my blessed life

Sometimes my students say things that remind me how blessed my life is:

"My mom is my herself and makes $7.50 an hour and has four kids to take care of, and you say you don't make enough?"

She made this comment after someone asked me what I make at my job and I jokingly said, "Not enough." A comment which prompted further questions. Knowing they don't get what a salaried employee is, I told them I make about $30 an hour. "What?! That's so much!"  Sometimes I forget that it is a lot to kids, and especially kids who are on fee waivers and free and reduced lunch programs. And I forget that when I joke and say, "Not enough to work with you." they miss the sarcasm.

The other day I was asked if I was going to Granger (the high school where a fair amount of the 9th grade teachers from my school are going) and I said, "no". Asked if I was staying at West Lake, I said no. Asked if I was quitting because I didn't like them, I said no. "Then, what are you going to do?"

"Well, I'm going to stay home and take care of my baby."

"How are you going to pay for it and take care of it?"

"Thankfully, I have a husband with a good job so that I can stay home."

"You have a husband?" "He'll let you stay home?" "But Mrs. G has a baby and a husband and she still has to work."

"Uh, well, sometimes it just works out and the mom can stay home."

I'm so grateful we have figured out how to let me stay home with the baby and it made me sad that the teenagers in my classroom have no idea what having a mom at home would be like. It's also sad that a lot of them have no idea what it's like to have a dad to help.

Speaking of dads, a few weeks ago, a girl looked at me and said, "Miss, it's just so cute that you are having a baby AND you have a husband. It's just cute you have a husband."

Cute? The way she said it was in the tone of voice you say, "Oh, your puppy is so cute." I told the girls listening that having a husband and being pregnant is the best way to have it, because then you have someone to take care of you who won't go away. I told them having a husband means that you can be sick and he'll run to the store to get whatever you need to feel better. Having a husband means that when you have a bad day someone is there to make you happier.

"It's just so cute, Miss." She said again, as if it's a novelty and nothing more.

I truly have a blessed life to have a husband and my child will have a dad.