Please pray for Stellan!!!

If you haven't heard of this little boy, please go read his momma's blog. He will have a very risky and dangerous surgery tomorrow. Please, please pray for Stellan, for his family, for his team of doctors that God would guide their hands and give them wisdom.

Stand By Me

Stand by Me- really neat video!!!

Spring Break Accomplishments

Well, I set a few goals for myself over break, with the biggest one being to relax, rest, and not work too much.

I'd say "Mission Accomplished!!!!!!!!!!!!" What a wonderful week home with some of my family and all these things completed:

• flower beds planted & mulched
• lawn mowed & many of the leaves cleaned out- still a TON to go in the back but that can wait for other days
• two chapter books read- my students will be so excited that I met the reading challenge with them! :)
• cooking some good meals
• housework
• sleeping in a couple days (which means really just waking up at normal time but catnapping for a while)
• taxes finished & filed
• menu planned & groceries bought
• curtains finally found for my living room (after trips to three different Walmarts!!!)
• quality time with Barbara & Robert (Barbara especially, so much fun!)
• limited work (only 2 hours in my room on Friday and lesson plans & homework packets just done late tonight!)

It's past my bedtime, so I'm signing off. Goodbye spring break 2009! Back to work I go!

Love Is Not...

My momma taught me something a long time ago when we were still going to church with them back in Illinois. I remembered it today in church, just sitting there, out of the blue- well I know it was God, but you know what I mean.

Love is not a feeling. It's a choice. A choice to love in spite of our feelings. A choice to show kindness even when we don't feel it, don't want to, even when the other person doesn't "deserve" it, even when we've been wronged...

That's it for tonight. Thanks for being a good teacher, Momma. :) I love you very much.

Forgive Me Father

God,
Please forgive me and help me. I am so not a nice person, and I know it, and I know You know it. You see the inside parts of me and know my heart. I don't want to use the word to describe myself, but maybe I'm just a hypocrite, I don't know. I don't want to be.

I am trying to live peaceably with others, but it's getting harder and I'm getting tired. Please help me.

Rebekah

I'm In Good Hands

Father,

I've taken some small steps in my life and a few BIG ones. Some forwards and probably too many backwards. Some of the bigger ones? Being a public school teacher because You told me it was my mission work in this world when I really wanted to be a missionary. Leaving everyone & everything I held dear to move (sight unseen) to a place 1000 miles away, to work in a school 1000 miles away with people I'd never met and students I had no clue about when my heart didn't want to leave my momma & pop.

Why??? All because You told me to.

So I know I haven't always trusted You like I should have. I'm a slow learner I know. But I am trying hard to get it and learn these eternal lessons You're trying to teach me.

I have done my part in this thing I've been struggling with You & my own self on. I've knocked on the door. I'm trusting you with my life and the future of my family, my career, my home, my health- it all. I can't do any of it without You, and I don't want to either. I'm in Your hands, and I know You will take me where You want me to be and help me to be who You want me to be.

Please just let me know what that is in Your time, Father, and until that time comes, please help me not to be stupid or dense like I often am. :)

For now & always,
I'm in Your Good Hands

Rebekah :)

Taxes for Teenagers

Pray for me folks. I am about to show Barbara how to do her taxes. Am I nuts or just totally sleep-deprived? Why am I doing this? All because she asked me to show her and because she wants her $13 back. :) I figured it might be worth a giggle, a good memory someday, and not too hard, please dear Lord, to show her now.

Here we go!

Grace- an exercise

I've been reading the gospels to find out exactly "who" Jesus was- what kind of person He was, what He did, what His personality was like, how He treated others.... Today I found a verse that might just sum it all up. I went looking for what exactly this one particular word, "grace," means...

John 1:14- "...the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth."

The definition of grace that stood out to me the most was this one:

Grace- the exercise of love, kindness, & mercy; a disposition to benefit or serve another

WOW! I think that could be a one phrase/sentence statement that truly sums up Jesus- if you can sum up God in one sentence, that is. :) Jesus showed love, kindness and mercy everywhere He went in his travels, in His work, in what He said & did. He lived a live of service to others, and when it came down to it, He thought of others and put Himself and His own physical needs and wants last, even to the point of laying down His own life for us.

And, in my own life- am I exercising love, kindness, mercy, serving others? I'd like to think so, but I also know some areas where I am not- so really, in the end, I'm not, am I? I don't like exercising- period. It's hard work, it's painful sometimes, it makes you grow and often be uncomfortable in the process, it isn't always pleasant, sometimes it yields pleasant results, and sometimes it doesn't. It's easy to be all love & kindness to those who love me back and who never mistreat me. But when someone has hurt me bad enough, I don't want to deal with them, I just want to be left alone. But is that what Jesus did?

