The Frog

During my time as principal, I always kept a stuffed frog that a friend gave to me seventeen years ago when I almost "croaked" due to a perforated diverticulum. Over the years, the stuffed frog has been picked up, played with, and discussed with many students who came through our school.

One day, one of my teachers came into my office to tell me something. She had her son with her. We talked about what she needed, and then she left and went home. Later that evening, I received a text from that same teacher telling me that her son had my frog, and she was sorry. She said she had entered her son's room, and low and behold, a green frog was sitting on the shelf. The teacher asked her son where he had gotten that frog, and he admitted that he had taken it from my office. Embarrassed about what he had done, the teacher brought her son to my office the next day to give me back the frog and to apologize. We laughed over her son's pilfering my frog throughout the years. I think he is in fifth grade now. When I retired, this teacher brought me a little green ceramic frog as a retirement gift. I loved it! It's a reminder of a time when her son probably learned a lesson, but his mom and I had many good times laughing about what he had done. It was just another tale to talk about during my journey of thirty years.