A couple years after becoming a stay-at-home mom, people started asking me if I would ever go back to work some day. My answer was always, "Only if it's a school job, because I want to have the same days off as my kids." Well, with my oldest starting all day kindergarten this year and our son going to daycare 4 days a week, it seemed like a good time to start thinking about getting into the work world at some level. The first place I started looking was the school website. I saw openings for substitute associates and substitute food service. The food service director happened to have a child on Rylee's soccer team, so we got to talking about the sub job and I decided to apply for it. I figured subbing would be a great job because I can choose when I want to work. I got hired on for that one, and also for the associate sub job. Between the two, I figured I'd work a couple days a week -- perfect.
Then a few weeks later, the food service director called and asked if I was interested in a regular part-time job at the elementary school. The hours would be 10:45-1:15. Hmmm.... That's a nice short shift and I would know when I'm going to be working (vs not knowing if I would be needed as a sub the next day or not). I wasn't sure how I felt about it being right in the middle of the day though and I would have to send Wyatt to daycare a 5th day. James and I discussed it, and I talked to a friend who works at the school -- she thought I would probably enjoy the food service job. I decided to take it. 4 days in, I'm glad I made that choice!
Being a "lunch lady" could easily be a thankless job. One of the reasons I decided to take this job was to get to see all of the elementary kiddos every day. I wasn't exactly sure what it might be like to see them all every day, but I was hopeful that it would bring a smile to my face, just like seeing all of Rylee's preschool classmates did each day last year. Let me tell you, these kids have not disappointed me!!
In fact, I almost teared up on the first day as they started coming through the lunch line saying, "yes please" and "no thank you". These were 1st and 2nd graders, using better manners than most adults! I kept thinking, "I sure hope Rylee isn't the one kid who forgets her manners when she comes through this line."
I was already emotional on the first day, between sending my first child on the bus to go to kindergarten and starting my first job in 3.5 years. But the kind things I heard from the kids' mouths forced me to hold back tears.
"Thank you for lunch!"
"It was good, thank you!"
"This was really good food!"
"Thank you for lunch!"
"Have a good day!"
These were many of the comments I received from the kids. I was just shocked!! Here I thought I was teaching Rylee good manners, but I know she would never say any of these things to the lunch lady wearing a hair net and scraping her tray. Nearly all of the kids looked me in the eye and said something to me....even if it was just, "I didn't like the peas!" :)
One girl said to me, "Before you tell me 'thank you', I want to thank YOU!" :)
Several kids noticed I was new this year and they commented.
"Are you the new lunch lady?"
"You're new, aren't you?"
One little boy and girl came up to me and he asked if I was a new lunch lady. When I said, "Yes. My name is Emily," the girl hit him in the arm and said, "I told you!!" That made me chuckle.
The second day a couple of kids said to me, "You came back, huh?!" They must have been making bets that I wouldn't.....
By far my favorite comment so far came from a 3rd or 4th grade girl on the second day. She stood in front of me, looked me in the eye, smiled and said, "You're VERY pretty!" :) :) :) Okay sister, I'll bring you a cookie tomorrow ;)
Scraping trays and washing tables isn't the most glamorous job in the world, but being in an elementary school, surrounded by young kids who haven't been too tainted by the world yet, is very rewarding. I have a job to do while I'm there, but the lessons I leave with have nothing to do with the tasks I performed.
I've been putting my mindfulness training into practice while I'm there and I come to appreciate so many little things every day. From watching kindergartners learn how to dump the food from their tray without dropping the tray into the garbage can, to listening to the words the teachers use to talk to the students, to watching the principal wear a hair net and happily spoon food onto the kids' trays....every day I feel more and more blessed to work in that environment.
Seeing Rylee every day in school mode is probably the best benefit of this job for me. So many parents don't get to witness their child in this way. I love that I get to watch her walk in a line, interact with classmates and school staff and follow rules that weren't made by me. Plus, I get to see what she is or isn't eating....she "loves" that ;) "Seriously, just try the tator tots!!!"
Her friends all enjoy seeing me too. I hear "Hi Rylee's mom!!!" many times. They're all just so adorable!!
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