I admit to sleeping in the Tuesday before Thanksgiving.  I mean REALLY sleeping in.  I did the unthinkable and actually took the day off so that I would have the entire week off after a long stressful year up to that point.  My phone alerted me to a text message – who could it be?  If was one of my lovely former student teachers, letting me know she was thinking about something we had done while she was with me and how she felt she had made a breakthrough in her teaching.  She said she was thankful for me.

Now, I realize it was a couple of days before Thanksgiving and that there are people who are very purposeful in remembering others during the holidays.  I’m afraid I have never been very good at this, but I am truly grateful for those who are.  Regardless, it was such a pleasant surprise, something completely unexpected.

Thanksgiving morning, the phone again alerted me to a message, this time from a great friend and colleague in my division who expressed her thankfulness for our friendship.  Another unexpected sentiment, something so meaningful because I admire this person a great deal.  Such a great leader, role model and good friend who has taught me much.  I’m not sure I’ve told her that before, but again, I’m not very good at that kind of thing.  The feelings are there, but the words aren’t always.

The other day, I did a crazy thing out of my comfort zone.  I was thinking of a childhood friend, someone I remember being with all the time, doing all kinds of creative things.  Funny thing is, the face to face friendship probably lasted only a couple of years, but when we moved I was devastated.  We remained penpals for a while, but when you’re a pre-teen, these kinds of things only last so long and our friendship became a great memory, but nothing else.  But a couple of days ago, I had this urge to look her up on Facebook.  What were the chances, right?  She was probably listed under a married name, but I took a chance and typed in her maiden name.  Four people showed up.  So now I had to see if any of them were about my age.  I found one.  She just happened to live in the same city we lived in as kids.  What were the chances.  I sent a message, almost apologetically, concerned this person would think I was some strange stalker or something.  Anyway, the message went out late, so I went to bed and didn’t give it another thought.  Until the next morning when I had an OMG message from my grade school friend who said the timing was uncanny.  She had driven in our old neighborhood the day before and thought of me as she looked at my old house across from where her mom still lives.  Several messages back and forth and we’ve decided to call each other next week.  Fifty + years later and we’re going to talk again.  Unexpected.

There have been scores of amazing people in my life, at every stage of my life, amazing for their kindness, for their intelligence, for allowing me experiences I never would have dreamed of and seeing things in me that I never would have seen in myself.  People who came into my life just when I needed them.  People with connections to other amazing people.  People whose relationships were and are so meaningful to me, but I don’t know if I’ve ever told them that.  Having grown up being told I was “too sensitive”, I don’t allow my deepest feelings to show, but sometimes I just want to let others know what they mean to me and how they’ve changed my life.  I want to let them know that I’ve watched them over the years and am so proud of who they are and what they have become.  I watch former students become parents and old friends become proud grandparents.  I watch former students become self-assured educators, doing so many innovative things, all while building relationships with their students.  I watch family members grow and overcome obstacles, achieve great things and show unconditional love.  I don’t share these sentiments face to face because of the fear of being seen as sappy or strange or of being rejected.  For it is unthinkable to me that others may feel the same way about me as I do about them.  So, when I receive unsolicited little notes or texts or compliments, it reminds me that maybe I haven’t done so badly in this life.  Still unexpected.

So, dear friends, family and colleagues, you know who you are.  I hold you in highest esteem, you have all made my life better and this unexpected life wouldn’t have been the same without you.