Twas the Week of Teacher Appreciation Week.....

'Twas the week of "Teacher Appreciation Week" and all throughout our abode......

 Not a dish or pan was clean, we were in another mode.

My family and friends had helped serve and honor others this week,

 And the result, you can see, was a mess in the sink!

Yes, this week we've been celebrating and honoring our teachers and staff during "Teacher Appreciation Week".  Many PTO members, friends, and family have helped me during this week and it has been enjoyed by the faculty of our school.  We feed the elementary staff, as well as the junior high and high school staff, so that they'll all feel appreciated.  And they do.

Last night I wrote a special tribute to my friend, Tonya, who passed away yesterday after a long battle with cancer.  (Read it HERE, if you are interested.)  Tonya and I talked on the phone a lot.  Before she got cancer when she would call (Yes, she did most of the calling. I always apologized that I'm not a caller.  But, I'm a talker!  I enjoy talking, but not calling. I'm weird like that!) and say she was cleaning house.  Usually she called right after our kids left for school.  I was usually writing my blog, getting busy to go do some project or cook for something, but she was always cleaning or washing clothes.  In fact, she was usually finished with her cleaning and washing clothes!  I mean.....with four children and a husband, she has an EMPTY clothes hamper, washer and dryer.  It was DONE.  Her dishes were all DONE.  Her house was SPOTLESS.

Mine usually wasn't.  Actually, I would probably go as far to say that mine was never spotless.  It really never is.  It may be straight. The kitchen may be clean and tidy.  The clothes may mostly be clean and put away, but it's never all done.  With four kids and a husband, it's an on-going thing for us.....and my husband helps tremendously, even in the house. The kids do, too.  And Tonya's kids did, too.

When Tonya found out she had cancer, she realized a lot of things.  I mentioned the most important things she learned in my other blog's post about her.  But, she also learned that there is more to life than having a clean house and everything washed and tidy by early morning every single day.  She learned that taking time to serve others, to enjoy life, and to let some things go from time to time was okay.  She mellowed in that area and grew in others.

We all have lessons to learn.  For some of us, it's something we never quite grasp, but for Tonya, it was a quick learning experience.  From her 'trial' and years of cancer, she because a shining light in Tipton.  Her light will continue to shine for years to come, through the products of her labor, her children.  Her husband and parents will inspire others, as well.  What a blessing to have known Tonya!

Yesterday afternoon and evening, my family and I worked together to get our messy abode straightened up and tidy.  It has to be because we're having a Senior class party here tonight!  But, as we cleaned, we all thought of Tonya.  I told my children about how she used to work so hard to never have a messy house, but how sometimes it will get messy when we're serving others.  

Thank you, God, for the life and lessons that Tonya lived and learned and shared.  She was an inspiration to all who knew her!

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