To laugh often and much, to win the
respect of intelligent people
and the affection of children, to
earn the appreciation of honest
critics and endure the betrayal of
false friends, to appreciate
beauty, to find the best in
others, to leave the world a bit
better, whether by a healthy
child, a garden patch... to know
even one life has breathed easier
because you have lived. This is to
have succeeded! ~ Emerson
When my children were in school, it was important to my husband and I that I was a "stay-at-home" mom. I wanted to get a job; I felt my options were limited because of how we both felt. I was reading the local newspaper, The Hughson Chronicle, and noticed the ad in the paper for several jobs. One of them was in the office, one was a sub for the cafeteria, and the other was a cafeteria/yard duty aid. Well, I applied for all three. I got the one job I wanted the least. I had such a problem with this job. I can remember watching Saturday Night Live with the Cafeteria skits. I think it was Dan Akroid and John Belushi or Chris Farley, dressed up as women with a hair net and a big mole on their chin, glopping the food on their trays with a cigarette hanging out of their mouth growling at the children. Sigh
I was going to a bible study group and they asked if anyone needed prayer. I didn't want anyone to know... just because of the way I thought about cafeteria ladies. I asked for prayer and explained where I was coming from. They prayed for me.
At first when I began working in the cafeteria, I told myself that when my kids were all grown, I would get a real job. HA! I did not realize how hard the job was. It is like doing aerobics for 3 1/2 hours straight. There is so much responsibility that goes along with it. I was a sub for three years. That is unheard of. It is so hard to keep a sub. They only get called in when someone can't come in. You have to drop what you are doing and go. When I was hired permanently, it was so nice to be home when the kids went to school and be home when they came home. They never even knew I was gone. I had all of same days they had off; Thanksgiving, Winter break, Spring break, and of course summers. Being at school I also had the perfect opportunity to see my children, and help them with anything they may have needed. I fell in love with the other children as well and felt very protective of them. I have been asked to attend their school programs, birthday parties, sport activities and on occasion they have come to my house after school because they had no where else to go. I guess you would call my house a safe house. I have always felt honored to be asked. I love my job and wouldn't trade it for anything.
There is a little girl whose name is Carina and she is in the fifth grade now. She is the tiniest little girl, and is the baby in her family. She has been held back... I believe this is her second time. Carina is the pickiest eater. I ask her if she ate breakfast and a lot of times she says no. I coax her into eating something by giving her some choices. I tell her how important it is to eat, because it nourishes our body and also makes our brain smarter. She will listen and go eat her choice of breakfast, shortly after that she will come back to give me a hug before she goes into class. I will always tell her to be a sponge (something I always said to my own children). She now comes back with "Okay, a squishy sponge!" I have noticed that she will never take all of her meal, because she can't eat it all. I will tell her to take the graham cracker and/or fruit and put it into her backpack to eat later when she gets hungry. It will then tie her over until lunch. Carina looked at me and then added, "It will even help my brain." I had to smile .... she is listening!
