Last week I was in a fifth grade classroom, watching the end of a mini lesson when I found my eyes wondering to the various charts around the classroom. A few charts behind the teacher’s desk caught my eye. The handwriting, beautiful, almost too perfect- belonged to Val. Val came to our school during the rough COVID years, even completing her student teaching online. She had a lot of heart but after a few years, she decided teaching wasn’t for her. My heart broke a little when she left. I’d never met anyone, especially so young, who left for a completely different career path. I worried that Val didn’t get a chance to see the good parts because she signed on when things were arguably harder than ever.

It had been many months since I had heard from Val, but the very same day I had been admiring her lovely charts, I got a random text from her. She had some things she wanted to drop off for me and other members of our school community. She ended up dropping them on my porch that very same day.

When I got home from my daughter’s basketball game, we lugged the heavy box inside. Upon opening the box, not sure what to expect, I was greeting with Val’s handwriting etched on colorful post-its, designating gifts for various staff members. Val now works for a company, you may have heard of it if you’re an educator- Really Good Stuff. A few text exchanges later, I learned that Val had used what she learned at our school to develop products that she said she would have found helpful when she was in the classroom. I saw the evidence of this in the Book Club Kits she had included, complete with dry erase calendars for up to six book clubs and the fun talk cards that supported kids doing debate work like the work of one of our argument units.

Val even included a note for me, filled with love and kindness, putting my fears at ease. We hadn’t failed Val…she was doing just fine and still looked back in her time at school with fondness.

I doubt Val knows what a gift her box brought, far greater than the actual gifts inside. It was also a joy to be able to deliver each item back at school the next day, to see how touched everyone was that Val had thought of them. Val continued to spread sunshine to us all that day.