Yesterday was a milestone for my wife. It was the graduation ceremony at her school, and her students officially graduated and will move on to university.
It was a special event for Kuniko because she has been teaching the same students for six years, and that is a significant amount of time. During those six years Kuniko dealt with countless issues and stressful situations at work, helped students grow up from little junior high school girls into young women, and worked many late nights and most weekends as well. Yesterday was the end of a very long run.
When I got home last night, in our living room there were mountains (and I mean this literally) of presents, candies, handmade gifts, several bouquets of flowers and scrapbooks filled with students’ comments, messages and memories. It was good to hear that the students (and their parents) appreciated the efforts that Kuniko made to get the students through school successfully. Now it is up to them to take the next step in university.
We stayed up late last night eating homemade cookies and drinking red wine, and talking about all the big moments that happened during the past six years at her school. It was good therapy, but I think we’re both a little tired this morning.
Now we are approaching the end of March, marking the end of the fiscal year and also the school year. We can’t help but think of it as a time to turn the page and see what’s next. But for last night, it was important to celebrate the end of a chapter of Kuniko’s life that will stay with her always.
