Grateful for the last week of school! It was definitely A Lot in one week but we made it, thanks to your prayers, my family and friends, our staff, my supportive neighbor, perseverance, and the grace of God!!! Hooray!!!

Things I want to remember—how lucky I am to work with such a supportive staff!! Wow. Not only that. . . I was surprised by the kindness, work ethic, and determination of my students (actually, not really surprised:) who helped organize my library back into the original categories on Friday and also helped clean up the room. Only other teachers can truly appreciate how much that means after a long year! I am also thankful to Mr. Green, a kind videographer who took the time to tape the International Dance Club performing a dance to Taki Taki on Monday. That meant a lot to the girls.

Somehow, the teachers were able to say goodbye to their friends moving on to different adventures next school year. I had to say goodbye to my best friend Beth, and two minutes before I read her a Mary Oliver poem, I was pretty certain, like 98% sure, I couldn’t do it. It was too painful. She has helped so many of us get through this year simply by letting us vent and offering her wisdom in her own matter-of-fact way with a wonderful laugh and a lot of love and understanding. The good news? She’s moving to one of the most beautiful cities on Earth so maybe in time, we can visit her. Today, we saw the movie Secret Lives of Pets 2, and it was perfect actually because it talked about being brave. My friend already is very brave, and her courage will be a gift to her family. And on the nights when you don’t feel like being brave, Beth, just remember, there are people across the country praying for you and remembering how awesome you are! You have made our year so much better just by being your wonderful self. I love you, and I am excited for your adventure! May we both find our inner Rooster!