I've got some more thinking to do here, a lot of it, actually. Jesus wasn't a doormat either. Though He was love, kindness and mercy, there were also times when He left an area where He wasn't received, where He got mad, where He dusted the dirt of His feet and moved on... But even in those times, I believe He was saddened at the people's rejection of Him and His love and mercy... In His heart, He wanted people to accept His gift.

I've really got to exercise more spiritually. I think that is the lesson Jesus has been trying to teach me the past year or two. And this journey to be more like Him- well, I've got a long, long way to go.

Gardening Fun

It was supposed to rain, but so far it hasn't. Even though it was a little cool, Robert & Barbara & I went outside to do some gardening today. We did a lot, and I know it will be so pretty once everything gets established.

Barbara made the flower boxes with dahlias, vinca vine, and alyssum.

pink moss phlox by the mailbox- it will eventually spread out and be a mass of pink blooms

this is the corner of the backyard by the driveway... going to plant these blue salvia & artemesia here

our tomato patch - nine plants- romas, roma grape, big boy, bonnies- ooooh, i can almost taste them now!!! hoping to make lots of fresh homemade pico de gallo, salsa, even some fresh spaghetti sauce this summer on top of just eating my weight in tomatoes- and that's a LOT folks! :)

our herb garden right off the kitchen door- cilantro, chives, Italian parsley, Greek oregano, rosemary, dill, thyme, sweet basil, and lavender

flower bed #1- the "Tree Stump Bed"- before

and after - this one has my Pop's hen & chicks he sent me, 2 columbine, 4 violas, 5 coreopsis, and a few petunias and purple alyssum

the right side of the deck - before

and after- this is filled with a few blue salvia & lots of lambs' ear- one of my favorites!

Barbara also filled all my flower pots on the deck with petunias, alyssum, a geranium, and potted Rob's two cayenne peppers. That's it for today. Hope to finish the other patch, plant Rob's jalapenos, and get my sunflower patch in this week. That will be it for this year. Maybe in the fall, we'll plant some spring-blooming bulbs and put in some more perennials. I have some ideas for next spring to think about over the next few months, but I am going to enjoy this wonderful start to my first spring in my new home. :)

God loved us all (in the whole wide world, every color, every nation, every language, every culture, every walk of life) so very deeply, He sent us His own son, Jesus, to die for our sins and give us eternal life.... John 3:16- Rebekah's paraphrase...

I'm missing my momma & pop a whole lot this day. Kept busy with church, a nap, flower shopping, & I tried not to think about it most of the day, but as evening has worn on, well, I just missed them- that's all.

I know that Easter isn't about family, really, but about something so much more important. It's about that verse up there, and I'm so very thankful that HE loved me that much, even when HE knew me, knew how I'd be, knew the mistakes and screw-ups I'd make, knew my many faults, and yet HE still made the choice to come and die for me.

Thank You Father for this day and what it is really about. Thank You for the gift you gave to us of life and the horrible price You paid for that gift. I love You God. Help me to always love You.

A Small Child's "Mite"

I had a little boy in my class last year. I've journaled about him before. He has taken a piece of my heart, and I am still learning just how deeply he has affected me and perhaps changed my life in ways I may never be able to put into words.

He loves to give gifts- it truly is his love language. Last year, my wall and cabinets were full of small tokens of affection, creations he had made, and many of them were very creative. He has brought me presents this year for myself as well as my boys, a poster and a magazine he took from his room for them- specifically choosing each one for one particular son. Recently he told me he was still looking for a gift for my daughter & that he felt bad about it. Last week he told me he was trying to find a present for me... I tried, as I always do, to put that off, tell him it was not necessary, blah, blah, blah... So one day I told him I'd try to find him a gift too. I bought something for him and his sister of no value at all- literally $1 spent on each... It was just a little laminated note card that told them both they were special, and I talked with them about how much I cared for them, how much they meant to me, and how truly special they were and asked them to never forget it. That's it- $1 spent on each of them out of my abundance. Nothing to brag or write home about. So very little in fact that it's almost embarrassing to even mention it.

