Unusual Bonds

As I sank into my comfy, leather seat on my return flight from Georgia this weekend, I was hoping for some silence. I wanted to put my ear buds in my ears, listen to some music, watch a movie and possibly take a short nap. The older lady sitting to my right had other plans. She had attended her granddaughter's wedding and was pleased to hear that I had also travelled for a wedding. But, when I told her that I had taught the bride in high school, she looked at me somewhat strangely. It looked as if she was wondering what kind of person would travel across the country to watch a previous student get married. Well, my kind.


Simply put, the bonds I formed throughout those years are unusually strong. It is somewhat hard to explain to someone how much those years of teaching and those students became a huge part of who I am today. The majority of the students I taught, are now as old as I was when I was teaching them, or older. So, in a way,I grew up with them. I learned right along side them, topics ranging from the Punic Wars to being responsible for and to others. I wiped away tears, laughed at ridiculously silly inside jokes and rejoiced their successes. In turn, they confided in me, loved me in a way only teenagers know how, threw me surprise birthday parties and came to see Anna Cate as a newborn.


Through those years, we became close. We became friends bound by shared experiences. Of those friendships, the one I shared with Leah has remained strong. I remember her call when she was still a little unsure about dating Aaron, the one when ALL she could talk about was Aaron and the one I missed when she called to describe his proposal. So, yes, to a stranger the idea of me flying across the country to attend a student's wedding may seem strange, but to me, it seemed right and I wouldn't have had it any other way.