Emotional Day

Last Friday was a pretty monumental day in my life.

What started out as a day full of excitement, anticipation and yes, nerves, ended on a very somber note when I got home.

To backtrack, last Thursday afternoon I received the phone call that I had been waiting for. A JOB OFFER! Of course I accepted, without hesitation, mind you. I mean, this is what I have been dreaming of doing my entire life. Yes, I am now (and proudly) able to proclaim that I am a TEACHER!

The road to becoming a teacher was not easy, as I have covered in this column a couple of times. But, regardless of the bumps in the road and the fact that I am nearly 40 years old and FINALLY working in the career that I have always dreamed of, I would not change a thing.

I do not regret where I have been in my past careers. I have met many wonderful people that I would never have had the chance to meet otherwise. Many of those past co-workers are now close friends of mine.

However, there is a part of me that, from time to time, says, “Imagine if you would have spent the past 16 years in the classroom instead of with the bank”. We can live our lives with regrets I suppose, but I prefer not to. It can drive you crazy worrying about the “what ifs” in life. Every single thing we do can be analyzed and debated, so why bother. So while I may wonder, I do not regret.

What I do know is that I am VERY happy with where I am at this moment in my life. I feel such a sense of accomplishment every time I walk into my classroom, I enjoy the students and I will continue to strive to be the greatest teacher I can be for them.

It will take time to get into the full swing of teaching. It is certainly not something that you can just walk through the doors and expect to do or know it all. I was blessed to have so many excellent teachers in my life and it is because of them that I am where I am today.

After an exciting first day at school, we came home to a sad, but not totally unexpected surprise. For the past few months the health of our 16-year old cat, Dreyfus, had slowly been declining. After several visits with the veterinarian, the decision was made to end his suffering.

I guess the old boy had other plans. After coming through the door, our other cat was meowing and acting different. I feared the worst and my suspicions were true. After telling my wife, we sat the girls down to tell them about Dreyfus.

I have lost pets before, but Dreyfus had been with me longer than any other.

Dreyfus had a rough and gruff exterior, but was a gentle soul deep down inside. He had attitude, swagger and was a fighter. He was the only cat I ever had that liked to eat Pringles and French fries, but most of all, he was my buddy.

We will miss him, but very glad he is no longer suffering.

It was an emotional day for us all with the beginning of one exciting chapter and the sad ending to another.