Today, in walks my friend with a present for me- a toy of his, this little toy gorilla. I know he has so little at home, truly nothing in more ways than I could ever say here out of respect for his life. How could I take this gift from him???? I was so awe-struck, so humbled, so many emotions at once. I, once again, tried to gently refuse the gift telling him I hated to take his toy, was he sure, what would his mom say... He insisted just as earnestly and sweetly. I knew if I didn't take it, he'd be offended, and I'd undo all the progress he & I have made and his trust in me. I can NEVER risk that, so I took the gift with more tears in my eyes than I can say. Once he left my room, I started crying- really crying- my kids were staring at me like I'd lost my mind- only they know I'm a cryer. I had to call Rob to ask him if I did the right thing. I still don't know, but I know I couldn't hurt him.

Now, hours later, I am still floored by this. This was truly this child's mite- one of his small, few possessions and he gave it to me out of his love for me. I cannot begin to say how this makes me feel, words can never express it.

I am thinking of all the things he has said to me over the past few weeks. He recently told me he wished he could come live with me & I would so take him in a heartbeat if he ever needed a home. He said he could NEVER be mad at me (though he forgot about our first few weeks together when he was such an angry little boy and hurting so much he couldn't show the sweet, loving side of him)... He told me if anyone ever bothered me or hurt me, he'd call the "po-lice" on them...

I think of what little I can do, and I so wish I could do more for him, more than my own small mite of nothing but love, hugs, daily bus checks, and an occasional kiss on the head.

God, I know You honored the woman who gave of her little all that she had. I know that You took a few little fish and loaves of bread and made so much, much more out of it- enough to feed thousands. Well, God, what do I have to offer? Nothing, so little, only a lot of hugs, smiles, encouraging words, respect, love, and my goofy, silly self. It's so little against the hurts of what so many of my kids face at home and in their lives... I DON'T understand at all how my little can do any long-term, eternal good, but I know You can turn nothing into something. Please somehow God, use my nothing to do something even I can't imagine in my friend's life and his sister's too, Father.

And help me to take this mite of love which is actually not a mite at all, but a huge treasure to me and love them all with everything that is in me. I do love my kids God.

I am ever Your servant,

Rebekah :)

Missing Missouri

The dogwoods are in full bloom and looking prettier each day here in north central N.C. I LOVE dogwoods!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't wait to plant some of my very own here in the new yard, trees that will actually be MINE! :) I have plans for that front yard of mine when it comes to dogwoods... :) :) :) (Not that my kids or hubby read this blog, but should they, consider that a HUGEMONGOUS hint, hint, hint) :) :) :)

When the dogwoods bloom it always makes me miss Missouri. I know that sounds silly, missing a state. Have you ever been to Missouri this time of year? The dogwood is the state tree of Missouri, and its not like here in NC (which also has the dogwood as its state tree). The wild woods of Missouri are chock-FULL of dogwoods. It was always so beautiful to drive through the country to our home and see the woods just full of wild dogwood trees- their white blossoms just filling the still bare woods. Someday, I don't know how or when, I hope to be back in Missouri at dogwood-blooming time so I can get some photos, walk in the woods, and just enjoy their beauty.

I think when I miss Missouri, it's more that I miss my family. I miss the daddy I only knew for a few short years who we left behind buried in a cemetery plot in a small southern Missouri town. I miss what might have been had he lived- yet I have no clue how my life might have been, let alone if it would have even been better.... I miss my momma- the strong person in my life, the one I always could & can count on, the only family member I always knew loved me for sure, no matter what when I was growing up. I miss my pop who came into my life after Missouri and has come to love me like his own. I miss the country and the freedom to run in the field, walk through the woods, go play in a creek & find crawdads and try to catch minnows...

I do love the dogwoods, even though their time to bloom is a bit of a melancholy time some years. In their delicate beauty, they remind me that life is not always easy, the path is not always smooth, but life is always beautiful. I am a better person for the hard times, and I hope there is some beauty in my life, some glimmer of God that shows through the wild woods of my heart, my attitude, my words, and my deeds.

Wherever you are, I hope there are dogwoods and beauty surrounding you!

Politics Make Me Sad

I DON'T discuss politics with anyone except Rob in the privacy of my home or even, more often, bedroom. I don't for two reasons: one, they just make me sad- the negativity, the attacks on people, the back-handedness of it all.... it just disgusts me. The other, I'm truly not very "smart" in this area, and I quickly (like in two or three sentences) get out of what I do know, I don't have a lot of very strong opinions and can't debate well, and just don't know the answers to anything, so I just listen to what others say and sometimes say, "Hmmm..."

