Ode to My Yosiyay (I Will Miss Him So Much!!!)
Saturday, July 4th, 2009 | Uncategorized
My Yosiyay and I at my students' Graduation
I know teachers aren’t supposed to have favorite students, or at least not show that they have a favorite, but….Eyosiyas is my favorite student from this year.
I call Eyosiyas My Yosiyay. Adding the ending “yay” to someone’s name is like saying that they belong to you. For example, some of my friends in Ethiopia call me Ruthieyay as a term of love and endearment. if I could have adopted only one of my students, Eyosiyas would have definitely been the one. I just really really love this little boy.
I first noticed My Yosiyay when I accidentally got on the topic of love with my students. Eyosiyas raised his hand and said “Jesus loves us!” All I could do in my secular, private school was just smile and nod at that point. Eyosiyas always struck me as a rather confident boy and now I knew why. Eyosiyas knows that he is loved by God. Later I went up to him by myself and told him that I believed that Jesus loves me and others as well. He gave me this face as if to say “Well, of course He does!” I hope I can have this kind of confidence in God’s love as My Yosiyay does.
On graduation day this woman came up to me and said “I’m Eyosiyas’ mother.” All I could think to say to her was “You are one lucky woman. And just between you and me, your son Eyosiyas is my favorite student.” She answered, “I know. He told me.” Eyosiyas has this confidence in the love of God and the love of others and I hope that I can have this same level of confidence too! As his teacher, he has taught me a lot!! I really miss him so much already!!
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