Special Teacher by James Avery

My first year of teaching was incredibly challenging. I was hired two weeks into the school year because the enrollment was much higher than anticipated, and I'd made a good impression on the director of personnel. As a result of my late start, I was assigned one class from one teacher (who was exceptionally awesome, and the kids had already bonded with her - a.k.a. the class from hell), one class from another teacher (who was a first-year teacher just like me and was so grateful to have her load lightened), and one class was created taking students from various classes throughout the school to lower the numbers in those classes. For some reason, that last class and I had an instant rapport, and became quite close. I always looked forward to seeing them.

That spring, about a week before my 24th birthday, one of the kids asked me if I'd step in the hall for a minute because they (the class) had something they needed to talk about. I was puzzled, but I did as they asked. I think the only reason this worked is that I was inexperienced, I trusted them, and their request was totally unexpected. What I found out a week later is that they had decided to go in together on a gift for me for my birthday, and they were making arrangements.

I was so touched when I was presented with this beautiful charm by James Avery on a silver chain. I immediately put it on, beaming with a huge silly grin, and wore it every day for the rest of the school year.

That summer, I moved out of my parents' house into my first apartment in San Antonio. I'd had to live with them that year because I couldn't afford my own place. I packed everything as if I was moving to another state, including my charm. But when I unpacked my things, I couldn't find my charm. I was so upset. I scoured my new apartment and then scoured my parents' home to no avail. It was gone. I'd lost it.

About seven months later on Christmas morning, my dad was playing Santa, passing presents out one gift at a time as he has done for all of the Christmases I can remember (barring one when he decided he was sick of being Santa). As we were going around, oohing and aahing as presents were opened one by one, it came to my turn. In a little James Avery box, was the charm you see at the top of this post. My mom told me that the charm was partly to replace the one I'd lost, and partly because they were so proud of me. I think I actually cried (I'm a huge sap).

This charm was actually the reason I started wearing my bracelet. There was no way I was going to lose this charm again, so I took it and the charms my parents had given me in high school, and I had James Avery size the bracelet and solder the charms on.