Today, though, Robert & I are watching the Sunday morning news while I play on the computer I saw & heard something I think is absolutely ridiculous! The media was discussing the president & mrs.' trip to Europe... They began to discuss Mrs. O's popularity with the people she met and talked to, who she hugged, and what presents she gave and was given & then on to her fashion- clothes, makeup, hair. The summary statement before they moved on to the next topic was that they felt the trip could be deemed a success. This is crazy!!!! The trip was a success because of what???? All they talked about was Mrs. Obama, nothing about what the president had done or talked about or agreements made while they were in Europe... It was all- Mrs. Obama wore the latest styles, changed her clothes often, had beautiful makeup, loves & utilizes the new spring colors.... Wonderful. I agree she is a lovely woman, very beautiful and graceful, and I'm sure quite charming and poised in person... But is this really how we decide if the President of the United States had a successful overseas meeting???

What have we come to in this country???? I'm not sure I like it at all... Are Americans really this shallow? Or does the media just think we are? Why doesn't the media talk about the important things and treat the American public as if we were intelligent people???

I don't know, but once again, politics, media, our society just makes me sad.

Fun Friday with My Marvelous Matthew

Today was a really nice day- one I will remember for a long, long time. Matthew came and spent one of his spring break days with my class and me! :) He will never know how much it mean to the kids but really to me!!!

And he truly was terrific with the kids. He worked well with the kids- did a small group math game with my kinders while I taught the 1st grade math lesson and kept them all engaged and active. They had a blast playing Number Bam with him! Then he worked with the 1st graders helping them finish their math work, measuring objects in the classroom. He played with them on the playground eagerly, and they were having so much fun chasing him around. :)

This afternoon he worked with kids one-on-one on some work they needed to do, helping one make patterns, helping another write, then working in the building center with legos, blocks, and cars with the kids. He also helped the kids make coffee filter butterflies this morning. We all ate together at lunch, and Matthew read to some of the kids at quiet reading time as well.

Truly, he just gave me some wonderful "Mom" moments today that I will cherish forever!!! On top of the fun time spent in each other's company, he was good to my "kids" & enjoyed working with them as much as I do- anyone who knows me, knows that if you are good to my kids- my own or my school kids- well I will love you for life! So it meant even more to me that he was so good with my school kids. I am so thankful for being all I always wanted to be- a wife, a mom, a teacher. And today I got to enjoy being two of those at the same time. What a day!

Thank You God, for a wonderful day with my son and my "kids." Thank You for the opportunity to know all these young people You've placed in my life, allowed me to work with, know, watch grow up... Thank You for my son, Matthew. Thank You for the gift of him and what he gave back to me today and to my kids at school. Bless him for his gift and show him the path You want him to follow in this life.

Night Father! Night world.

Rebekah :)

Two Paths Diverged...

"But the gate to life is very narrow. The road that leads there is so hard to follow that only a few people find it." Matthew 7:14 (Contemporary English Version)

This has been on my mind for a while, and I keep trying to put my thoughts and feelings into words, but find it so difficult to do. I still don't know if I can begin to express myself the way I want to, but I've got to get this out of me and somewhere to think about it. I'm hesitant to do this also because I don't really even know who reads this, and am pretty sure that anyone except my closest family members will not really understand where this is coming from. Please know that this is very, deeply personal to me. I AM NOT, IN ANY WAY claiming or acting or thinking or trying to seem like I am anything. Quite the contrary, I know I am nothing without God. I know, better than anyone in my family, church, or for sure a soul that works with me, that I am just a sinner trying to rely on Jesus' grace & mercy!!! These are simply some thoughts I'm trying to understand and work through.

Okay? Okay...

I am at a crossroads in my life, once again. It really has me thinking about crossroads, forks in the road, and other divergences on the path of life. It has me thinking about my past, choices I've made, examples I've set, the way I've lived. It has me thinking about the future, what choices I will make and where they will take me in life. I would never EVER have seen myself in N.C. or anywhere far from my momma, once upon a time. Where will my life go from here? Where will I venture? Or end up when it's all said & done?

I hear so much negative talk, and I am struggling to not let it pull me down. I feel like I am looking at this divergence in the road above. So many around me are walking along, complaining about their students, complaining about the parents and families.... I feel more and more left out and different, and I'm sure I look like a snob to some who work with me because I am withdrawing more and more and participating in conversations less & less... I HATE that a lot! A WHOLE LOT!!! I want to have friends, to feel like I belong and fit in, to get along with others, to be part of "the team."

