an opportunity to say "thank you"

I just mailed out about 100 handwritten notes.... from my students.

I decided to go to work today, on the 5th anniversary of my sister's passing.

I hadn't been able to do that before, and quite frankly, I wasn't so sure I would make it through the day.

I had the idea to ask my kids to write a thank you note to whomever they wanted and I would buy the cards and pay for postage.

I almost lost my nerve.  I didn't know if they would want to, and I didn't want to pressure anyone into doing it.  And I really didn't want to talk about something so unpleasant as my sister dying.  I knew enough not to tell them until after they had finished.

I don't know if it's because they're just really nice kids who generally will do what I ask, or if they were intrigued by why I was asking them, or if they just were thrilled I wasn't asking them to do math for 10 minutes, but almost every kid wrote a note, and some asked for more.

These are some of the nicest, kindest kids I've ever had the pleasure of teaching, and if they weren't this way I don't think I would have had the nerve to open up enough to tell them something so painful and personal.  I have the best job in the world, and I teach some of the most wonderful kids anyone could ever ask for, and I count them among my blessings.

Thanks, students of mine, for making today less painful, for giving me purpose, today and every day.

I hope they find that the person who receives their note(s) will be touched by their sentiments, and I hope this is a tradition they carry with them long after they're not in my classroom.

Re-post on the 5th anniversary of Jen's death.

Miss you, Jen.

***

Herb, Jennifer, Cindy, and Bonnie Phillips

My sister Jennifer died suddenly of Diabetes on December 18, 2012.  She was barely 37 years old.

Jennifer had a really difficult life.  She was diagnosed with Turner's syndrome when she was really young.  Turner's syndrome girls develop many health problems, and Jennifer had a lot of health problems in her short life.  She often felt really sad that she had so many health problems and felt like she was dealt a really bad deck of cards.

Despite that, one of Jennifer's greatest pleasures was to buy, write, and send greeting cards to people she knew.  She sent them for every life event: birthdays, anniversaries, religious days, and "just because."  She was really old-fashioned this way.

When Jennifer died, people came out of the woodworks to say what a beautiful soul she was, and how she would often be the only one to commemorate an event with a card, and how much it meant for those people to receive them.

As her sister, I didn't really appreciate receiving her cards.  It used to feel like it wasn't even a day that went by before I received a thank-you note to a gift I had purchased her; "I'm your sister!  You don't have to send me a thank-you card!!" I would scoff.  Of course, I'm sure she was incensed that I never sent her any.

After Jen died, my father said, "you're going to want to see this."  It was a thank-you note to me, from her, for bringing her shrimp and calling her after she was in a car accident.  She didn't have the time to mail it, but it still found its way into my hands, post-mortem.

I treasure that card so much.

In her memory, I am going to send 100 Handwritten Notes in 100 days to people who want them.

My handwriting is awful.
I'm a leftie so the pen always smudges.
It doesn't matter.

Jennifer, I miss you and think of you every day.  This is for you.