Or should I say, “no more work for which I shall get paid!”  I will still be doing regular Mom duties (chef, chauffeur, psychologist, play therapist, librarian, janitor, mechanic, tour guide, entertainment coordinator, nutritionist, and matriarch, of course).  But for the summer I am done being an education professional.  It feels bittersweet.

A peacock at the zoo. Picture taken by my student during the field trip.

Today I was definitely ready for summer vacation.  Hell, I was ready for two months ago, shortly after I started working full time.  I got sick, really sick, and haven’t recovered.  So for me, a long rest — or what I imagine could be a long rest — might put me back on my feet for the next school year.  Just making it day to day seemed impossible, and with less than one month of school remaining, I managed to catch a nasty stomach flu and then develop bronchitis, which persists even as I type.  Today as I helped the children pack their backpacks one last time, I felt a mix of relief and sadness.  I desperately need to rest and regain my strength, but I will miss not seeing “my kids” every day.

The best possible consolation came as the class filed out the door.  My student, the one I had been hired to work with, turned and hugged me fiercely and said “Thanks Mrs. Van Delist!  I love you!”

Even if I never go back to work at the school, I can take that memory with me forever and be satisfied that I did my best job there.

— G