Just a rocking chair

My car is cleaned out so I was going to go ahead and take my rocking chair home. 

But I couldn't. Taking it home makes it real. 

Countless read alouds, morning meetings, heart to heart talks, author's spotlights and student reading has happened in that chair. 

Seven years of learning, sharing, teaching. It's hard to realize that is over.

For some reason, I couldn't take that chair home today. There is still one day left. One more morning meeting. One more read aloud. One more closing circle. Seven years of a story that is coming to an end.

Even in happy endings there is still sorrow because it is over. 

But is a story really ever over? Within every ending there is a new beginning. New adventures. 

To someone else it is just a rocking chair. But oh the stories that rocking chair holds.