An Unbelievable Show of Love and Appreciation

This week I had the most incredible experience. My school "family" welcomed me back to work by holding a flash mob in my honor.

It all started during my medical leave. One day I checked my work email from home and came across an email a dear friend in my department, Chris, sent out to all of the faculty at my school. Well, being one of the faculty, the email came to me, too. It said that she was planning a surprise for me upon my return and wanted to get as many faculty and students involved as possible. I told Beni about it, but otherwise, pretended I knew nothing.

On Monday, March 5th I returned to work and got many "Welcome back"s and hugs from both colleagues and students. I really felt I had been missed. I began to suspect something was going to happen on Wednesday, when Chris asked me on Tuesday if I'd be around Wednesday after school. Sure enough, Wednesday during the last period of the day, Chris was walking around with her camera. My team teacher for the last class of the day, Kathy, who usually leaves right after work, stuck around the classroom much longer than usual making excuses for having to look for student work in the class folder. When she offered to rearrange books in my classroom library, I knew something was going on for sure!

So, I kind of braced myself. I thought maybe a small group of students and staff would come into my room and do a cute song and dance number. Little did I know . . .

A couple of girls with pink hats walked by my classroom and started to sing Bette Midler's "Wing Beneath My Wings". I went into the hallway to see what was going on. Chris met me at my door and told me she'd just come from the office and that there was a delivery for me and I should go and see what it was. I played along and she said she'd come with me. We headed down the stairs and a small group of students were putting on a skit on the first landing. One was dressed in black and was being beaten by three brightly colored, masked "good guys". I didn't realize it at the time, but they were the "good guys" beating the "bad guy" (cancer). In fact, I thought they were fighting at first.

We continued down the stairs and at the bottom was the school's GSA club, which I helped start years ago but just stepped down from this year, cheering for me and holding up signs. I started to cry at that point, but there were far more tears to come. Outside of the stair well was my fellow teacher, dressed in Renaissance regalia. He crowned me with a tiara and escorted me down the hallway. Other teachers and students began to follow us down the hall, all singing "Wind Beneath My Wings".

When we got to the school's main hallway, I was blown away. The hall was lined with students, teachers, counselors, and secretaries all cheering for me and holding signs of support and welcome. More tears. I had to keep telling myself not to "ugly cry". I was handed a beautiful bouquet of roses. Members of the school's Operation Snowball club hung a gigantic "warm fuzzy", which is a big pom pom made of yarn, around my neck. (You use your strands of yarn to tie on others' "warm fuzzies" when you pay them a compliment and vice versa.) Then we walked into the auditorium lobby where the dance team and cheerleaders - along with anyone who wanted to join them, danced to "Survivor" by Destiny's Child. Then they did a cheer in my honor, holding up the letters of my name.

Needless to say, I was moved beyond words. Never in my wildest imaginings did I think so many people would turn up to welcome me back. I felt like a celebrity. There were many hugs and photos taken and I went home that night feeling high on love. Actually, I think I'm going to be on this high for quite a long time.

Here's a four minute, edited, highlight clip from the 20+ minute experience:

And now, like a celebrity, there are many people that I need to thank.

Heartfelt thanks go out to:

Christina Boyles, for organizing this amazing event and being the sweetest soul I know

Stacey Welton, for leading the students in song

Kyle Welton for his choreography and his darling girlfriend, whose name I forget, for videotaping

Jake Stewart, for holding me up when my legs were weak

Heather Curry and GSA

Operation Snowball

Sheila Conrad, the best principal I've ever worked with

Clayton Muhammad, EA's very own paparazzi

The Dance Team

The Cheerleaders

All of the teachers and staff who attended, especially those in my department and those who participated in the flashmob

All of the students who came to show their support - many of whom I don't even know

This was an experience I will NEVER EVER forget! I love my EA Family!