Just so I keep my word: Here's the 'more later' version of my last day at work.
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When I went in, I thought of it like any other day. I'm definitely not one to slack off just because I won't be there any more. I don't know if it was my good attitude or not but the kids at school all seemed very regulated all day. We didn't have any big issues and the issues we did have, we were able to handle effectively. At the end of the day when Diane, the head teacher, asked how the day went, I told her it probably would have been better if the kids had been really challenging and difficult because t makes it harder to leave when it goes really well. On a personal note, I had lots of well-wishes and hugs throughout the day. They even sent a balloon bouquet made up with candy instead of flowers! I felt loved and appreciated.
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Throughout this entire process of deciding to leave HeadStart and be more present with my children, I leaned heavily on advise of friends. I left the entire decision in God's hands and I know from experience that he can use Godly people to help guide my path. One of the key phrases that helped me get over the guilt of leaving before the school year ended was advise from my friend. She told me that if I was remaining in a position that God was leading me away from, I could be preventing Him from placing someone else in that position that was supposed to be there and needed to be there. It really turned my thinking upside down - in a good way. It's not all about me. Duh!
Anyway, unknown to me, the week before I talked to Diane about my resignation, she had spoken with someone about doing some substituting for us. The gal was excited and promptly filled out the paperwork. She had finished her classes, is a single mom of 3 and wasn't having any luck finding employment. By the time I spoke with Diane, this gal's paperwork had already moved through the ranks and was awaiting aproval in Pierre. I should also mention that HeadStart is always very slow with their hiring process. It is federal bureaucracy at it's finest because of all the desks the paperwork has to cross and the approvals needed.
I spoke with Diane one morning and she spoke with this gal that afternoon to see if she would be interested in my position. She was! The paperwork ended up being approved later that week. According to everyone I know on staff, it was the fastest turnaround for employment paperwork they'd ever seen! Go God! Just for comparison, last year our bus monitor moved and we needed to hire a replacement. An applicant was chosen within two weeks, then it took almost TWO months for the paperwork to come through. She was able to be on the bus for only the last two weeks of the school year. I think my paperwork took almost a month to be approved when I started. So it's a miracle in itself that this gal's paperwork went through so fast and she definitely needed the work. She's so excited about the job that it makes my leaving much easier  on me. I know God had his hand in all of this and I'm thankful that I was able to listen and follow His directions ;)
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