Admiration

The Hudson Star-Observer published a great article (for a login, go to bugmenot.com) on the occasion of my mother-in-law's retirement from 30 years of teaching. JM pointed out that she may be one of the first teachers to retire from a full career in special education, which was new when she got her degree.

This is why I love her. She's straightforward.

She answers bluntly when asked what attracted her to teaching.

“Money,” she says, explaining that the only women in the small Wisconsin village of Alma Center where she grew up that had careers were teachers.

She doesn't go for handwringing about whether her work makes a difference.

Asked whether students progressed under her instruction, Rasmus laughs and says, “Oh, yes, or I wouldn’t have my job.”

And she's funny.

She takes with her into retirement a wealth of cute kid memories — like the little girl who told her she had her gym trunks on inside-out because the other side was wet, and the pint-size second-grader who took his assignment, sighed and said, “A man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do.”

She's also kind of shy so I hope I haven't embarassed her. Happy retirement, mom!