When I glanced at incoming emails quickly yesterday during snack, I stumbled upon one I never expected and was heartbroken to receive. It was an email from the parent of a student in my Kindergarten class who was absent that day. I opened it expecting to read that he was sick again, or had a doctor’s appointment they had forgotten to tell me about. Instead, it was a message letting me know that they had enrolled their son in a private school beginning next week and that Wednesday would be his last day with us.
Don’t go!
I adore this young man. I love them all, but this one is special. Have you ever had one of those? He has an old soul, and we connected on day one when we first met. We’ve written books together, read books together, and more importantly, discovered birds together. He’s a city kid and arrived on my “doorstep” not knowing the name of a single bird. Now he climbs up into our bird window, snuggles into the pillows, and straps on a pair of binoculars. Not the lightweight plastic children’s play variety, but heavy professional grade binoculars. The real deal. He’ll flip through the pages of our Sibley’s all day, if I let him. He let’s me know when a cardinal is nearby, when a bluejay has scared the other birds away, or when Mr. Bushytail is up to his old tricks and stealing the bird seed. When I need help filling the multiple feeders at our classroom feeder station, he’s the first to volunteer. I even taught him how to pish, a technique birders use to attract small birds so you can get a better look. When we go on class woods walks, you’d often find him repeatedly making the pish pish pish sound to bring the chickadees in closer.
Now my heart is broken, and I’m losing my bird buddy.
Good bye, sweet boy. I hope you’ll continue to love nature, birds, and become a rock star pisher.
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Many thanks to the crew at Two Writing Teachers, and the extended SOL community, for giving us the time, space, and encouragement to live the writerly life here each Tuesday and, starting next week, every day in March. Won’t you join us?
Saying goodbye is so hard, but think about how much bigger your heart is just by knowing him.
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That is sad, but think about all the wonderful gifts you’ve given him. Take care.
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Sorry to hear you are losing him! But also very jealous of your class bird area. My school yard is not conducive to this and I wish it was! I’d love to have birds at our window.
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I feel your pain! What a gift to hold on to in your heart.
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What a sweet (and bittersweet) post. How unexpected! Does it make you want to question the motives? It seems like an unlikely time to change schools when he seems to have a connection with you. Thanks for sharing.
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I’m sure he will remember you and love birding the rest of his life. I know you will miss him but think of the gift you’ve sent with him. A ‘birding window’? I want to be in your class! 🙂
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I’m sorry you are losing a student. I’m sure he will miss you just as much.
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Our students are ours for such a short time, a blink of an eye, a flutter to the bush, a fly by. So sorry you are losing this one early. I’m sure he is taking you in his heart, his bird loving heart.
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It’s so hard to say goodbye to a student with whom you’ve connected! But what a special love you’ve shared with him in birdwatching, a practice he can take everywhere, thinking of you when he does.
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It’s hard enough to lose our students at the end of each year, let alone before that. Let alone the kindred spirits.
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