~and we found ourselves in Newkirk~

You know, Mike and I never figured that we would retire in a town called Newkirk, Oklahoma. Not once was this spot in the great state of Oklahoma on our "radar" as one of the top 10 places to live in for older folks. Yet here we are, over 3 years after our arrival, settled down in Kay County, Oklahoma. It is our sincere intention to make this move our final one in life. As a teacher, it was the perfect spot for me. I have always felt there was something to be said about being an educator in the very town that you live in. There's nothing quite like working in your yard or taking a walk around town only to be greeted by the voices of children calling out to you as they go by,
"Hey Mrs. Renfro! How are you doing?"
The school is only a few blocks away from our home and I pass by it every single day it seems on my way out of town. Once my classroom was filled with things that I deemed necessary to use each day. By the time I walked out the door for the final time in May, I had reduced my accumulation of "school things" to a couple of small boxes worth of stuff. It felt good to have given most of it away. As I began to settle in as the month of June arrived, most of those leftover possessions were either given to others or tucked away on the shelves in our spare bedroom. There was, however, one thing that I thought was worth saving and utilizing here at home. It was a map of the United States, one that I had used countless times with my students during social studies lessons. Except for the fact it had staple holes throughout, it was in great shape. We hung it up yesterday in the entryway of our home. It's a visual reminder that we are just one small part of a great big country called America.
We got some stickers to mark the states that each of us had already been to. Our recent trip to the Pacific Northwest helped us to cross off the states of Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming. It's amazing to see where we have been in life as well as noting the places we have never been. Perhaps in time we shall see more of this country, but for now I give thanks that I have seen as much of it as I have.
50 days into retirement, life continues on and I find myself growing and changing as a person each day. One of the things that I have found to be the most unsettling, the thing that makes me the most anxious about not returning to the classroom full time this fall, is the fact that I have always identified myself as a "teacher". I haven't known any other life. From the time I was a 23-year old young woman until this very point in my life, it was who I was destined to become. Many well meaning friends and family members have told me that I need to embrace the freedom, that I have earned this "rest". I do agree with them, but the feelings of angst that come to me from time to time are those reminders that I loved the life that I chose. It will take some time, but I know it will be all right if I just allow it to be.
This community has provided me with countless memories already made and many more just waiting to be found in the future. My life continues to be blessed here on a pretty regular basis these days. I was once asked what I felt my greatest accomplishment was during my time of teaching at Newkirk Elementary School. It didn't take long for me to answer that question. All I had to do was to look at a picture of my fourth grade class from the year 2020-2021. It was a time when we returned to learning in the classroom after the initial wave of Covid19 restrictions were over. During that first year back we still had days and weeks when school was closed if our community counts were too high for us to safely be together. It was during those times when I learned to teach my students virtually. They were on one side of the computer screen and their teacher was on the other. It was tough at first but we made it because we all stuck together. Teaching virtually required extra work on all sides~parents, students, and teachers alike. It was there in that strange and foreign setting where strong relationships were built between the school and home.
"Covid 19 didn't stop me from teaching and it didn't stop my students from learning. For that I will always be grateful."

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