Friendship

Dear Friends,

It has taken me a while to get to this post.  Over the holidays we lost our dear friend and mentor Ms. Wendy Karr.  There really are no words to describe the sense of loss we are feeling.

Wendy came to work at Maple Tree when one of our other teachers needed to take a leave to seek treatment for Breast Cancer.  Wendy was so funny that day I called her to ask for help.  We had never met before and someone had suggested I give her a call to see if she would help us out.  I didn't know then, but that phone call was the start of a beautiful friendship.

Wendy made it very clear on the phone that day that she was retired and she would help me until my ill teacher was well and could return.  When that time did come a year later, Wendy had really rooted herself into Maple Tree and I was dreading the day she would say her time was done.  Maybe she felt that, because when we did finally have that conversation, she said she couldn't leave and very much wanted to stay at Maple Tree.  What a gift.  I was over the moon.  We were all over the moon.  Wendy was a gift.

I really believe she was meant to come into my life and the lives of our children.  Everyday I miss her.  Wendy was my best friend, mentor and mom all in one.  We had deep conversations about life and collaborated on all things Montessori.  When we had different ideas and teaching styles we melded them.  Wendy never told me my ideas were crazy.  She embraced everything and everyone.  We all wanted to soak up as much from her as we could.   It's fair to say that I envied the way the children went to her and the way she could just command that with her soft voice and presence.

One day she apologized to me because she spent all her time on language work and didn't get to other areas of our classroom and I remember saying to her, "we need to be where the need is the greatest and we have to honour that and we can not feel badly about that" she agreed and we moved on.  I thought about that,  and how Wendy would always say to me all we can do is what we can do and yet she felt she needed to do more.  She truly loved her work.  She told me once that  teaching at her age now was sweet because she was so present in the moments.  She had raised her boys and her time was her own now.  Even in her illness, Wendy was working to get strong and come back to Maple Tree.

Some people are meant to be teachers and guide us in this world.  Wendy was meant to teach and guide us.  I know her gifts will continue because she taught us so much.  I have never known such kindness and love.  Wendy, you are with us in every presentation and moment in our days.  Thank you dear sweet lady.  We will never forget you.
With love, Michelle