The Kitchen

I have always wondered why I found the kitchen in my mother's house so peaceful. I have always sat and talked to my mom if she wouldn't let me help out and visit with her. She would ask me to get things or chop this or that. It was where I always found her.

I remember when I had just came back from Dr. Clemans' office and opened the door. My mom was right there and said, "You're pregnant!" I hadn't told her I was going to the doctor's or that I was feeling bad. I know there were signs for her, but I never put those together. Elizabeth this was the day that we found out I was pregnant with you. Your Nana was so happy to know that I was going to be a Mom. I know how she felt when all of us told her that we were expecting. It is the proudest moment of a parent's life.

I remember spending so much time watching her cook or helping with whatever she wanted me to do. The kitchen in our house is where the masterpieces begin and friends gather.

As the school year ends, I am literally drained of being the "captain of the world" or school or work or whatever. I expect everyone to work as hard as I do and wonder why they don't. It is so frustrating to expect this and not happen. Why did so many people go into education? Why do we allow our kids to accept just mediocre teachers? Why do we accept mediocre adminstrators? Is it the easiest way to fill a position or do we really care about the kids in our community. So we come to the kitchen in our lives.

The kitchen is where we talk, cook, snack, and visit. I know I learned so much about life and family from my kitchen at home. Today after a real rough two weeks of school, I had my friends join me in my kitchen. We have room in the livingroom and dining table to sit and enjoy a beer or a glass of chilled wine, but we always end up at the kitchen counter. Jan, Tina, Sarah, and I needed to just vent over beer and wine and food. After much laughter and venting, well more laughter than venting, I think we solved the problems of the world and school. Well, we did solve our problems at school.

What we expect from our school is what most hard working teachers very rarely get! That is satisfaction! Our district sometimes settles for the easiest solution to our problems. Put a warm body in and everything will be okay. I can't fix this solution but my friends always put it in prospective. Laughter and food. My kitchen was the center of what we needed at the end of the two worst weeks of our year. Thank you for my posse that is always looking after me and making sure I don't lose it. It is the main reason I keep coming back everyday. I can teach anywhere, but I can't find friends as good as these ladies.

My kitchen will always be a place where kids gather, friends join, and family cook. Thank you Mom for without knowing it instilled the importance of a place to gather.