I told you that I would post about Eric's Pre-K and my thoughts on it all so, here it is as I promised.
Three years ago I was looking for a Mother's Day Out program to put Alex in. I checked at a number of places locally and wasn't having much luck finding something that felt right. Then, a friend of mine mentioned that she had her son in a program at Woodland Place Baptist Church called Little Leaders. Her exact words to me were, "If I didn't belong to our church, I would go there in a heartbeat." Well, that is saying a whole lot, so I went and checked it out. The price was definitely reasonable and the people were super kind. So, I enrolled Alex for Pre-K. There Alex blossomed! He had two amazing teachers that I couldn't thank enough for how amazing and loving they were to my boy. I was in love with these people and I wanted to continue to have them in my life and in my family's lives. I had cried, laughed, smiled, cheered, and found so much joy when with these devoted women. We became friends, good friends.
The next year I decided to enroll Eric in the three-year-old class. I am not sure if I was doing it for him or for me...really I couldn't imagine missing a year with these people. Once the school year started they asked me to teach at the school in the Pre-K class. I have NEVER loved a job the way I LOVED this job. I was in an environment where the Spirit was always present and the support and love were never ending. Each morning we prayed together. We prayed for each other, friends, family, students, tests, teachers...anything that was brought to our meetings. It is here that I learned what it meant to pray. I saw miracles and witnessed mighty changes in heart. I grew so much as a Christian. I learned to fellowship and share the love of Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father with any that were willing to hear. I became friends with my co-teacher, not just pals on facebook, but sisters in the eyes of the Lord. The year was amazing and as I get further and further along in my pregnancy with Josephine, they took care of me. There were many times I often wondered what the heck I was doing bringing a child into such a tumultuous world, but then I would see the good that there is and all my fears would diminish. THIS is what it felt like to raise your child in "a village".
Well, as baby girl came along and Alex left the public school system, I stepped away from my teaching roll and went back to being the Room Mom. Eric was blessed to have Mrs. Fran and Mrs.Kristi, the same teachers Alex had for Pre-K. What a year it was! These teachers faced some serious issues as they stood up for what they believed and stood by their director as her job was brought to the attention of the church. They dealt with budget issues and restrictions like they had never had before. Still, they greeted every parent and student with a smile and a genuine kindness and compassion. The love for their jobs shined through constantly. My Eric struggles with his emotions and is a VERY tender-hearted boy. They constantly made him feel loved. When he had melt downs, they didn't scold him or ignore him. They prayed with him, hugged him tight and told him he was loved. Eric needed that very much. He often would tell me that he had to tell his teachers something, or show them something, and each time that he talked to them, they focused on him and acted as if he was their entire world for that moment.
The last few weeks of school were hard. News came down from the church that the Mother's Day Out program would be CLOSING. I literally wept for days over this, and I still get a little misty eyed when I think about it. After this year, it would be over. OVER. What would I do without this program? I know the boys had outgrown it, but I had always just pictured Josephine going there too. I don't know all of the details, so I don't want to point fingers or assign blame. I do know that the teachers stood up for what they believed and didn't back down. They had the students, parents, teachers, and church's best interest at heart. They displayed true friendship and loyalty. They are true examples of what it is to be an upstanding Christian woman. The school year ended as it always did, class parties, graduation, the children singing and lots of hugs. I wept as I drove to Eric's final Pre-K program. I was a bit sad that my sweet baby boy was growing up, but I was heartbroken to watch the end of such an amazing program. I didn't want it to end.
Now, a month later, I sit in my kitchen and I still cry. I know that these women will go on and continue to touch the lives of others and to bless the world with their kind hearts. I know that my children will look back on their years in Pre-K and remember all of the joy and giggles. Most of all, I know that I learned a whole lot about myself, my children, my personal faith and how to be a Mommy in those short three years. I learned what loving a child looks like and feels like. I learned what it meant to "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it" (Proverbs 22:6). I want to carry on their legacy with my children. I want them to know of God's love for them, no matter what. I want the to see the good and be the good in the world. I want to live so that when all is said and done, I will be counted among those women as noble and true Christians.
I honestly couldn't say it enough. I love the friends I have made through this program. I am grateful that we live in a small enough community that we will cross each other's paths every now and then and that technology allows us to keep in touch.
There may not be a Little Leaders program any more, but in my heart, my boys will always be Little Leaders.
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