Wordless Wednesday: I'll miss my favorite English teacher

Mothers and Daughters

There is nothing like the bond between mother and daughter. It is unbreakable. It is strong. It is fierce. Impermeable. Unique. One-of-a-kind. We come from our mother's womb and as a result we have the invisible connection that continues to bond us to her throughout our lives.


With this being said, I have had the honor to witness such a bond between two of my best friends (REAL best friends) and their mothers. I mean where the daughters have respect, love, admiration, and true friendship with their mothers. And these women are not mothers because they gave birth to my sister-friends, but because they were extraordinary women during their time on this planet, and they touched everyone in their lives. They were role models, they were strong, they fought the illness that reached out to hurt them and which eventually took them away from us. And yet they remained beautiful inside and out throughout their battle.


But the sickness only took them away from us physically. It canNOT take away their spirit, their strength, their LOVE. These women will remain with us forever; they will live within us, reminding us to be good people, as they were. To work hard, to treat people with respect, to love our husbands, and to be fabulous mothers like they were.


Today I honor the memory of, the life of, and the legacy of Virginia Surowka and Barbara Bogart. Two of the most fascinating women in this world. Two of the most wonderful women that have ever entered into my life, and who I will never ever forget.  And I had the blessing of seeing them as second mothers, as aunts, as an additional member in my family. God bless these women for all that they did while on this Earth. My thoughts and prayers go out to their families everyday, and especially today as Mrs. Bogart has left the Earth this morning to ascend to heaven, pain free. I love you ladies, and I love your daughters Stephanie and Kim who would not be the women they are today had they not been born by you and raised by you. Thank you for your gift.

Stephanie & Virgina Surowka

Kimberly & Barbara Bogart

Barbara (Babs) and Virginia (Gemini), may you rest in peace, and be remembered for all of your beauty and all that you accomplished on this Earth. These women are truly, angels in heaven.


With love,

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to the most beautiful and fabulous woman on the planet!

There are a million reasons why my mother is such a fascinating woman and such a perfect mom to my sisters and me. It'd be impossible to find the words and/or even possibly list everything that my mother has done for us and all that she means to me. Nevertheless, I'd still like to honor her by thanking her for all that she's done. 

Therefore, a few reasons why I'm grateful that my mother is who she is....

• My mother is selfless
• She was not only our mother, but was also a "father" to us for many years
• She stressed the importance of an education and good grades
• She has supported me in everything that I do - from travelling abroad alone (for a year) when I was only 17 to choosing my major in college to loving the man that I married as if he were a son
• My mom is a hard worker and has been a great example of what one can accomplish when working diligently
• She is a good listener
• She is fair, honest, and has a kind heart
• My mother has endured suffering without ever complaining and has never shown a sign of weakness, regardless of the situation
• She has taught me so much that I don't even know where to begin with describing all that I've learned from her
• Her love is unconditional
• Her faith is strong and has always been
• She is intelligent and beautiful
• My mother is classy and well spoken
• I am proud to be my mother's daughter
• I can only hope that I will be a tenth of the woman that my mother is
• My mother is a perfect role model
• She makes me whelm with pride to say "that's my mom"
• She has never made excuses for anything
• My mom is proud of the husband that I chose
• She is never, nor has she ever been, pushy
• She knows exactly what to say to me, and how to say it
• My mother is fabulous, gorgeous, and one in a million

I could go on and on and on....but then this post would be pages long and would take hours to read.

Thank you for everything you have ever done, continue to do, and will do for me, and my husband, in the future. My love for you is as limitless as yours has been for me.

With respect, admiration, and unconditional love, your daughter,

Teacher Appreciation Week

It's National Teacher Appreciation Week. Yeaaaa! to all of the teachers out there - especially the public school teachers who are not only educators, but are also mothers, fathers, counselors, nurses, big brothers and sisters, facilitators, providers, liaisons, and advocates.

Good teachers are patient and kind. They try not to lose their patience. Good teachers are sympathetic and understanding, but also challenge their students and are encouraging. They put up with more than they should because God knows that kids have bad days and take it out on the wrong person. They are nonjudgmental, open minded, flexible, and quick on their feet. And really, all of this only describes a good teacher's characteristics, not their abilities in the teaching field.

When I think back to why I became a teacher I realize there is no definitive moment. My mom told me when I was a teenager that I'd make a good guidance counselor and I almost laughed out loud. I could NEVER have imagined becoming a teacher until I actually became one. And now I wonder if I can picture myself doing anything but.

I always wanted to be an interpreter or translator; however, I'm really not that far off by being an English teacher. I initially got involved with teaching during my college years. I started to volunteer at the American Civic Association, I was a high school Spanish volunteer, I tutored college students in Spanish, I volunteered as a tutor at an English language institute in Uruguay, and I was a teacher's assistant for an ESOL class at my university. I enjoyed this so much, and liked working with people interested in the English and Spanish languages. I even got a job as an archaeologist's assistant in Peru because I was fluent in Spanish and an Anthropology major. Experiencing new cultures and languages was exhilarating and opened so many doors for me.

So, what do you do when you value education, love languages, and studying diverse cultures?  You become an ESOL and English teacher. That's what I am. I'm a professional. Highly educated. A "forever" student. A lover of the English language. I LOVE to teach and I love my students, even though I have days when I could throw those 9th graders against the wall. And the thing is, I'm not the only one. I'm amazed at how many of my fellow teachers have a Master's degree (and even a PhD).

I've heard hilarious comments by students over the years; I could almost write a book. I've been cursed at (if you work in a tough inner city school you can't avoid this, no matter how much you're otherwise loved). I've cried about students. Worried about students. Spent hours grading papers, creating lessons and tests. But you know what, I make a difference. All public school teachers do. So congratulations to us and THANK YOU to all the teachers out there that make a difference in the lives of our students.

Once my students heard over the announcements in the beginning of the week that it's teacher appreciation week, many of them began to thank me. I was deeply touched, and surprised as this was unexpected to me. Then little by little, students from different periods (classes) began to write me short notes on my board. Usually I don't let them write on there because they'd use up all of the markers, but their messages were so sweet that I left them. Eventually I needed to erase the board because it got so full and started to look a mess (and I needed to use it). Here are the first picures I took. Thank you, students! It means a lot to me. I mean, this is why we teach.

Act II is from "Romeo & Juliet" :)

Thank you. Gracias. Merci.