Tuesday SOL: How to say goodbye to our family?

I am participating in the
Tuesday Slice of Life.
All participants are writing about one moment, one part of their day.

A big thank you to Two Writing Teachers for providing this unique opportunity

for teacher-writers to share and reflect.

This year, our hello/goodbye window is a particularly magical and happy place in my classroom. Do you know the book, by Norman Juster? In the story, grandparents have a special window in their home where children can watch everyone come and go. It is a very special love ritual. 

How to explain this special place in our classroom? It is the perfect salve for the fragile preschooler who is sad to say goodbye to their family. They no longer have time to dwell on their misery, because one must get to the window and make merry!

One quirk about our window is that it isn't exactly on the way out the door for families...in fact, when they leave our classroom, they have to back up a few steps in the opposite direction to get to the window. It's proof that sometimes going backwards ends up being a step forward. When a preschooler's face begins to sadden at their family member leaving, a classmate or teacher nudges them - "quick! let's go see them at the window!" and off we race to the window. Oh, the scenes that transpire! We blow kisses, we make silly faces, we give hearty waves. The sad preschooler becomes an enthralled preschooler, because there is so much more to see than just their family. Yes, Mom or Dad may have just left, but look! Look at everyone else! It seems like the whole school parades by the window. Older students, who once depended on this window themselves, now stop and wave and make faces at the preschoolers. Teachers and administrators stop and wave, too. If you look very closely, across the way, you can see the preschoolers in the classroom next door. There's nothing more fun than waving to these friends, who we will see on the playground later in the day. Yes, our hello/goodbye window is a place of love and joy. The perfect way to begin a school day!

How do you say goodbye?

This summer is filled with packing and leaving.

The children, as is true every year, packed up and left the building, knowing 

(though not entirely understanding) that they would not be preschool Big Cats anymore.

We teachers, at the school year's end, spent a busy week packing up our classrooms for our move to our new school this August.

Now, here in July, I am at my parents' house in South Carolina, packing them up to move to a retirement community up north.

Packing and leaving.

A summer filled with boxes.

A summer filled with emotions.

How do you say goodbye?

I believe it is so important to 

pause

and identify

and hone in

on all the little, ordinary actions that

comprise your life

and recognize these,

celebrate these,

embrace their significance.

That last day of school, we celebrated saying goodbye to the walking rope.

Honestly, I don't know who was more excited - 

the children, 

for whom "no more walking rope" is a matter of pride, knowing that they are now advancing to pre-K (and they will simply hold hands with a partner as they walk)?

Or me?  

I know I will no longer be using a walking rope every single day at the new building, because, 

yes, yes, yes, we will have green space right on our premises!

We lined the children up 

one last time

with the walking rope.

I emphatically asked 

each pair of children  -

Do you feel ready for Pre-K?

Do you agree that you no longer need this walking rope?

With each enthusiastic "YES!,"

I symbolically cut a ring off   

of this torn, old, worn out rope. 

"Go forth!" I encouraged.

The children walked two by two

towards the dumpster and

threw their ring away.

It was important to me that we "say goodbye to the walking rope" and

the children loved it.

Now, here at my parents' house,

I'm daring to take my Dad down memory lane, too.

I'm hoping that what works with preschoolers 

will soothe him 

and me

as well.

This isn't a family home that we are saying goodbye to.

Perhaps this makes it easier for me and my brothers?

My parents retired here and had some twenty good healthy years in this location.

But now, with my Mom having dementia and 

my Dad with Parkinson's and other physical ailments (perhaps due to all his caregiving),

they are leaving here for a retirement community

close to family.

Mom is already safely ensconced in her new home, 

surrounded by 24 hour care, and

the love and attention of my oldest brother and his family.

My other three brothers and I are here in South Carolina with Dad,

packing and

remembering.

In the midst of all the boxes,

we are going down memory lane with him,

physically,

doing routine things together,

pausing,

identifying,

remembering...

coffee at Sunrise Cafe, 

looking for dolphins at the ocean,

hush puppies and a cold beverage at South Beach,

attending church at Holy Family,

listening to Frank Sinatra, Willy Nelson, Jim Croce on the porch,

eating Philly cheesesteaks from Publix,

walking the neighborhood.

How do you say goodbye?

May it be as soothing for my 85 year old father 

as it was for my preschoolers.

My brothers (Sonny, David, Ralph), my father, and me, attempting a selfie as we begin packing.