I am lucky to say that I have had someone if not two, in every important stage of my life in which I view as my mentors and/or friends  that I am able to learn and grow from. They have been my support when I'm ready to give up and they are often my subject of aspiration. There is always something within them that I admire and encourages me to strive for excellence.

Today, I'm recognizing one of the two (the other mentioned in th previous blog) who are large influences in my life right now. She has successfully encouraged me to develop a presentation and speak with her a couple of years ago at a regional conference....the subject?....me. It was a scary venture but we seemed to receive a good reaction from the audience. With her influence, I am venturing on my own and speaking BY MYSELF, at a conference in the near future. I am very nervous but when I think about it, I  think about all of her words of encouragement and all of her successes with her own persistance....
Besides her continuous support and encouragement, she has been instrumental in my personal "reinventing" during the past 4+ years, in more ways than one. Again, I'm preserving her anonimity, for she knows who she is. All I will say is thank you, MD. <3
To all of you who struggle and are unsure, I encourage you to always have a role model, mentor, friend, and/or someone you can look up to for encouragement and support. This is a necessity in life...
Peace,
Rachel, The Parent Helper

The following is a letter from someone I sincerely respect and admire. She has a very difficult job and every attribute she mentions in this, is carried out by her leadership and example....so I'd like to give her recognition (while keeping her anonymity, she knows who she is) and Thank HER for making my job easier, yet challenging, and for inspiring me every day when I come to work:

To YOU,
the ones who make my job joyful and challenging, the ones who work the hardest to get (sometimes) the least, the ones who persevere when everyone else has given up, the ones who think outside the box-every day, the ones who care and cajole and encourage and practically beg students to focus, the ones who share the most with the most people, the ones who do the hard work that others won't touch, the ones who never, never give up on a student, the ones who are tired when you leave, and still you stay longer, the ones who do not often hear what a great job you do, the ones who get the least acknowledgement for the most difficult work. You are my inspiration, my creativity, my delight.

YOU ARE THE ONES I love seeing every day at work. The ones I look for each day to teach me more. And I thank you from the bottom of my heart for all you do, every day, for everyone. YOU ARE THE ONES.

A short wish for a long Thanksgiving. Relax, renew, enjoy family and friends, good food, laughter, rest, and most of all, YOU. I hope you are nurtured beyond belief this holiday season. You deserve it and more. YOU ARE THE ONES.

Have a great weekend.
THANKSGIVING to YOU