Age of Aquarius

Remember this Fifth Dimension song? "When the moon is in the seventh house, and Jupiter aligns with Mars..." Everything is perfect! Have you ever had a day, a week, a year, or a job that was everything you needed to be completely satisfied? I'd like to tell you about a time in my life where I felt that I was aligned with something very special.

Prior to my thrilling job as a school secretary, I worked at a church pre-school as a Teacher's Aid. I had been coerced to apply for this job by a friend. It helped a little that my girls had been students at the school, so I was familiar with how it was run and I knew some of the teachers. I really love the kids at this age. They are still so very innocent and loving. Every new experience is an exciting adventure for them.

My day began by assisting the teachers prepare for the day. The other Aids and I would help set up paints and easels, fill up water pitchers, set out supplies for the day's activities and anything else that the teachers needed. Once the children began arriving, we would go through their tote bags to pull out notes, lunch bags or returned items from the prior class time. Throughout the morning, we would help with activities, art projects, snack time, potty breaks, outside time and clean up. Occasionally, I would substitute for one of the teachers. This really did wonders for my ego, because the little tykes always loved the teacher!

One of the the best things about this job, (in addition to the children) was the fact that I loved every single woman with whom I worked. I loved the director, the teachers and the other aids. We all seemed to blend well together. All of us were moms, so we had that in common. The fact that we were all Christian women was another common thread. I think that we all had a decent sense of humor, which on some days, was the only way we survived! After working for a few months, I became comfortable with my work and my relationship with my co-workers. Everyone was called "Miss" Susan, "Miss" Betty, etc. I would get a chuckle when I would hear, "Miss Liz, will you please wipe my butt?" coming from the bathroom!

In November, we drew names for a Secret Santa event. We would begin leaving gifts for our secret person once a week starting with December 1st. We would get together at a restaurant after the school finished classes for winter break. It would be at this luncheon that our Secret Santa would be revealed. It was always so much fun to sneak around with our little secret stuff and bring a smile to someones face. Of course, I would absolutely love receiving my surprises, too!

One year, to add a little something different, we all took names of a famous actress. There was Anna Nicole Smith, Amy Irving, Mae West, Susan Hayward, Melanie Griffith, Carol Lombard and I was Elizabeth Taylor. It was a lot of fun pretending to be a famous person, and it often kept us laughing throughout the day. To this day, we still email each other with our "Movie Star" names.

The boys and girls were always cracking us up with the funniest stories and their explanations for whatever was happening on any given day. We had a tablet in one of the classrooms where we would write down the funny sayings. At the end of the school year, the director would make a little booklet with these precious articulations, as well as, samples of their master artworks throughout the year. I still have these booklets.

This dream job lasted for two to three years. I will always remember the fun, laughter and comradery I experienced when the planets were guided by peace and love steered the stars.