Ms. Reschke's Room

This Mama got a teaching job! In 5th grade. 

WOW. 

5th graders.

Bring on the middle school romance and The Puberty Talk and passing notes in class. I'm actually really excited to discover what is cool and hip and trendy now. I've been out of the link for a decade. I still think "wassssssssup" and Birkenstocks are cool. Anyways.

Today I sat down with one goal....to plan something, anything, just not nothing, for next school year. What ended up happening was a crazy Dr. Seuss filled poetry session that resulted in this Classroom Door Sign:

Welcome! I am so glad you've come.

Please read my rules before you accidentally break one.

A pencil is essential, without it you're idle.

To be safe, carry several--writing is vital.

Cheating is detrimental and will be consequential.

Getting caught will be quite eventful and stressful.

Instead, try your best. That is all I can ask.

Making an effort in here is your personal task.

And it really must be said--

You've got quite a big brain in that head!

Turn in your homework and you'll be successful,

I guarantee your growth can be exponential.

I promise to reward you whenever I'm able,

And to offer weekly prizes to the most deserving table.

In your words, be gentle and non-judgmental--
Your classmates in here are very quite special.

So remember to be helpful and simply respectful.

Leave your "I-Forgot's" 

and "I-Cant's" 

and "I-Wont's" at my door,

I know you are capable of oh so much more.

Treat the classroom around you with care and compassion,

Your behavior controls what bad things might happen.

When you are lost or confused or just plain sunk.

Know it is possible to slam a slam dunk.

Just put your hand in the air! 

Let me remind you once more how very substantial
It is to have confidence in your ginormous potential. 


Whether your nervous and shy,
Bold or quite silly,
This year will be great. 
It will be, really.

SO can you succeed?

Dr. Seuss said that's 99 and 3/4 percent guaranteed!

KID YOU'LL MOVE MOUNTAINS.

Money Ain't No Thang

Once again, life is reminding me of lessons I learned in Uganda.

Through a series of job changes and just changes in general, I have found myself in a bit of a financial dilemma. Now, I am working but I am... 
a.) working at jobs that don't pay well and,
b.) leaving and starting jobs in the middle of pay periods 

It is kind of a never-ending cycle of leaving a job because I need more money and then accepting the next job that comes along that will help people but pays just as little. Lezzjustbehonest---there is zero money in the service world. But let me ask you this question--- Which is more important? 


Financial Responsibility or Civil Responsibility?

Because if I am holding on to my last $5 I will give away $3 of it.

So that is how I have found myself in a bit of situation. But I am not complaining because life has once again shown me how Ugandan my blood breathes. Because in Uganda, where money is sparse and collected penny by penny, people are what is revered and cherished most.

I am realizing now that if I want to make an impact in the world it will cost me BIG BUCKS. Big bucks that I do not have in my hands right now and that I am clueless on how to get. But like I said, if I have 5, I'll give you 3 and that is not nothing. In Uganda, $3 is the cost of a life-saving malaria shot. And whenever I give away my last $3 I am thinking what's three more dollars? There will be another three.

Financially irresponsible? Yes I am. But the high I get from living the way I do is priceless. I just love planting my money in other people and watching how it grows.

Living pay check to pay check is not glamorous. In fact, I have a headache most of the time. But I am so damn lucky to have what I have. I make lists all the time of the things that I own but do not need. It reminds me how grateful I should be to be able to collect excess. There is no room for surplus in Ugandan households. There is simply day to day survival. You see folks, we are extremely lucky. 

We are even more lucky to have people and not things in our lives. I would take my people over luxury any day. I met someone recently that has permanently moved into a special place in my life. And if there is anybody I'd rather rub two pennies together with it is him. Money ain't no thang y'all. 

Love one another.

Hayati

I have written this post many different times. Here and here and here. 

But I am feeling extremely nostalgic today and so I write again. And that is a fancier word so I looked it up.

nostalgia (n): pleasure and sadness that is caused by remembering something from the past and wishing that you could experience it again.

I feel like my baby is being raised a world away from me and that I am not living up to my responsibilities the way that she deserves. I should be there. Making sure she brushes her teeth and teaching her how to fold fitted sheets and painting her toe nails hot pink. I wish I was watching her kart wheel and learn how to read and winning spelling bees in school. I am missing her quarterly marks in school, I am missing her grow a foot taller every year, I am missing her hugs. I should be there but I am here.

She is eight years old. I should be making her bed and tucking her into it. I should be scolding her for teasing her little brother. I should be teaching her how to add sugar to her tea to make it sweeter. We would be together, teaching each other the important lessons in life-- like how to be a kind person and how to wear red lipstick.

Because this lil mama deserves way more than any muzungu on a 90-day Visa can offer. 

She deserves way more than a good education and a new house. She deserves consistent and constant and persistent unwavering, unfailing and unconditional love. 

She deserves to have that along with a crazy muzungu lady who takes way too many pictures because they are so in love with her face.

I cannot tell you with words how deeply in love I am with that little girl. There is not a more beautifully created little person anywhere in the world. She is captivating.

It still baffles me that someone this special exists in the world and that by pure luck I was able to find her. And even lucky enough for her to love me back a little bit.

I ache with nostalgia when I look at these pictures.
I could not have a written a more perfect love story for my life.

How do you love your baby from so far away?