After a very busy day at the deli Linsey and I ran a few errands before heading to pick up Regan from school. I was really dreading pick up because it was the final good-bye to our beloved Ms Matti.

She will be getting in her car and driving all the way to Connecticut tomorrow where she will live with her boyfriend and teach at another (very lucky) preschool.

I knew that saying good-bye was going to be really tough because tears had already been shed two times before. Yesterday Regan gave her a picture frame she had made with pictures of them together, a picture of her with her postcard from New Zealand and two pictures she made herself. It came wrapped in her very own Maria’s Deli t-shirt!! Tears were shed then…

This morning we gave Ms Matti many things…a plant for her new house in Connecticut, a plate of homemade cookies, a care package for their drive and a special gift just for Jason, her boyfriend. We wanted to let him know that because we love Matti so much and he loves Matti so much that we now love him that much too.  Tears were shed then…

I knew that because this was a final good-bye tears would be shed, but I thought they would be shed by Regan. She loves Matti so much and is really going to miss her, but I don’t think she fully comprehends the fact that Matti is moving across the country to Connecticut and will be gone from here and her school. She hugged her, told Matti she loved her and then told me that she was ready to go home.

Then Matti and I said our good-byes. Tears were shed then… We hugged each other tight. Tears were shed then… She told me that we will always have a special place in her life. Tears were shed then… We hugged again and I told her that we love her and are going to miss her so much. I told her that Jason had better take good care of her. She agreed and said that if he didn’t (we both know he will!) she will be right back here. Tears were shed then… We hugged each other again, so tight, tears were shed then…

Matti,

I know that I said all of this in the card I gave you, but I want you to know that you have touched our lives in a way that words really can’t express. You’ve loved my daughter as much as I do. You’ve helped to shape her into the little girl she is and the woman that she will one day become. The connection that the two of you share is undeniable and unimaginable to be duplicated again.

Thank you for being such an important part of her life, but thank you for being such an important part of mine as well. Before you were Regan’s teacher you were my friend. And I hope, even with hundreds of miles between us, that remains the same. Every time I go for a run I will absolutely think of you!

Good luck in your new adventure, your new life and your new job. I hope that we can make it out to visit you like we’ve talked about, but most importantly – we better get an invitation to the wedding!!

Lots of Love,

Maria and the ENTIRE Sparks Family

It’s an amazing gift to have a teacher that your child loves and that loves your child so much. Knowing that Matti will be teaching other children in another school makes me happy for them, but sad for us because we will miss her terribly.

Now that the tears have stopped flowing and we’re at home where things are relatively normal (really – I can prove it) the girls are enjoying some dinner and laughs together.

I’m enjoying a mug of jasmine green tea while my personal chef loving husband makes me some fire roasted tomato soup and crackers. I’m such a lucky girl…

Today I’m thankful for:

…knowing someone like her

…the ability to call her my friend

…the shameless way I shed tears

…being able to show her how much we love her

…having an excuse to travel to NYC

~ Maria