~mine was one of them~

It's kind of strange how life turns out, you know?

Teachers seem to run in our family.  Take a look at these two ladies.  That's what they are.
Teachers.

My sister Sherry and I stopped to pose for the picture shown above in April of 2010.  It was taken outside my classroom at Avenue A Elementary back home in Hutchinson, Kansas. Sherry and Wes had been back home for a visit during spring break for Sherry.  It was a special year for the both of us.  We had both decided to retire as soon as the school year was over.  So we began the custom of taking pictures with one another.  It's a tradition that we've followed very closely for the past two years.  

It's one that I am now so thankful for.

The crazy thing about the idea of retiring is that neither one of us really did stay retired for long.  Retirement began to grow old about 7 weeks into it for the both of us.  Sherry ended up returning to her old school in Altus as a paraprofessional and I returned to the classroom at Lincoln Elementary.  Seven years later, I'm still at it.  Sherry finally stopped due to health reasons but she continued to serve in a capacity most important to me.

She's been my mentor.

I have both my bachelor's and master's degrees in education.  I've spent the better part of my life learning how to be a better teacher.  I've gone to inservices, workshops, taken online courses, and a host of other things in order to get better and become the kind of educator that I thought I should be.  Yet the very truth of the matter is this.

If I have become a master teacher in any way, shape, or form, it is not because of some college degree that has been affixed behind my name.  It surely isn't because I've sat through countless hours of sometimes VERY boring teacher workshops.  Nope.  It's because of one thing.

I have modeled an extremely talented, caring, and master teacher.
I have followed the lead of the best educator and kid wrangler that I have ever known.
Lucky for me, she's my sister.

Sherry~

Things are going for a little tough for her right now and for this moment, that's all I want to say about that.  I hope you understand.  If you would, please say a prayer for her and for all of the others who are going through this very tough time with her.  

She has touched so many lives in this world of ours.
Mine will always be one of them.