| We were all gathered at the calling hours for my son. The funeral home was filled with people, some I knew, and some I didn’t. There were people of all ages, and all walks of life. I was amazed that at just 21, Josh could have known all these people, and touched them in a way that made them all want to come and say goodbye. The people made their way over to me one by one, shaking my hand or offering a hug in my grief. Each had a different story to tell about Josh- how they had known him, and from where. Most had some little memory to share, and I listened the best that I could, but while their stories were touching, I was hearing them through a haze of grief. But one story cut through the haze and brought me a smile. A woman I did not know walked over to me. She asked if I was Josh’s Mom and I told her yes. She said, “Well, I am Mrs. Burns. I was Josh’s fifth grade teacher. I saw him in the newspaper and I just had to come.” My surprise certainly showed. Josh's grade school days seemed ages ago. I thanked her quite earnestly for coming, so touched to see one of his old teachers there. She continued talking, all the while with this great big smile on her face. It seemed out of place. I remember thinking what is she smiling about? But then, she began her story. She said, “When you are a teacher, there are certain kids that you will always remember. They just leave an impression on you. You may not believe this, but I was just talking about Josh not three days ago. He did something in my class years ago that I never forgot, and it's become a story that I've told for years now.” We smiled, intrigued, so she continued. “One day in class, I looked up and there was Josh in the back of the room with a bunch of other little boys all gathered around him. They were back there looking at something, all whispering to each other. I said, “Josh, what have you got back there?”. He looked at me like ‘Oh man…why’d she have to see?’ She said his little face fell, like he was doomed to lose his prize, whatever it was. She asked him again, "What have you got there Josh?” He gloomily replied, ‘A petrified snake head’. She said, “A What????” He repeated it, “A petrified snake head.” She said "Well, he and the boys seemed to be enjoying the thing so much I didn’t have the heart to tell him to throw it out, whatever it was, so I said, Well you get up here and put it in my drawer, and you can have it back after class.” She said Josh dutifully walked to the front and sure enough, dropped a dried snake-skin head into her drawer. She said,"I was totally grossed out.” (we all cracked up hearing this, but she said that was not the funny part) She said during lunch she told the story to one of her fellow teachers, a guy that always got a big kick out of the antics of little boys, according to Mrs. Burns. On the way back from lunch the man spotted Josh, and called him over. He said, “So Josh, Mrs. Burns told me about what you had in her class….what exactly is it?” Josh replied proudly, “A petrified snake head.” The man, finding this hilarious, grinned at him and said, “A snake head, huh? You know, you shouldn’t bring that stuff to class. It really grossed her out. So she took it away from you, huh?” Seeing the man's grin, Josh must have thought he'd found a kindred-spirit. “Yup, but that’s ok," he said, patting his little hip pocket. He leaned in conspiratorially and said, " I never told her, but I’ve got the other half in my pocket.” We laughed and laughed. It sounded just like him. It was the brightest spot in that gloomy day. How wonderful of her to come and share it with us. |
| A Story From My Son's Teacher |
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| A Story From My Son's Teacher |
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