Mousies by Sam
Cookies by Bre
I hadn't a chance to post the past few days- busy working, working, working on school stuff (start of new classes at ECU and NCVPS) plus finals at Trask- but this morning I actually have a few moments of 'free time' (cue laughter) and I really want to write. Trask has been stressful the past few weeks- before break and afterwards- for some reason there is administrative chaos and a combination of 'cracking down' while still attempting to bribe the kids into doing well on exams by promising to relax some rules in the future. Needless to say, I have managed to continuously screw up here and there- (my kids are too loud, I use to much paper, why are the ROTC kids playing RISK when they are finished with their work?, the T-shirt design needs edited yet again because the hands of our mascot might be interpreted as being a 'gang gesture' so could you just draw him without hands? seriously. seriously.) So, add to this Mr. Owens trips to the dr. and worry over that (and he broke his little toe the other night as well- avoided sleeping Max and ran it into either the wall or my apothecary cabinet)...and the endless appeals to ECU to please, please, please continue my financial aid for my last three classes- and I have been quite stressy. And unfortunately it shows- my class room is a mess, I've been snappish with the kids, just not myself.
Everyone knows though that I am comforted by food..... and they have brought me gifts the past two days. A chocolate apple (which I ate before I could take a picture!). Mousies made out of Hershey's kisses, chocolate covered cherries and cookies. Heart shaped cookies that spelled out "We love you Mama Owens" (yes, some of those got eaten before I could take a picture- and I did share them!). I love that my kids care about me, and know that I love them. Beyond the gift of food, the idea of how I play into their lives- I'm not their mother, but they see me as maternal. Not a softy, but someone who cares about what they do and how they do it, and I try to listen to what they say, respect who they are. Teach them how to see and create and learn and express- and I try to live up to the title of respect. When they call me Mother, Mom, Mama (and yes, a few call me Grandma), it is a term of respect- I don't know if it is a local cultural thing, or a Southern thing, or common now- (I would never *dream* of calling my teachers Mother! or of talking to them...) but familiar titles are used here to indicate relationships. When someone (of any age) is introduced as brother/sister, it could mean a family member, a religious title, or close friend. The titles of Mother/Father/Grandparent can again mean family member, church elder or....basically...'parental figure' in an archetypal sense. An Aunt or an Uncle is either a family member, distant relative, respected member of the community. Abulita is the Spanish for Grandmother but has become used by everyone as a title for the oldest female in the school. (which is not me, and who is not Spanish, but *all* the kids call her Abulita). Cousins are usually cousins, but 'cuz' is associated with gangs/friendships as well..... As for their blood relatives, of course people are referred to by their normal titles, but you can tell that families are fractured because of the terms of 'biologicals', 'sperm donors', 'baby daddy/mama'...and the convoluted titles that somehow describe that your 'parent' is your Mother's second husbands third wife's boyfriends aunt. I think we are looking to find families in the community because the old definition of family doesn't work for everyone- and yes, I do think of my 'kids' as my children. And I love them dearly.
(The manz also comforted me with manzsketti and garlic bread...my diet is doomed...)
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