Worthy Words

Two weeks ago, I went to a Teacher Job Fair for the areas independent schools and met a very nice woman who at 65 had retired, but only having 8 years in the public school system, her retirement check was just not doing it.   She had worked in Catholic Schools and in the private sector and had some savings.  We joked that we would be working the rest of our lives. But, it is true for those of us who entered the system late to feel like there is no end, like she did. Or, like me, who pulled their money out to invest in a business or needed the money for other reasons and now find themselves starting over to feel we will be working until death.    We talked every time we ran into each on the gym floor as we navigated the tables dropping off resumes and trying to make that impression that would set us apart.  As I shared tidbits with her about different aspects of teaching children that were not functioning at level and how I had been successful, she began to reveal how tough it had been in the district where she taught and how broken she was.  We eventually sat down and began to really talk.  I related to her how I felt that I was able to cope in environments that the children seemed not to have the motivation to learn.  She spoke very candidly about her experiences.  She never gave up.  She felt broken, not only by the students, but, also, by the system that seemed not to support her.  No matter how difficult her students made it for her, she was committed to teaching them and enriching their lives.  I began to share that although broken, God wants us to concentrate on the positive aspect of all that happens in our lives.  As she relayed her fears, I would find the positive aspect of what she said and watch her eyes light up.  She told me how she appreciated how I was so helpful, but most of all she said that I had helped her begin to heal more than a year of therapy had done.  As tears began to swell in our eyes, I told her that she would be ok and to continue to land on her broken pieces rather than they on her.  She told me I had a helping spirit and that it was not just a coincidence that she sat next to me, but Divine intervention for her life.  She left looking so much younger than she did when she sat down next to me 3 hours earlier as I had helped her into her seat.  Though, she said I had helped her, I began to think of what my calling in life was.  She helped me as much as I had helped her.  God placed a total stranger in my path and allowed me to see that the words that He places on my lips are worthy to share.