I had the opportunity today to visit with a former colleague who's dying of cancer. I began teaching with Carol M. almost 30 years ago. She was a veteran teacher who acted as a mentor for me for the nine years I was at the school where we taught together. Another former colleague emailed me to let me know she was going in for tests at the Mayo Clinic in late November. Carol had cancer once before shortly after I was done teaching at the school where we taught together. I believe I visited her once or twice after she recovered. Another former colleague emailed me to let me know that cancer had returned and that she was going in for tests at the Mayo Clinic in late November. They were going to try to determine what kind of cancer. It turns out it's a very rare kind that has been recorded in American adults only 8 times before. Slightly more common in children, it usually appears in their arms or legs and can be easily removed. Unfortunately for Carol what they found was near her eye and had already spread to her brain and is moving down her neck.
I visited her today with about 5 other former colleagues. It was wonderful to see everyone and I can't believe how natural it felt to be together after 20 years. Carol is doing incredibly well and is sustained by her strong faith. Her acceptance and bravery reminds me of my Dad's when he died almost 11 years ago.
Carol and I taught in a school where Christmas could be recognized. It was always so much fun getting ready with the kids. Even though the time leading up to Christmas vacation was during Advent it was so meaningful to get ready with the kids doing Christmas/winter themed writing, projects, and decorating. We would decorate a tree in the classroom so on the last day of school before vacation many students would give me Christmas tree ornaments. I still have all of them to this day.
Carol told a few stories about Christmas on the farm where she grew up. The one I remember most is how her family's tree would go up on Christmas Eve and her mother would keep it up and the house decorated until Candlemas on February 2. The idea of leaving everything up until the beginning of February always intrigued me. I'd often remind Dale of Carol's family's tradition whenever he gets on me about leaving our house decorated into January. Although I always have 95% of it cleaned up before the end of the month, Carol's story always bought me a little extra time.
Carol and I taught in a school where Christmas could be recognized. It was always so much fun getting ready with the kids. Even though the time leading up to Christmas vacation was during Advent it was so meaningful to get ready with the kids doing Christmas/winter themed writing, projects, and decorating. We would decorate a tree in the classroom so on the last day of school before vacation many students would give me Christmas tree ornaments. I still have all of them to this day.
Carol told a few stories about Christmas on the farm where she grew up. The one I remember most is how her family's tree would go up on Christmas Eve and her mother would keep it up and the house decorated until Candlemas on February 2. The idea of leaving everything up until the beginning of February always intrigued me. I'd often remind Dale of Carol's family's tradition whenever he gets on me about leaving our house decorated into January. Although I always have 95% of it cleaned up before the end of the month, Carol's story always bought me a little extra time.
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