(Not) Wordless Wednesday

I have this friend. She's one in a million. The kind of friend that when we became friends we wondered why we hadn't found each other sooner. She's the kind of friend I want to keep for a lifetime. And this weekend she received terrible news. It's her story to tell, so I'll simply say that her journey into motherhood is beginning much like my own. It has taken me back to February, hurting and grieving for her, and with her. I cannot believe that BOTH of us were destined to walk this path. It (for lack of a better way to say it) is simply not fair.

It's also the last week of school, which is quite bittersweet this year. I am (like my students) excited for the end of the year. I'm loving looking back at the beginning of the year and admiring how far my students have come. They are older, wiser, kinder human beings than they were when they entered my classroom. They will forever be a part of my life, and I am lucky to have known them. I am excited to discover what is ahead of me. I am anxious about the next few months. I am not very good at not knowing what I will be doing 6 months from now, and I'm trying to be at peace with taking it one day at a time.

If you're the praying type, I could use your prayers this week. I'm struggling to hold it all together, and in true Shannon style, have managed to break out in hives over most of my body because of that struggle. I find that wine is excellent medicine. So is having your mom in town for hugs.

Now, I can't leave a blog post quite this melancholy...so let me leave you with a picture. This week I gave out end of the year prizes and privileges. The kids get to choose from a list, and the kid with the most money gets to choose first until all prizes have been chosen. Two of the things on my list this year were sweatshirts that I had recently cleaned out of my closet. I advertise daily my love of my college and all things Carolina blue, so when I put these two sweatshirts on the list, they were quickly swept up. Ironically enough, one of which was taken by the SMALLEST girl in my class. She could not possibly wear bigger than a kids small normally, and she has on a kids extra large. The other little girl has on an adult small. Is this not the cutest thing you've ever seen? It brings smiles and laughter to an otherwise difficult week. I'm calling them my newest Carolina girls. Go Heels!