"I'd give it a 4!"

I had my last real responsibility at Murfee this past week. As the previous Teacher of the Year, I had the privilege of presenting the award to this year's recipient. There have been a lot of things I've missed since leaving Murfee, and I was excited to visit such familiar surroundings. The challenging aspect was actually writing the presentation and then speaking in front of a crowd, which always makes me a little nervous. I spent a lot of time writing and rewriting the sentiments I would share in front of people I truly love and respect. It's been awhile since I've written like that, and it became a laborious task as I searched for just the right words and the perfect flow of speech and language. Having been a writing teacher, I've come to love language and the assembling of thoughts. I've also learned over time, that it takes a lot of courage for me to "put my words out there" where others can hear and critique my style. Well... the presentation went great, I didn't get too noticeably nervous, and the new Teacher of the Year had been honored. As I was finishing, I saw my sister in the back of the room, so I made my way toward her. I sat down and we smiled at each other. She said, "Good job, Neesie. I'd give it a 4!" She ended up being the one with the most perfect words that night.