It takes a village.

Yesterday was a busy one. I took Laura to school at 0 dark hundred after going to bed at midnight. I came home from this, took a shower, gave a violin lesson and took kids to school and began my day as a sub. for the Tag teacher.

The sub. job yesterday was light. I had some down time, so I got to help out Becca's teacher. Becca was thrilled that I could be in her room and the teacher was thrilled because she needed help. I was thrilled that I could give Becca some attention after the previous evening.

I worked until 12:30 and then came home to prepare for my first orchestra club meeting. I have to say, I was a little nervous. I wasn't sure what to expect.

When I arrived at the middle school, I was met by a high school student who came to volunteer. She was followed by the Principal of Becca's elementary school. She came to support me. I was truly honored by her presence. I was also a little nervous as she is giving me conducting lessons. Neat, neat lady.

We went down to the room where we are meeting. There, I was met by the conductor of the high school orchestra that this club will feed into. There was an orchestra booster parent from the high school and the vice pricipal of the middle school came in as well. There were fifteen kids in the room. Yesterday at 3:00, I was a bit nervous. I kept having those same old thoughts pass in my head that said "Can you really do this? What do you think you are doing? Why do you think you can lead a whole string club? You are not a teacher. What if all these people in this room think the same?". I looked again and realized that every adult in that room was supporting me. They were not critizing me. They were giving me a hands up and I was truly blessed. We are all trying to help this club and fill a need in our district. It takes a village to help kids and I was looking at my village cheifs. I wasn't afraid anymore, but was humbled that these people would come.

The kids are the whole point of this club. I had 15 of them and they varied greatly in their musical abilities. I had a perfect string quartet of advanced kids. I will have to give them quartet music in order to keep them challenged. The rest were pretty much beginners with a couple of kids in between. This is who my heart goes out to. Some of these kids had not played their instrument since elementary school because there was no opportunity. This is the whole reason I am there. I saw three kids go from almost tears to smiles and pride, by the time we left. These are the kids that I want to reach and help them keep going. I have to. I was once one of those kids.

When I was in the sixth grade, my violin teacher reached out to me and my life was never the same. I have to do that for these kids. I owe her big time, but I think she is no longer around. Since I can't say thanks to her, I will pass on her gift of love, compassion and of course, music.