I never thought this day would come.
The last day of school here is this Friday, June 13th, but BUILD doesn't work in the schools the last week to get ready for summer programming, which starts June 23rd. So my last day at Spencer was last Thursday!
Last week was fairly smooth sailing, actually. Or maybe I was already mentally checked out so I just didn't care. Hmm, that's a pretty good possibility. Anyway, I said goodbye to all the kiddos, which was sort of sad, but honestly I was just glad to be done so I wasn't as sad as I probably should have been.
On Thursday, I was only in 2 art classes because Ms. D had a sub so she could get sets ready for the Wizard of Oz play that was this week. The rest of my day was spent helping her paint sets like this one:
When I was saying goodbye to the bittersweet group of 6th graders (some kids in this class are wonderful and I love them, while others make me want to wring their necks) Joseph, one of my favorite little guys, said "Ms. Clarissa, give me your number and I'll call you!". I gave my number and email to him and him alone because I love him so much and want to stay in touch with him.
Let me tell you about Joseph. First of all, he's SO SWEET. He ALWAYS said hi to me and gave me the cutest little wave when he saw me, which always brought a smile to my face. It was especially nice that he was in this group of kids because several kids in that class did NOT like me at all (they never listened to me, mimicked me, and called me a b*tch more than a few times). So Joseph and a few of his classmates were the little rays of sunshine that made working with that group a little bit easier.
Joseph isn't the brightest crayon in the box, and frequently needed more assistance than most of his peers. I would often be the one to help him, breaking the steps down for him, and giving him lots of ideas or explanations. Perhaps this is why I was able to bond with him so much. Joseph didn't always have the best drawings, but man did he kick butt on the weaving assignment! At first he didn't really get it and needed some assistance but once he got the hang of it, he really nailed it, and enjoyed it too! He worked a lot faster and with much more care than a majority of his classmates.
Sometimes I would run into Joseph outside after school when I went over to the little building to pick up the younger kids for our after school program. His Dad, Mr. Walker, was always there waiting for him. It was pretty precious because they look so much alike! One day Mr. Walker said hi to me and something to the effect of "thanks for being their for our son and encouraging him. He needs that". This was on one of the particularly rough days, so his comment really lifted my spirits. He asked how I was and I gave him an honest answer that I'd had a rough week (this was just after Lexie died). He said "Keep prayer in your life, girl. He is faithful. Just like I am to my wife (pointing at his blushing, eye-rolling bride), He is faithful."
He said what I needed to hear. And it was especially meaningful since that was the first time that a parent had really, sincerely THANKED me and acknowledged the support that I was attempting to give their child.
Friday of last week:
I get a phone call from a 773 number (Chicago), answered it and heard "Hi Miss Clarissa!". It was Joseph!!!! I was so happy to hear that he called me and didn't lose my phone number or forget about me. He and his family (on speaker phone) just called to say hi. His dad said "Thank you for being with our son all year and encouraging him, we are so thankful that you are in his life". So that was pretty much amazing.
Throughout this year, I've been engaged in a different type of service where you don't always seen tangible results of your efforts. When I didn't see results, I tried not to get discouraged. And slowly I began to realize that service really isn't about me at all. It's about humbling myself and learning about others. I may make an impact on other people, and I may not. Either way, the Lord and the people I encounter have an impact on me and that's the important part. It's not about what I do but who I am and who I'm becoming.
Of course, however, positive results are always an affirming thing to see. So when I heard Mr. Walker say those great things to me, it really filled me with joy. I don't know in what ways I impacted Joseph or their family but I at least know that a parent was grateful for my work and knew that I was a positive presence in their child's life. Thanks to everyone who encouraged me to keep on trucking this school year, when I was feeling negative and doubting myself.
Today (Tuesday) I was off since Build isn't in schools this week and they didn't assign me to anything else, which was AWESOME. I went back to Spencer today to watch the play! I found it rather funny that they were performing the Wizard of Oz, talking about going back to Kansas and whatnot, haha. Anyway, it was fun to go back and see this exciting event. The kids actually did very well, they had improved a lot since rehearsal last Thursday! A few of my kids from art and after school were in the show, and I loved being able to see them in a different context. Malik, especially, did an excellent job. He's one of the other 6th graders in Joseph's group that I loved having around. Last week at rehearsal, he was really frustrated with another cast member who wasn't giving their 100%, so I had a short talk with him and just encouraged him to remember that the only person he could control was himself. If someone else doesn't want to give 100% (which happens, well, all the time in life) then it's on them. All you can do is your personal best and it was clear that he was giving that, so he should be proud. He hugged me and said "thanks for the talk, Miss Clarissa". So sweet. It's nice to see kids express gratitude, too.
Then after the show today I saw Malik's proud father, said hi, and he just said "My baby did good, didn't he!". I smiled and agreed.
Oh, and then Markell, the little second grade diva, walked out of his way to give me a nice hug.
And that, my friends, is how my time at Spencer wrapped up. I'm glad it ended on a high note today so I can look back and have positive memories!
Thursday morning I'm headed back to KS for another wedding! This will be the last time I go back before my YAV year is finished, woohoo!
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