My Last Class...

Harder than I thought it would be. 

The very last song was Stevie Wonder's "I Just Called To Say I Love You."  One of my absolute favorite water aerobic songs.  Fun to sing along to and a good beat for cooldown.  I always have them shimmy or shake their hips on the last 3 strong beats in the song and I love the laughs that ensue after the hip shaking.  Well, I played that song last in my class and as we were stretching out our warm muscles, I thanked them for coming and for 3 years of attending my classes.  And cried.  I could not talk.  I turned and took off my mic pack and wiped the tears while they all clapped.  I turned back and clapped with them and accepted the generous praise.  We all enjoyed a spread of fruit, cookies, and cakes that they had brought for my last day and it truly warmed my heart.

I will carry some very distinct memories in my mind and in my heart:

Doug--my chocolate friend.  He's always good for a smile and a hug.  He's so active for an 82 year old and impresses me with his weight lifting.  He's one of the few I let call me "pretty lady", or say "love you." I'll always remember that chocolate brown skin, close-cropped hair and mustache, lifting weights next to me in body pump and shakin his groove thing in aqua. I've never seen him without a smile.

Doug--Then there's white Doug.  That's how Kelsey and I distinguished between them: White Doug and Black Doug.  We love those two!  He's always good for a pat on the back and a big smile.  He's kind, loving, and cares about how my girls are doing and how I'm doing with mommyhood.  He's comes to class not for the workout, but for the chatting.  He loves the ladies.

June--Another fave of mine is 91 yr old June.  She's always cracking jokes(mostly at my expense!), poking fun, makes me laugh, I just love her to death, but you don't say that to a 91 yr old!  She's amazingly active for 91 and I cut her slack when she confuses me with pregnant Kelsey.  I blame it on the age and not that I might actually look like I have a preggo belly.

I'll miss the smiles, the hugs, the 'good mornings' the singing along to "I just called to say I love you", the mic pac on my waist and mic by my mouth that made me feel I was in charge. I'll miss being confused with Kelsey, who coincidentally has kids the same age, curly hair, and is the same age as me. Kelsey is also 6 months pregnant and I find it funny that even in my last week teaching I got asked when the baby was coming. I love old people.  What a fun chapter to my life.  I wonder if we'll revisit that chapter and add more pages in the book of life or if I'll find a new outlet and hobby for me to create a whole new chapter.  Time will tell.

(the giganto card and smaller card with their personal notes inside)

they say I'll be missed. they say to come visit. they say they think i'm great. they say they love me. they made me cry. I was at the end of our cool down and noted aloud that it was my last time to give them a posture check. Stand tall, head held high, chest lifted, tummy in tight.... I welled up with tears and could not finish. I turned away to wipe my eyes and held up a finger in the air. I couldn't go on. I took off my mic and wiped away the sweat mixed with tears. I turned back around to give a smile as the clapping drowned out my music. And it was over.