Mom stunned to see son's married teacher's 'I said YES' Facebook post—she 'couldn’t stop crying' after learning the truth
Teachers often go above and beyond to help their students. One woman experienced such kindness from her son's teacher in an unexpected way. It all started when the woman saw the teacher's post on Facebook. It had a photo of her where the teacher was holding up a chalkboard sign that read, "I said YES." At first, the post struck the mom, Stephanie Hanrahan, as kind of odd because the teacher was already married. But when she read the caption, it made her really emotional, per Love What Matters.
"I didn’t cry on the first day of school. Not really my style, I guess. My children were ready and so was I. But the last? There were tears. A lot of tears. And that is largely thanks to their teachers," Stephanie shared. The mom was really grateful to the teachers who had offered her kids kindness and compassion through their academic journey. One such incident was with her son's teacher and her Facebook post that tugged at her heartstrings. The woman's son is a special needs kid and his teacher had recently become her friend on social media. The mom went through the teacher's page after they became friends on the platform.
"I came upon a picture of her holding a chalkboard sign that read, 'I said YES!' She’s already married, so it struck me as odd until I read the caption." After Stephanie read the caption, she understood that the teacher had said yes to teaching an autism specific classroom. "She went on to describe this job offer as her 'dream, an answer to prayer.' I couldn’t stop crying, then and now, because it was in that moment, I realized how lucky we are to have found the right place and people for my son." The mom pointed out how she didn't "choose to have a special needs child" but the teachers who sign up to teach such a classroom choose to do that. "Every day they willingly walk into a job that requires more work than we can possibly imagine."
Not just that, but the teachers do it faithfully and happily, to ensure that the children get the most out of their class. "They wanted this. They wanted my child. In a world that often says, 'change who you are,' they are saying, 'come to me as is.'" The mom remarked that she had given her son to those teachers and they had given her family hope in return. "I don’t know many people selfless enough to love a child who isn’t their own. To seek their best interest above the easier way. But I know a handful of them now and I bow down." She also shared that she could "barely" handle two children while the teachers handled a class of 20 kids. "All the praise," she expressed.
"The truth is, the only reason I can breathe and begin again as a woman is because for a few hours a day these teachers relieve me as a mother," Stephanie admitted. She suggested that teachers are a big part of "the village" it takes to raise a child. "They are doing the hard, often thankless work of molding children and they are doing it every day without complaint." She continued, "So, to all the teachers out there who graciously give so that others can grow. Who see the whole child—not just the missing piece: Thank you for saying YES. You are doing the work of the mighty."