A Tribute

It’s Mother’s Day and I am exhausted. My feet hurt, I have a righteous bruise on my leg and I got to bed too late but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I'm not tired because I am a mother, although being tired and bruised come with the territory. It is because I am a teacher and a friend that wanted to say thank you to an amazing couple. A couple that I have learned so much from and who I am so pleased to call my friends. I wanted to be a teacher because of a handful of teachers that made a huge difference in my life over the years, none more so than Sally & Gordon Jesse.

In 1999 when I met Sally, I had a decent job and was just looking at taking some dance classes for myself. Sally had other plans and gave me a chance that other people would not have considered. I never wanted to give her a reason to regret it. Soon after, I met Gordon and was immediately invited to dinner at their home and a performance someone they were connected with was doing. This is typical Jesse behavior; believe in everyone and give all a chance to shine.

Sally and Gordon rarely say no. If you invite them to an event, they come. If you need to borrow something, they lend. They have the most generous hearts and give every opportunity to succeed…or fail. With freedom comes responsibility. Some people run with it and flourish, while others may flounder. Looking at the people on stage with me last night, I would say it’s a pretty great testament that so many have become teachers themselves. Most are also parents and it makes sense when you think about it.

Teaching is a lot like parenting. You bring love, energy, and experience. You put in the time and learn on the job. You plant the seed and hope it will grow. The main difference is that as a parent, you get to watch the seeds you plant blossom but as a teacher, you may never know if those seeds took. Those that participated last night are a small sample of the lives touched by Sally & Gordon. Life gets in the way and it can be hard to make time to let people know how important they are. As we rehearsed our way to the Jesse tribute, I reminded myself of that.

Like many shows, it was organized chaos right up until the performance. I truly don’t know how Gordon and Sally have managed to live through that so many times over the years! At our dress rehearsal, I was frustrated and angry because it was a mess. I am a bit of a control freak, so I struggled and then I remembered something Sally once told me, “I can get though anything for 16 weeks”. Since this was only minutes, I knew I could do it, and the glass of wine at dinner didn’t hurt either!

Back to Mother’s Day. Abby wanted to be with me through the whole process of the Jesse tribute. I knew it was an opportunity to teach and share and perhaps you will identify with this. Even though the situation wasn’t perfect and my own actions were also not ideal, I showed Abby how to work though it. Maybe it wasn’t my finest performance but she got to see me navigate my emotions and persevere to make something I deemed important happen. I know Sally (& Gordon too) have done that time and again and their children are a fabulous example.

The educational landscape has changed; even in the short time I have been involved.

Perceptions and expectations play a role but those conversations can be had another time. I want to thank both Sally and Gordon for making a huge difference in my life, really changing the direction I took. I love them both and am truly glad they are my friends.
Dear Sally & Gordon-Please do not read this with a red pen in hand, no notes are necessary, stop correcting my grammar and just feel the love! ;-) Happy Mother’s Day Sal!!!