The day after I was offered the position to teach second grade at DAIS, I was drawn to Goat Rock State Beach to Mom’s memorial site. I felt a deep need to be close to her, share my good news, and have a nice long chat about the path that lay ahead of me. Upon arriving at the beach, I took a long walk down toward the mouth of the Russian River where I sat on the jetty for hours and wrote in my journal about the huge leap I was taking to teach overseas and how life would change if I accepted the position at DAIS. After hours of writing, I still had not come to a decision and my attention was drawn to a group of seagulls down on the beach. They were having a field day with something, but I couldn’t quite make out what it was from the distance. My curiosity finally got the best of me and I packed up my journal to go down and see what all the commotion was about. As I walked closer I realized the seagulls were chowing down on starfish…hundreds of them! There had been a huge storm the night before and these poor little guys and been washed up onto the beach. It instantly reminded me of the starfish story I once heard:
Once upon a time, there was a wise man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach before he began his work.
One day, as he was walking along the shore, he looked down the beach and saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself at the thought of someone who would dance to the day, and so, he walked faster to catch up.
As he got closer, he noticed that the figure was that of a young man, and that what he was doing was not dancing at all. The young man was reaching down to the shore, picking up small objects, and throwing them into the ocean.
He came closer still and called out "Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?"
The young man paused, looked up, and replied "Throwing starfish into the ocean."
"I must ask, then, why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?" asked the somewhat startled wise man.
To this, the young man replied, "The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don't throw them in, they'll die."
Upon hearing this, the wise man commented, "But, young man, do you not realize that there are miles and miles of beach and there are starfish all along every mile? You can't possibly make a difference!"
At this, the young man bent down, picked up yet another starfish, and threw it into the ocean. As it met the water, he said, "I made a difference to that one!"
With thoughts of this story in my head, I began throwing these beautiful creatures back into the sea, one after the other. I started thinking about teaching and the difference I’ve made in so many children’s lives and got even more excited about the thought of teaching overseas. (I later talked to Jane, my principal at Monte Vista, and she said she had started her very first staff meeting at Monte Vista with this story.) : )
I then headed to Mom’s spot overlooking Blind’s Beach and Goat Rock. Sitting with her and looking out over the ocean, I felt wide open to all the possibilities life had to offer and I asked Mom to send me a sign…a sign to let me know, to guide me and lead me in the direction of where my heart needed to be…and I knew in my heart that she would!
That night I had a Skype conversation with Kate Adams, the second grade teacher at DAIS. One of the questions I asked her was about what she did on her weekends and free time. Her answer was that a group of teachers often went to a local café called “Susan's” for breakfast on Saturday mornings!!! Ha!!! Can you believe it?? A café named Susan’s...in China! I knew right then and there it was Mom's sign telling me to take the job and go to China!! After ending the call with Kate, Sidney Gill (Head of Elementary) sent me a text through Skype and right then and there I accepted the position to teach second grade at DAIS.
And here I am in Jinshitan, China standing with Susan in front of her café!! I just love how Mom is everywhere I am. All I have to do is look around and I see her manifested again and again in so many ways. She has never left my side!
Darn it all you made me cry!
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