Extraordinaire Visit to Brentwood, Tennessee

Nashville Airport

I feel sad leaving Jeannie.  We have such a glorious time together, and there was never a time I didn't feel loved, wanted and needed.  At the same time, I felt my love accepted, wanted and needed.  It's a good fit.  But….goodbyes are hard.  We work ourselves into a bit of a frenzy about 48 hours ahead of time.  We get more frantic watching the time slip away.  We reread our lists so we can see if we actually "accomplished" anything.  Truth is?  Just being together accomplishes all we could ever hope for.  We're learning.  The tasks we want to finish aren't even important compared to the unconditional love shared, the new memories made and the bonds deepened.

Sitting in the airport waiting for the boarding call, I know the time is up.  I'm traveling back with more than a few new outfits, accessories, and pictures.  More than the framed, stain-glass art Terry sent back with me to "hand-deliver" to my brother, Tim. 

I'm returning with more confidence in myself.  Renewed resolve to do my best to be who I am.  I'm returning with a crap-load of new stories, new bonds and files of memory, all waiting to be opened when I want them. 

I'm also leaving with a few hugs and laughs with my brother, Tom.  I'm wearing the new red, white and blue bracelet he gave me, that says, "Serving Our Homeless Heroes". (He works for the V.A. in Tennessee.  Wearing the bracelet makes me feel warm inside.  A bit of him will stay with me.  A bit of his struggle to make sense of this life, will gel with my own struggle.   A whole lot of his unique flavor of love helps make me feel special.  

As I write about leaving with "things", I'm fully aware of the acceptance I've received from the Wolfe Family, the Steven's Family and Jeannie's husband, Terry.  They let me in and treated me as family. Holding three-week-old, Kaleb, was divine! Playing with Carl, Isabelle, Sydney and Mary Jean was good medicine, too.  

Chairs ready to be Assembled

Jacqueline opens her new Montessori tutoring classroom tomorrow.  She'll have eight eager students waiting to get to know her.  She's ready.  Her classroom looks great.  I went on this trip, specifically, to support her endeavor.  I wanted to lend any of my 34 years of experience, in teaching young students, (if needed).  She'll have kindergarten and first graders.   I also wanted to do any "grunt" work, hoping she'd have more time for thinking, planning and working on instructional materials for her new students.

Jacqueline, Ready to Begin

Tools From Toil

These Large Windows Overlook a Tree-Filled Hill
(Jacqueline's husband, Derek, built the flower boxes
and classroom shelves in classroom)

Boxes Ready For Soil and Seeds for
Class Garden

I was so proud to watch her family pitch in and be a part of her challenge to be ready.  They built shelves, cleaned, painted, landscaped.  Friends and family donated money, bought materials and books, ordered things from her "Wish List", and tried to keep her calm.  They brought her food, coffee, water, tools and help.  They kept an open mind when she decided to quit her job as a Spanish teacher at a public school in Tennessee.  And when she decided to start up her own private tutoring school three days a week, (and be home with her own children four days a week).  

Jacqueline's Keys and Coffee.  

  

She writes a blog:  Not So Supermom JQ  you can read to understand some of the process she went through, in order to decide to move forward with her own classroom.

It's pretty interesting I lugged a large, heavy, excessively wrapped stain-glass, from Tennessee to Ann Arbor today.  Getting ready to post this writing I'm smiling, "Gee, it's pretty symbolic!"  Maybe it was meant for me to REALLY get the perspective of stain glass by spending time with it today.


p.s.  I had a request to add more pictures of Jacqueline's classroom, so here you go.  (posted 8-20-13)