Today's visitors included Dakota Bruce and Katelyn Babcock. Day 4 of The Jar.
As we were chirping away, mostly me and Dakota complaining, well me, a visitor was brought to my room. In came a flatbed dolly with boxes on it through my classroom door. ( Jeff the eternal hall monitor pushed it in). An older woman was seen behind it, standing in the hallway, looking intently into the class. As I approached, she came inside the doorway and started to speak to me.
"I have some art supplies I think you may be able to use...."
"Oh that's great" I said. She started say "They are from my......." and she stopped.
She said "I'm going to start to cry...." I stood bewildered. She continued, "They are from my brother who was one of the first graduating class of the school." 50 years ago.
"He was an artist."
She broke down a bit. She said he loved art. Was really good, "won contests and awards".I couldn't ask her any questions with her in the state she was. You could see it must have happened very recent. They must have been going through his possessions.
She was letting go. We were there to see it. Thank you whoever you were. Let's use them!
What a beautiful soul to be thinking of others in her time of sorrow. Thank you, miss stranger, for sharing your brother's art supplies, and through them, your brother's story.
ReplyDeleteExactly.
DeleteSo very grateful she was able to let others learn to love art as much as he had... This donation will be put to great use, inspiring others to learn the techniques of art and finding a piece of themselves along the way. Thank you again!
ReplyDeleteWorlds collide! I too had received a phone call in my classroom last week and the daughter of a local artist , who passed away, called me and asked if she could donate some supplies. Prior to lunch she parked her car outside my classroom and unpacked a load of canvas, mat board, paints, brushes, books, etc. To which I let two art students pick and choose first what they thought they could use, and stored the rest in my storage closet for next time. The two students looked like they were experiencing a Christmas moment. It's good to be an art teacher!
ReplyDeleteAs long as it isn't "trash" I'll be doing a post on the donations some people think we art teacher can use!
DeleteAnd that is eerie. Almost same scenario.
DeleteIt was great to be in that room, and to see how she felt so connected to the school & to the art created there!
ReplyDelete