Good Bye Teacher

After 25 years of teaching, last week Jan had to come to terms with the fact that Aphasia and teaching do not mix. After a rewarding and successful teaching career, last week she had to quit formally her job. This was the end of a another dream.

She cannot teach because the basic skills of a teacher of grades 7 and 8 are language and memory, two of the abilities Jan lost after the aneurysm.

So, what would do you do? You could go to a corner and pout and complain about the unfairness of life, be miserable and make life miserable for those around you; or you could look at the challenge in a different light, keep things in perspective and look, really look at what is God doing here.

Jan has taken a very deep journey into her soul during these sixteen months. She has walked in uncharted waters, she has held her fear in check and in spite of the pain and wordlessness she has to struggle with, she has understood the nature and the purpose of her aneurysm by taking a higher perspective. She says: "this is only a small part of what life is. I trust that God knows what he is doing". So instead of anger and despair in the face of the enourmous losses she has incurred, with all diginity, she opens her hands to let go of that which she held precious for so many years: being a teacher (in a classroom).

One by one she has buried many dreams. Perhaps not one as essential as this. But she has done it with dignitiy and with a thankful heart. No regrets. She received as much as she gave: love, dedication, effort, excelence. For her the students were like flowers that have to be tended to with patience and love, so they can bloom freely in their own time.

She doesn't know when and how much language she will recover. Anyone who knows Jan should also know that she expects to recover all. In this she continues to inspire, to set the bar a notch higher.

Accepting the reality for now meant to step aside, for now. If you know of effective ways to hope and pray, join her in her hope that one day she may be able to teach again.

The amazing Jan is grieving her losses, however, she was playing the piano and singing last night...


FC



Call us for Jan's new email address if you wish to correspond with her. Sorry we can't post it here because of spammers.