last day at VIA

At the beginning of this week, everyone at work reminded me how it was my last week at VIA (that's my work place), and everytime I would be like, "oh yea... it's my last week." Up until the very last session, it felt like I would return the next day doing what we've always done-- teach, hang out, clean, laugh with the kids-- but today, as the kids got on the bus to go home, it finally became real that today was gonna be the last day I'd be their teacher. I'll still get to see them whenever I visit, but I suppose it won't really be the same.

Either way, I'm so lucky to have gotten to have been a part of their lives. Also, unknowingly, the kids have helped me get over my #1 fear. Some part of me had feared having children because of the chance of having a child with a mental or physical disability. I feared my ability to love him/her, because it seemed extra challenging and less rewarding. But having worked with such children, I can see how it really doesn't matter. They are so lovable in their own ways that other "typical" children cannot be. They share their joy, excitement, and pain just as openly, rather even more so. And with that, I was able to love them enough to know that my fear was nothing to worry about.

I don't write nearly often enough so every entry is like a 5 paragraph essay... but one more thing!

After work today, my co-workers/friends had a huge surprise for me. I had seen it coming because they kept on referring something without actually saying the thing, you know, like "do you want me to leave IT there?", "What do you want me to do with um.. it" and I even caught one person quickly hiding IT. But still I didn't expect it to be nearly so great~ everyone put together a photo album with all the pictures of the kids + teachers (those I knew, b/c they made me pose with the kids) AND they framed an art-piece done by one of the students that I've been coveting. It felt like it was my birthday~ so great~

*"Elephant" ... glued by Basiu.