My Daughter is my Hero!

My 13 year old daughter is my Hero! It's true!! Why in the world would a teenager be my hero? Well....
Jennifer has a friend named Madelyn who has been her very best friend since they met in 1st grade. They are so funny to listen to and are always cracking each other up with their silliness.
This year in 7th grade has been difficult for Madelyn. The teen years are trying enough without some of the pressures that teens have to go through.
A few weeks ago Jennifer and I were going home after her Model United Nations Club meeting and she started telling me some of the struggles that Madelyn has been going through. Sadness, feelings of worthlessness, and questioning her own sexuality have been following Madelyn most of the school year. Jennifer disclosed to me that Madelyn wanted to kill herself and she also told me that she had already had been cutting herself. She felt that no one would miss her, not even her pets,her sister, her parents. Jennifer said she tried to cheer her up but it did not seem to be working.
I talked to Jennifer quite a bit on the way home about how tough it is in these years and some of my own struggles as a teen. I encouraged her strongly to go to the school counselor the next day to let her know about what Madelyn was threatening to do. She said she would go the very next day  and I knew she would because I could tell that Jennifer was truly scared for her best friend.
After lunch the next day Jennifer and another close frind went to the school counselor and thank goodness she took it seriously. She immediately called Madelyn to her office and after talking to her she called Madelyn's parents who both came to the school as soon as they could get there.
Jennifer called Madelyn later that afternoon to check up on her and Madelyn thanked her several times for being such a good "sister friend". She was thankful she went to the counselor and told her she would be out of school the next day to see a Dr.
Jennifer was going to be on an U.N. competition trip right after this so she enlisted the help of another friend to stay in contact with Madelyn to make sure she was o.k. while she was gone.

Madelyn is getting the help she was crying out for and I truly feel that Jennifer saved her life!! Jennifer was very brave for taking this so seriously and caring enough to do whatever it took to make sure her very best friend stays on this earth. There might be tough times again but at least Madelyn knows she has a true "once in a lifetime" friend in  Jennifer.

So THIS is why MY teenager, Jennifer Leighann, is MY hero!! Don and I are both so very very proud of Jennifer. She was named Student of the Week and Student of the Month and I told her that evidently someone at the school thinks she is a hero as well. Jennifer just shrugged and said," I am just glad that Madelyn is still alive and that I did not have to go to her funeral."
....Spoken like a TRUE hero!!
I LOVE you Jennifer!!!

What an impact!!

   Well...the first day back with the kids actually went pretty well. Of course lunch ran LATE but I hope with help from the teachers things will get better.
   It was great seeing some of my favorite kids and all the new cute 3rd graders. Looks like it will be a great year! I did not see my little buddy S.R. at breakfast so I was hoping she had not moved. But...all of a sudden there she was. She grabbed Oreo the cow (our kitchen mascot) and then gave me a huge squishy hug! I really missed that little girl. Of course being in the 4th grade she is not little anymore though.
   Every year it seems that there is always at least one student that really takes a liking to me. A few years ago it was G.B, last year it was S.R.. I hear her home life is not the best but I like that she feels she can come to me for a hug or to tell me what her day has been like. She even gave me an ivy plant on the last day of school last year...that has never happened! Such a sweet girl.
   There was also E.L. another really sweet girl who has a kind of rough time at school. Most of the other kids hated her and would make fun of the house she lived in and I would take up for her and sit down to listen or give advice when she needed it. Last day of school she ran to me and gave me a huge hug and started crying. I asked her what was wrong and she said she was going to miss me! She had moved to another county and would also be in Middle School.
  Another little girl that comes to mind came through the lunch line last year and was crying her eyes out. Some of her friends asked me to help her. I hugged her and found out what was wrong and she told me her very best friend was moving. She was so upset. I told her about my very best friend, Cindy. Cindy and I met in 4th grade and became the best of friends on the first day we met. She moved away a year later but even after all these years we still keep in touch. When I told this story to this little girl she looked at me and said "Really Ms. Sheila??"  I told her it was true and that we have been friends for 40 years even though we have only seen each other twice in all those years. She dried her tears and tried to smile and gave me a hug.
   I get to see most of my Little Buddies (the ones that move on the Middle and then High School) every now and then if I run into them at Walmart or Target, or sometimes at the Middle School when I have to go over there for something with Jennifer or borrow from their kitchen. It is nice to know that anyone can have an impact on the life of a child. Even though I am not a teacher, I have built good relationships with quite a few of the kids and I like that they can trust me to come to me when they are sad or very excited about something. I have patched up friendships, repaired eyeglasses, helped them with homework, given them school supplies, encouraged them, given advice, made them laugh, and even helped them with other problems they are too embarrased to tell anyone else about.
  So I guess  never underestimate the qualities of someone that works in the lunchroom. Some of us can have a lasting impact on the life of a child.

Must be Back-to- School because it's hair cuttin' time!!

   Let me start out by saying I LOVE BACK TO SCHOOL!!! Even though I am no longer a student (a long way from it) I love the excitement of buying new supplies for myself and  Jennifer. I scope out the good sales and decide how to hit the stores to get the best deals. I am always looking for cute new office supplies for me to use!!
   I try to buy new scrubs so that I can have new school clothes too! This year( since the 3rd graders are "Third Herd")  and they love my cows I have on the serving line, I found a really cute scrub top with silly cows on it so that will be my first day outfit. I am READY ;).
   I decided this morning that I needed to get a hair cut. I have lost about 30 pounds this summer and was able to fit in a smaller size so I figured I might as well get my hair chopped on. I am a cheapskate when it comes to things like this and usually end up at one of this places where you can get a cut for $10. Well...today I decided to splurge on myself and I went to a nicer (translated to mean expensive) place.
I am SO glad I did. I did not have an appointment so I had to go to a few places before I found a place that could fit me in. WOW...let me tell ya...I have never experienced a head washin' like I did today!!! This guy scrubbed my hair and head, massaged my head, massaged my temples, and even massaged my neck!! I was just about ready to fall asleep it felt so good!  Anyway he did a great job cutting my hair and the whole experience was well worth the extra expense. I will try to post a picture later. Jennifer is going to get her hair cut by this same guy tomorrow so maybe I can get a picture of both of us.

I am now officially ready for Back To School!!