This past weekend, my family lost a dear friend.
To say it was sudden is an understatement. One weekend you are laughing and joking, sharing and dreaming. The next....you are left wondering why someone so dear to your heart and with so much to give is gone.
Inspiration comes in many forms, and I would like to say that I draw upon numerous avenues...each of which have formed me into the peron that I am today.
In terms of inspiration, my family is an integral part...my beautiful wife and children each inspire me to dream big and achieve those dreams. My colleagues are as well as they push me to try new things and work together to make our school something amazing.
It goes without doubt that friendships are a driving force of who we are. We laugh and cry because of them and we savour the moments together.
My friend Wendy Konoza inspired me.
Not only will she be one of the dearest and most genuine people I will EVER know, but she will always have a place in my heart as someone who cared deeply for everyone in her life and made sure that she did everything to make you smile.
As my Convention Buddy she would pick me up in the morning and drive the both of us to the train, pick up breakfast and help me decide which sessions to visit. We would roll our eyes when something ridiculous was said in a session we would rather forget about, and look at eachother with that classic look of "hmmmm..how would that look in my our classrooms?" in those that made us wonder. We would stroll the vendor floor looking for nothing in particular or the next big thing that would find a place in our classrooms.
What I admired most is that despite our teaching different grades, there was always that discussion that good teaching is good teaching and there has to be a way to make learning easy and fun for students. It brought us back to the days when we went to Salt Lake City for a conference on Differentiated Learning and the hour long talks about the relevance of what we had just heard.
Little did I know how much of an impact Wendy would have on my classroom...in how my students learn, and how I interact with them every day.
Somehow crammed in between all of this dialogue, was the time to laugh at our failings, marvel at our accomplishments and rejoice in our friendship....which was built on honesty, laughter and love. Having children of the same age and experiencing all that life put in our path was part of the joy that made each day a new chapter in our friendship. Gatherings where laughter was non stop, playdates that lasted for hours, and tweets, emails and phone calls where you knew that you had a best friend on the other end.
With her passing, my family mourns. My wife has lost her best friend, my children have lost a role model beyond compare, and I have lost among other things, my inspiration. Our gatherings will be forever changed, our playdates will be missing her smile and laughter - and there will be an empty seat next to me on the train when I go to my teacher convention.
My family lost a dear friend this weekend who always brought joy everytime our families got together.
Wendy challenged me and dared me to become better in the classroom. She inspired me in ways that I will continue to realize for many years to come.
Inspiration.
I miss my convention buddy.
