Words cannot express...

how much my students mean to me.. Part 1 of 2 for my two amazing sections who have made today sunshine despite the rain. Just when I was feeling good about not celebrating my upcoming birthday:

"Ms. Shabdin, come here - we found something!" And I'm brought into a room with cake, candles, the biggest teddy bear I've ever seen (who is apparently my new husband, and named Turgut), and these notes that I cannot stop reading.

An excerpt (sorry tatlims, they're all so beautiful but it feels tooself indulgent to write them all!):

"What are you now? 50? Just kidding, we love you Ms. Shabdin!"

"Will you marry me??!! Unfortunately it's your birthday and you're getting older..."

"Dunyanin en sirin orgetmeni"

"I hope I can be a good matchmaker for you this year and find you the love of your life!"

"The first teacher that could occupy my heart."

"After I came into your class, I've had a dream that I wasn't in your class - actually it was a nightmare."

"Really, it is so nice of you to be born just in time for us to be your students. It was lucky of us!"

"Bizim icin bir abla, bir arkadasiniz. "

and this one which sums it up well:

"Happiness is like peeing in your pants - everyone can see it but only you can feel its warmth! And that's what you feel today..."