"and I'll take... with me the memories..."

to be that sunshine, after the rain...it was fitting that my last week of work was shadowed with rain... perhaps the heavens were all-broken up about this transition too... after 7yrs at IHAD my official time has come to an end... the timing is perfect since now i have completed my duty of co-raising several non-biological kids and God has trusted me with one of my own... but either way letting go is hard... wait, pause, while i suck the tears back into my eyes.. wow i never imagined what a life-changing experience this job would be...it was the best job a recent college grad could ever ask for.. the opportunity to daily serve youth and influence them to achieve life success through educatiion was awesome, and for the last 7yrs i gave it all i had  - all my time, creativity, passion, and prayers... this job went beyond the scripted educational goal straight to my heart - where i loved and served these young dreamers like they were my own... now i see that we kinda all grew up together...  boy do i have some memories - bad and good... but all 100% worth it.. experiencing life happenings together...i must chuckle because some of my kids still have not fully accepted my 2yr old marriage yet and seem to work hard not to acknowlegde my pregnancy... while others cried over my engagement video and were estasically jumping in the middle of the street at the site of my baby bump...you know it was actually one of my kids who knew about baby best before we did... she had a dream about my pregnancy two weeks before i even had a clue... what a connection huh... OMG where is the tissue when you need it, my sniffling is going to wake up my husband...

as the last dreamer that i visited at college walked back into his dorm i knew that something had changed... that i had reached a new milestone... this stone had Acceptance written on one side and Trust written on the other... i must accept that the 8th grade students that i met 7yrs ago are now almost 21 yr old adults whom hold the outcome of their future in their own hands, i must accept that i did all that i could to prepare them for success by giving them a wide variety of life tools... and finally i must trust that God will continue to protect/guide them on their paths, and that they will call me if they get lost... or at least i hope so... (immature translation = oh  please oh please oh please call me for help) 

year 7 is a perfect year to transition out , you know since it is God's number of completion... but it still is hard... change and life tranisitions are scary and uncomfortable...  i knew that it would end one day buuuuuut... well, you know the big question... what now?.  i had this IHAD job down packed.... and now i am starting a new one, probably the most important job ever, being a full-time 365/24/7 MOM... how do you create a resume to qualify for this gig... it feels different when they are really your own, i am responsible for this child's upbringing and well-being,  no one else to blame for her life hic-cups but myself...  and i am going in full-force - no "new" career to provide an escape for 8hrs per day... OMG now talk about life changes... i have worked a steady job since i was 15yrs old... now i won't be a bread-winner but a bacon-cooker... (the best possible organic bacon-cooker that is lol)... now i wont be a tailored suit professional but a stay-at-home mom expected to breastfeed, homecook, and clean.... OMG my Masters Degree did not train me for this...sigh- Lord please make me domestic... nevertheless, here i come new job... i hear that the hours are long and that the pay is low, but i know the experience will be PRICELESS... so where do i stand in line to get my "certified mother"  name badge... but after 7 yrs it is just hard to walk away... i mean this group of people has experienced 2 degrees, a wedding,  cars, several trips, a boatload of hilarious life experiences, and now a pregnancy with me- sigh

what happened to the good ol days when people just clocked in, worked at their station for 8 hrs, and then clocked out without any emotional connection gosh!!!

i mean the reality is that these 30+ kids have prepared me for baby best like non-other..ohhh i have seen the attitudes, the drama, the excuses... and best of all, witnessed the success.. perhaps 18 years from now she will have them to thank for me knowing all the teenage trips and falls inside out, which therefore made me a "no mam, I'm sorry" parent.... lol

well  thanks boss lady, sponsors, and dreamers for trusting and working with me all these years... i truely love you and will forever hold dear our relationships..."it's so hard to say goodbye, to yesterday"

to learn more about this great job/organization visit http://www.ihad.org/