Day 5: Little Things

Thank you for the prompt, Ann Dee Ellis.

On my window sill sits a little menagerie.  It is a collection of small gifts I have received over the years.  There is an adorable teeny glass frog sitting on a teeny toilet.  His face is smily and his eyes, tiny, and adorable.  It made me laugh when I got it, it makes everyone who sees it for the first time laugh, and it makes me smile looking over at it now.  He was a gift from Toshi. Toshi is from Japan.  Land of all cute, small things.  Toshi and I worked in a frog lab together- determined to learn the secrets of the vertebrate embryo.  He was my best friend when he was in Charlottesville.  I miss him dearly.

Next, is a small elephant, carved from golden wood.  This elephant is precious it it's own right, but if you look inside the intricate carving, there is a tiny elephant.  A baby.  It is breathtakingly beautiful.  This elephant is from Pradeep.  in 2011, his wife was diagnosed with leukemia, and he was teaching a full load.  I took all of his labs and taught for him for the entire semester.  I watched his wife's caring bridge page every day, and after becoming extremely sick from the bone marrow transplant she needed in order to live, she slowly improved.  She is now working full time at the same university that Pradeep and I worked.  Pradeep and Pranav too a trip to India and brought back for me, a carved momma elephant.  It was a perfect gift.

I also have a glass clear and green elephant.  Valerie bough him for me on her first field trip without me- which was in 6th grade.  She went to Williamsburg, armed with a special packed lunch and money for a souvenier.  She brought back 2- the frog, and a tree necklace- both for me.  This girl and I love each other.  I miss her so much...

I have also, an orange, white and black glass frog reaching out in movement.  He is from Nichole Brady.  She was seen as "a problem" in primary.  The teacher before me asked to be released from teaching her class because of Nichole and a little boy.  I loved that class so much.  Nicole loved me.  When her class went to the Chezch republic in 2006, she brought back this teeny glass frog for me.  It reminds me how I won her over every time I look at it- she asked if she could read her scripture in her "evil" voice.  I looked over it, and it was about Satan, so I said sure.  From then on, the girl loved me.  It was mutual.

I also have a framed photo of Alexis, McKenzie, Brooke, Christopher and I after my talk in Silver Spring.  That was an amazing talk, and I was surrounded my some of my biggest student fans.  They came all the way with me for the trip, we had a wonderful triumphant dinner, and 4 weeks later, I told them I was moving to Idaho.  They printed our photo and gave it to me as a going away present.  I love those kids.  So much.

Finally, I have a Willow Tree mom and daughter, and Mom and Son.  They are precious to me.  This little menagerie is of gifts given to me that mean the world to me.  IT is my precious place.