For a Teacher, Each Kid Eventually Moves On

The last week had a lot of goodbye’s.

It started with moving and saying a joyful goodbye to a phase of my life stuffed into a tiny apartment with my husband and our two home businesses. For a while that little apartment was kinda romantic. His desk took up the dining room and mine was wedged into the hallway. The sound of our computer keys tinkled like a love song.

Discovering the Truth of a Situation
Then when we decided to move up to a bigger space – the veil was lifted. Suddenly I couldn’t believe that we were living in such a shoe box. Now that we’re in our new place the extra space feels like air to a drowning man. It really does feel like a weight has been lifted off my lungs somehow. A weight I didn’t know I was carrying.

Then as I moved, the end of the school year arrived. In one place I teach this means I said a sad farewell to the kids moving up from the pre-school to the big leagues: Grade One.

Now I love all the kids, but there are always a few who can really get under your skin – in a good way. One such gal would sit beside me in absolutely every class. In fact I’ve known her since she was 18 months and now its her time to hit the road.

Sure she talks a lot.

Sure she likes to interrupt.

And sure sometimes her stories don’t have a point.

But sometimes the veils don’t get lifted. Despite all these possibly annoying qualities – she is a beauty queen to my eyes. There’s a chance her grade one teacher may find her a tad bossy or even too chatty – but I sure hope she gets to know and love that little girl the way I have over the last five years.

I’m really sad for me!
Who will sit beside me now and help to demonstrate all the yoga poses? The kid will be fine, in fact I’m pretty sure she’ll excel in the big house – she’s got what it takes.

But the adults get left in the dust as kids claim their lives. And that’s the natural order of things, we can’t weigh them down, we can’t hold them back. They have to be free.

The King of Pop: Michael Jackson
Then the final curtain closed on the King of Pop, Michael Jackson. Of course it was a shock to me, I didn’t want to believe it. Then we all became aware of the pain he was in and how weak he had become.

I realized his first appearances on TV were happening when he was the same age as my pre-school friend – around 5 years old. I feel some fulfillment knowing I armed my friend with tools to meditate and overcome anxiety, stress and even depression. Even if it just helps her manage the pressures of grade one and feel a little bit more happiness.

All that fame and money never did lead to happiness for Michael Jackson. I hope he feels some relief now and fulfillment knowing he helped many people dance through life. He definitely did for me, I loved to dance around to the Jackson 5 as a kid and every high school dance had Thriller playing in it.

We Help Kids Understand What True Success Is
Michael Jackson’s passings reminds me that teaching kids about success is not about getting money or fame. Success is also not about getting something you like and holding on to it forever. Success is understanding who we are in this dream of existence, knowing who we are while all the veils get lowered and lifted.

Success is knowing we can be happy in a cramped apartment or a spacious one.

Success is being sad but also happy for our friends as they move on and grow in their own lives.

And success is knowing that we’re never trapped by our circumstances. If we want, a new friend can sit beside you and fill that space with new fun in kids yoga class.

Aruna Humphrys
www.YoungYogaMasters.com

P.S. Summer Kids Yoga Training:  Take the opportunity for professional development with kids yoga Teacher Training.  Upcoming Training Information and Dates here.