that it's been more than 25 years and since the world didn't end on December 21st as some people said it would, I thought "What the heck?  Let's do it!"

For more than 3 hours this past Friday evening, I was the guest of one of the most delightful, friendly and hospitable groups of people you could ever have imagined.  Even though I initially knew only 3 people, by the time I had gathered up my things to head back to Hutch I knew about 15 more of them.  And you know what?  It felt nice~  There was food galore, a multitude of conversations to join in with, lots of laughter and thanks to my dear little friend Michael, plenty of games to be played.  

Friends, you know I learned something last night....no wait a minute, let me rephrase that.  I was reminded of something that I already knew but all too often forget about.  I may not have been related by "blood" to one single soul there last night at their annual Christmas gathering.  But that didn't matter because people like Amy, Michael, and Jan are all of the belief that dear friends, even ones you haven't seen in forever and "a bunch of Sundays" are like family members in different ways.  And to you, 3 of my dearest of friends, I say "thank you" for that sobering reminder. To ALL of the great folks that were there last evening at that beautiful and festive home on Turkey Creek Drive, "Thanks for including me and making me feel as if I truly belonged there."  (a big fat lump in my throat as I write these words)

I long ago stopped trying to keep track of just how many students I've had the privilege to teach over the course of more than 35 years.  Maybe a thousand?  Maybe more?  I would love to tell you that I remember each of them by name, but I'm afraid that is not the case. You know, I used to think that it was a terrible thing to be a teacher who spent 9 months with a child yet couldn't recall their name in the years to come.  Now, I have come to know that it's "life" and also that I'm not the only teacher it affects that way. But for every one of those students' names that I've tucked away in the very back of my "teacher's memory bank", there are just as many of whom I will NEVER forget their names.  Michael Wilde and Amy Pratt are two of them.  

Well, the clock on the wall says that it's already nigh onto nearly 7:30.  The day has gone so quickly.  Before closing this post, Amy and Michael~the message below is for you in "particular" but also as well to ANY student I have had the privilege and blessing to know in this life of mine.  
And so, for what it's worth:

"You two kids!  I thought about you all the way home last evening and actually you have been on my mind today as well.  I want you to know something~(and pretty dang good thing I've got Kleenix aplenty as I do this) I love you two children with all of my "teacher's heart".  I am so proud of both of you and what you have made of your lives.  I know it's not always easy, in fact it's pretty tough sometimes to grow up in this world of ours.  As a teacher, all I could do was to prepare you the best I could yet I knew that you would have to learn so very much of life's lessons alone and on your own.  The best laid plans sometimes go astray~and as they say, "that proverbial pile of  #$%% happens" and about the only thing you can do is just to keep going and "soldiering" on.  Listen to me and know that I speak the truth when I tell you both this~My heart is absolutely filled and running over with pride for you both.  I'm going to repeat that again,  just in case you weren't paying attention (LOL, LOL all right it's the teacher in me).....  I could not feel any prouder of you than I do right now.  I only met you as a "first year" teacher~heck, I didn't know what I was doing about 50% of the time.  And although you never realized it Amy, I was as confused about math sometimes as you were!  But here's how we made it~We held hands and we stuck together.  I am so glad to have been a part of both of your lives then and wow, ever so glad to continue to be a part of your lives on December 22, 2012. May God bless you both, your families as well.  I'm always "pulling for you" and even though we may find ourselves miles apart, "Mrs. Miller" (LOL) will always "have your backs".  And by the way, one last thing~Those soft and kind hearts that both of you have?  Don't ever lose them, no matter what life deals you or others around you.  They "define" you and make you the persons that you were destined to become.  Have I told you that I love you?  If I have, then consider it told once again :) ~Peggy

PS/Thank you for the gift of the new record player.  I have felt like a kid in high school "all over" again today.  Listen, can you hear it playing in the background?  I'm listening to the song "Woodstock" by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young on their album called "Deja Vu".  What, you never heard of them?  Ah, it's ok~some day we shall listen to it together.  Good night!