A Special Gift

With the impending approach of September, my thoughts turn to school days - my own and those spent working in a classroom.  I suspect many of the blog posts I will be writing over the next several weeks will have an academic theme.....

The college I transferred to following my sophomore year was an institution which prepared its students for careers in the field of education.  They required two full semesters of student teaching, the first of which I spent in a Third Grade classroom.  My choice of schools was somewhat limited, as I did not have any personal means of transportation and had to rely on the local trolley system.  I was fortunate to land in a lovely school in the next town, a working class town, about a fifteen minute ride from my dorm.

Funny the things you remember.  I can clearly picture the woman who took me on as her Student Teacher, a very short woman with dark hair and a real sparkle in her eyes. I believe her name was Joan.  She was one of the most talented teachers I have ever had the good fortune to work with. And the students absolutely adored her.  They couldn't get in the classroom fast enough each morning, eager to see what exciting things she would teach them next.  I felt exactly the same.

There is a sweet memory I have from that time, which I am often reminded of.  The afternoon before my final day with the class, I popped into a 5 and 10 store, located a block from the school to pick up a few items prior to boarding the trolley.  As I walked in, I noticed one of the students standing at the cash register with an item in her arms, about to make a purchase.  I was delighted to see her and started to chat to her, but she seemed quite nervous and appeared to be trying to turn away from me.  Not wanting to make her uncomfortable, I said good-bye and went down the aisle to do my own shopping.  Worrying if there might be a cause for concern at home or at school, I was relieved the next day to discover what the problem actually was.

Joan and the class had a surprise for me to conclude my stay with them. Party time! There were treats to eat, music was playing on the record player (now that dates me!) and the teacher had a gift for me.  It was wonderful. Then the student I had seen in the store the previous afternoon approached me and carefully handed me a package.  Unwrapping it, I discovered this:

It was the item she was holding when I came upon her in the store!  She had gone there by herself, and using her own money, had purchased a gift for me.  I was so surprised and deeply touched. Truthfully, I still tear up every time I think about it. This girl thought enough of me to go to all that trouble to buy me a gift.  I wish there was someway I could let her know how very much it has meant to me for all these years.

"The Jar", as I refer to it, has moved with me from college, to apartment, to first house and all the houses since.  I generally keep it in the bathroom filled with cotton balls so that it gets daily use.  Now, I am very fortunate to have received many beautiful and sometimes expensive gifts during my lifetime.  Yet I consider The Jar to be among my most treasured possessions.

You know that phrase, "it's the thought that counts"?  It truly was the thought behind this gift that has made it so precious to me.