Back to kindergarten

My friend Julie is a wise and thoughtful woman. She lost her job ten months ago and despite not having found the right opportunity, she remains cheerful, positive and encouraging. We have had several conversations about our similar experiences. One of her comments gave me pause. “Be careful of volunteering too much of your time,” she said. Taking Julie’s observation to heart, I have been careful about taking on additional responsibilities.

However, I broke protocol on Friday and spent the morning helping my mother at her job. Mom is a kindergarten teacher and it was the annual kindergarten round-up. The corporate world is very different from a kindergarten classroom. I am used to conference calls, writing reports and adult conversation. Today, I strung lights, cut out cardboard figures, wiped up glue and poured drinks. At best, it was controlled chaos and constant excited chatter. After two hours, I was ready for a nap! It was like I was a high school student who was “job shadowing” for a day. I thought I’d share a few pictures from the day.


Here is my nephew Andy posing as an astronaut. (The theme of the round-up was Space.) My talented sister painted this cardboard cutout.


This is my mom, teacher extraordinare, showing her "yoda soda" concoction.