But I cannot walk that path with them. It may be the path they've chosen, but if I go down that path, I'll hate me and not be true to who I am, who I was meant to be, who God wants me to be. For whatever reason, He made me who I am, gave me the talents and personality that I have (what that says about God I'll not even attempt to figure out ;)- wink, wink), and sent me lessons in life that have made the person I am, the mom I am, the teacher I am... I must continue on the path He has placed me on here in N.C. and trust that He has a better plan for my life. I must trust that my feelings are not what really matter and that the only approval I need to be concerned about is His...

I must choose the road less travelled. I am sure, in the end, it will make all the difference.

40 years

Forty years ago today my momma and daddy were married. I've been missing my daddy more (as I usually do at this time of year when the dogwoods start blooming and remind me of another life I lived long ago), and missing my momma- well that I do always. :)

I thought a lot about our lives as I cleaned and shampooed carpets this weekend... how they'd turned out so far... where our lives had taken us all... how things had happened... I wonder who we would be now if daddy hadn't died. I wonder if I'd be a better/worse/just different person. I hope I'm better for what I've gone through and learned. I hope I am a person that makes (most importantly of all) my heavenly Father proud of me, but I hope somehow, someway my daddy can see me and is also proud of me. I know my momma is, and that knowledge helps me sometimes when I'm low.

I am even more in awe of my mom now that I am getting a little older and wiser. I understand her so much better now that I have almost grown kids of my own. I thought about her a lot this weekend, how she had to bury her husband one day before her anniversary and a few days before her birthday. What a great way to celebrate! And do all she had to do with two young girls watching her very closely. I wonder, Momma, do you know how much I watched you? Do you know how amazing you are to me? Do you know how proud I am of you? How much I love you and respect you?

Somehow I know Daddy would be proud of you Momma, and how you went on each day, week, month... How you raised us to be who we are today. How you went on to love again and live a happy, fulfilled life. How you fought and survived the big "C." How you have lived for Christ in all that you've faced.

I'm thankful to God that He chose to send my momma someone else to live life with, to love & be loved by so that she would not be lonely the rest of her days. I'm thankful for that person, I've come to call "Pop" who has loved my momma for almost 25 years and who has loved us too. I know my daddy would be proud of you too, Pop. But most of all, he'd be thankful for you and all you've done and been to Momma & to us.

So, if it's not too weird, I'll wish my daddy up in heaven and my Momma down here a happy anniversary. Daddy, you are remembered still. Momma, I love you more than I can ever say. Thank you for bringing J & me into this world with daddy, loving us every day, teaching us to love Him, and how to live and for always being there for us.

Of Rain, Cleaning, Gardening, and Cell Phones

Saturday, busy Saturday.

Today, so far,

• we've taken the girls to school for Saturday school & picked them up (of course, you didn't think I'd actually leave them there did you? ;P)
• been to Wally-world for last minute items we need for today
• dug up and moved two carloads of trees & plants (things at the old house that we had bought & planted or my parents had brought us from the midwest )
• transplanted 9 hostas, 1 fern, the herb garden Matthew & I started at the old house, two echinacea, my two "Mothers' Day trees" that the kids & Rob got me (my peach tree & dwarf Japanese maple tree), the Mexican heather, a mum, three clumps of lambs ear (Barbara says I have a love affair with this plant), Pop's hen & chicks that he brought me from his yard, and five clusters of daffodils. Matthew & I worked in the rain & were sopping wet messes when we finished putting them in the ground, but it's done now & just in time for the good, heavier rain that is now moving in
• cleaned the oven & stove & frig at the old house & taken the frig out for our neighbor to use
• shampooed two rooms' carpets
• loaded & moved two more car loads of stuff
• trashed one cell phone! Somehow in all this craziness, I forgot to take my cell phone out of my dress pocket. When Matthew loaded our filthy clothes in the washing machine after our yard work, I totally forgot the phone was in my pocket. So now I'm without a cell phone. That's the first time I've done something quite that stupid with my phone! YIKES!!!! Good going Rebekah!

Now, Rob is working with James (a neighbor at our old house who "just happens" to be a contractor and offered to come help Rob & teach Rob how to fix this mess of ceilings we have after the "great flood of 2009." ;) ;)

In a few, Matthew & I are taking Robert to work and heading back to finish cleaning the kitchen & bathroom floors & shampooing the hall & front room and load the last carload of stuff to bring over. Then we will be done, except to turn in the keys and say a last goodbye to our home for over 3 1/2 years.

