My mom is one of the greatest teachers I know. She put herself through college while my sisters and I were little, and obtained her graduate degree over the years with evening classes and summer school. I have so much respect for the sacrifice she still makes in order to teach her kids. The money she spends from her own pocket to get extra supplies for her classroom, because the district's budget just isn't enough. The years she spent tutoring kids after school. The weekends and evenings that she still spends grading papers at home. The weeks it takes her, before and after the school year, to get her room ready to greet the next class of children. Educators are a special, dedicated group of folks, aren't they?
Besides my mom, there have been so many teachers who have made an impact on my life. Mrs. Burton encouraged my love of reading; Mrs. Robinson was always incredibly kind to me and taught me how to write in cursive. Mrs. Storey still brags on me to my parents, to this day. Mrs. McDavid encouraged me to write more. Mrs. Williams showed me that algebra might actually be fun if you treat it like a puzzle to solve instead of work to do. Mrs. Preston used to tell us funny stories about her dog, Stevie (as in Nicks). Mrs. Burchett taught me how to type, a skill that I'll forever be grateful for. She even took me to school several mornings my freshman year, since we were neighbors, and I'll always appreciate her for that. Mrs. Porter warned us girls that if we popped our knuckles in 5th grade, we wouldn't be able to wear our boyfriend's class ring in high school. ;)
Our kids have been lucky to have had some pretty amazing teachers too. Lila is in the Spanish Immersion program at her school, and she speaks/hears/learns in only Español for half the day. It's pretty amazing what she's learned from Mr. G this year. But that's what happens when you have teachers who are invested in your child's education. Teachers who really care about your kids and truly want to help them love learning.
And it's an amazing thing when you have an opportunity to give back to them.
You see, Mr. G's baby girl, Cora, is in the hospital battling leukemia. She is only 7 months old. She's such a tiny thing to be fighting such a big monster. And while we know that we can't do anything to help Cora beat cancer by ourselves, there is still something we can do to love on her family...
"Love is never stationary. In the end, love doesn't just keep thinking about it or planning for it. Simply put: love does." ~Bob Goff
These beautiful, compassionate kiddos from Mr. G's classroom (my sweet Lila is up there holding the C) absolutely adore their teacher. And we as parents have created a fundraising website to raise money for this family's medical expenses, their commutes to and from the hospital, groceries, help with Cora's 3 year old sister... just whatever they need to make this burden a little lighter to bear.
Would you help them, sweet friends?
CLICK HERE to donate any dollar amount you feel led to give. Even if it's just five bucks from skipping your morning coffee run. Every dollar helps! Cora needs treatment more than we need those calories, am I right? (Make your coffee at home for a week and see how much it adds up!)
Or, make a donation in honor of that fantastic teacher in your life. You get to pay it back and pay it forward, and make a difference in the life of a child. I'm sure your teacher would be super proud of you.
Also, we'd love to spread the word via social media, blogs, email, the news, your office's break room bulletin board.... any way you know how, and wherever you have a voice. Please save the class photo above (just right click and save to your desktop). Copy this link: http://www.gofundme.com/nn8hsw?fb_action_ids=10153313885613069&fb_action_types=og.shares and share away, friends! Use the hashtag #WeHeartCora if you can! It's all about her, and getting her family the help they need to make it through day to day.
I hope you're blessed tenfold in return for the kindness that you show today. Thank you so much for helping us lift this family up when they need it most.
All my love,
Stacey