I'm sick, hurting, and more tired than I can say. But we are truly just about to be done. I'll have one closet crammed with stuff to unpack- much of that is pictures and wall things to put up. Then I have to figure out how to set up the computer area, and we'll be done.

I'm SOOOOOO very ready for moving to be done and life to sort of get back to just the "normal" craziness. This is very tiring!

So, with about five minutes more to go before I have to leave again, I'm signing off. Enjoy your weekend, wherever you are!

Rebekah :)

Hodge Podge

This is going to be a hodge podge of nothing important. My brain is mush- well, okay more than normal mush. ;)

• God helped us out in a HUGE way!!! James (a neighbor at the other house) came over to look at the damage at the new house last night, then came back tonight to help Rob work on it, and is coming back tomorrow to do more. Hopefully in a few days, we'll have our ceilings back to normal and hopefully not to far down the road we'll have our floor back in like new shape. THANK YOU GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
• I am sick!!!! I have not much voice- it keeps coming and going, and it hurts big time to talk, to swallow, to eat... I am getting sicker I am afraid, but praying this goes away quickly. I don't have time for this right now. My back is better but still hurting, but I'm thankful for better anyway!
• I am emotional today- well more than normal. I miss my daddy. Then I missed my momma & pop and thought a lot today about my life....
• I am hurting for some kids in my life, wishing I could do more for them to make their lives be what they ought to be, what every kid should have, but so many don't.
• I am aggravated at "teachers" as a whole. Between two teachers in this house and listening to things said to my girls and in my girls classes by other teachers, well I just get so tired and it brings me down, it truly does. Every child, no matter what they act like, look like, where they come from, who their parents are or what their parents do, EVERY child deserves some basic respect and kindness. Every human being on the planet needs that, no matter how young or how old, how rich or how poor, no matter their circumstances in life. Okay, enough on that. That will have to be another post, another day.
• I am blessed, so very blessed, and I know I don't deserve it. I am so utterly thankful for what I have been given in life (not just the material things, but really the "other stuff" which is more important anyway).

So with these random things I'm off to check on some kids I know, try to clear up a little of the mess that is my house, now a construction zone once again, and head to bed sooner than later I hope. We have to find a way to finish up at the other house and get it cleaned and ready soon; we're almost out of days.

Night God. Night world.

Rebekah :)

P.S. Daddy, I miss you. Happy "Going to Heaven Day."

Urgent Prayer Request

I'm sick and don't feel like much tonight. I've decided that I'm just not a grown-up person; I am great with kids, but not so much with all the rest. Oh well.

Anywhoo, on to something very urgent & important. Please say a prayer for this little baby, Stellan. He is VERY, VERY sick with heart problems. You can read more about his life so far. God has already moved in his life and healed him once, but he is once again in a life-threatening condition and needs a miracle. Please pray for him and his family and if you can, go read his momma's blog.

Night!

Rebekah :)

Parent-Teacher Conflicts

I'm going to work in a minute- I'm late, but I just have to jot this little tidbit down. I'm once again a lousy parent (at least in the eyes of a couple teachers) & I'm SOOOOO sick of this. It's been a while since I had a run-in with one of Barbara's teachers, and this time it is a couple teachers anyway and they teach both the girls. I must say that I will be glad for graduation and not having to deal with her teachers anymore. She's had a few that hated her & hated me, or at least let it be known there was a strong dislike and disdain. I've been told by a few teachers that I am "the worst parent they've known" or other such things.

I'm sick of teachers who make judgements about parents based on the part they see and who don't even take the time to get to know their children's parents let alone take time to "walk a mile in their shoes." I see this at work too, and it just brings me down. It never solves problems to just blame the home and parents- even when sometimes the issues we have or things we see may be true. There are reasons parents do what they do, and who are we to judge? I guess I just think what parent says, "Today, I want to stink at being a mom/dad? I want to royally mess up my kids' futures and their education and opportunities and life, so I'm going to make these choices to screw them up?" I don't think so. I think that like all of us, parents do what they know to do with what they have in the circumstances they find themselves in life. They often weren't dealt a good hand as a child either and may or may not have had any good role models to know any differently. They may have their own issues that prevent them from doing better even though they love their kids. They may be held back by former decisions and choices and don't know how to get out of their situation.

I'm not making excuses for myself or any of the other "bad parents." I am just saying to all the perfect, wonderful teachers out there, cut the rest of us parents some slack. The world only has a few slots for you perfect people. Someone has to suck. Leave us alone and let us do it.