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Showing posts with label Family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Family. Show all posts

Friday, 4 July 2025

🌸 Maribel’s Garden of Strength: A Story of Patience, Passion, and Quiet Courage

July 04, 2025 0 Comments

 In the eyes of many, Maribel is simply an early childhood educator — the one with warm hands, gentle eyes, and a quiet but commanding presence in the classroom. But behind her daily routines of teaching ABCs and tying shoelaces lies a story not everyone knows. A story of strength, survival, and silent resilience.


Maribel is not just a teacher. She is a creator.


She brings life to every classroom through arts and crafts, where popsicle sticks become castles and paper plates become animals. She encourages children to explore, express, and imagine. Her love for creativity flows naturally — not just in the classroom, but at home, where her hands are always busy with a brush, a pen, or a pot of soil.


You’ll often find her surrounded by plants — her sanctuary, her therapy. Cacti, succulents, flowering greens — each one lovingly nurtured, each one a symbol of growth after hardship. Her garden is a mirror of her soul: resilient, quiet, thriving.


But there's more to Maribel than meets the eye.


She sings to heal. Her karaoke machine becomes her stage, where she belts out her favorite ballads and old love songs, turning sorrow into melody. It’s her way of letting go, even if just for a few minutes.


To her friends, she’s the life of the party — giggling over jokes, loud and silly. But around strangers, Maribel retreats into quiet corners. She listens more than she speaks, observes more than she shares. She’s friendly but cautious, warm but guarded.


What most don’t see is the pain she’s carried.


Behind her bright smile is the heavy truth of a failed marriage — one that left her and her children emotionally bruised. Her ex-husband’s words were sharp, his presence toxic. Yet Maribel never allowed herself to be swallowed by bitterness. Instead, she became the anchor for her children. She stood firm — not because she wasn’t afraid — but because she had to be strong for them.


She rarely shows the pain. She hides it with her patience, her laughter, and her work.


But when the world sleeps, Maribel writes.


Her notebooks are filled with poems — deeply personal, raw, and moving. Through every stanza, she pours out the sadness, homesickness, love, and longing that she keeps buried during the day. Poetry is her secret language, her lifeline.


And yet, despite everything, Maribel lives positively.


She continues to nurture young minds, teach with passion, laugh with her friends, and grow her garden of hope. She is not defined by what broke her — she is defined by how she blooms again and again.


To the world, she may be just another teacher. But to those who know her — really know her — Maribel is a warrior, a poet, a mother, a friend, and a healer of little hearts.


She is living proof that no matter what life throws your way, you can choose to grow, give, and glow.

🌿✨

Wednesday, 15 December 2021

A Heartfelt Surprise and a Gentle Reminder

December 15, 2021 0 Comments


What a pleasant surprise it was—a small gift from a child, though of course, it was the parents behind the thoughtful gesture. Just the idea that someone would take time to show appreciation to their child’s educator is so heartwarming. It reminds me that there are still parents who truly value and respect the role we play in their child’s life. After all, we spend long hours with their little ones, guiding, teaching, and caring for them as if they were our own.

Sadly, not all parents share the same appreciation. Believe it or not, there are some who still think of us as nothing more than babysitters. I’ve heard the hurtful term “glorified babysitter” more times than I can count—and every time, it stings. It dismisses everything we do and all the knowledge and dedication we bring to the classroom.


I hold a bachelor’s degree from my home country, and I also earned a diploma in Early Childhood Education here in Quebec. In 2015, the Ministère de la Famille recognized my qualifications and granted me a Level 2 certification the moment I entered the daycare field. Today, I am proudly working toward reaching Level 7. I’ve poured years of real-life experience and professional knowledge into this work—yet the salary often doesn’t match our efforts or our level. Still, I persist.

Unfortunately, some parents raise their eyebrows as if we lack any formal education. It’s true that not every educator has a degree—but many of them have a deep, natural understanding of how to connect with and care for young children. They aren’t simply “watching” the kids. They assist in implementing activity themes, supporting the work of qualified educators, and enriching the children's daily experience.



So when I receive even the smallest token of appreciation, it means the world to me. It’s not about the gift—it’s about being seen. It touches my heart and inspires me to keep giving my best. Every day, I work with love and purpose to help these little ones grow. We do far more than people realize. We support their emotional, physical, cognitive, and social development, one moment at a time.

These little angels depend on us—and we’re here, not just caring for them, but guiding them, inspiring them, and helping shape their future. That is our calling, and it’s a beautiful one.

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.


 

Monday, 13 December 2021

Family Visit at Biodome Montreal

December 13, 2021 0 Comments


This video was taken last summer when we visited the Biodome of Montreal. My children had a blast experiencing seeing different exotic plants and animals on five different continents in one place. The Biodome of Montreal is a family-oriented place where all different ages can come and comfortably see the beauty of nature. By the way, Biodome is one part of the Montreal Space for Life. This is just like a living museum in Canada.


The sittings were totally different from the first time I visited the Biodome. This time, it is more convenient and beautifully done especially on the side where the penguins are. My children and I love the ice wall. This is where my children love the most especially my daughter. 


There were so much to tell but I want to make it short, this place is awesome, awesome and awesome for the whole family.

Saturday, 11 December 2021

Face to New Beginning!!!

December 11, 2021 0 Comments

Early Childhood Educator in Quebec always faces new challenges everyday especially to those who don't speak French like me, aside from that, the stress we've been facing like dealing with daycare owners, directors, co-workers in addition to the parents who are also ungrateful to us are just too much to handle, but because of the love and dedication for our work, most of the educators tried to live as it is.

Picture credit belongs to the owner
http://www.picturequotes.com/im-not-giving-up-just-starting-over-quote-35416

For me, my six years of experience in working daycare is considered very awful or I am foolish? Thinking of the day when I first start working, I was so excited. I promised to do things far more beyond my expectation, of course, I will do my very best. I will apply all the things I learned from school and my own skills. Unfortunately, everything I did was never appreciated. 


When I met the Ministry de la Famille inspector, I remembered, she was asking, "why I accepted the lowest salary offered by my director". My salary back then year 2015 was only $13 which was a salary for a helper. Back in 2015, the inspector told me I am already a highly qualified level 2 educator with a salary of $19 per hour. I told her (inspector) that the director promised me to raise my salary but that never happened. Until I decided to quit after working for two and a half years. 


Funny to add up with this miserable decision, I went back to work with the same daycare after a year because I really needed to have a job as soon as possible to pay my rent and to pay the rest of my bills while I was studying LPN. Then, the worst nightmare had happened between my director and me. I quit again after I was diagnosed with depression. 


Just before the new year, my schoolmate had called me and asked if I wanted to work with her in the daycare where she work. In the following months, I started. During my first day, I encountered uncomfortable questions and comments from my co-workers. All of them asked, "this is your first stage?", "don't mind her she is just stagiaire". I'm like, Wow!!! what a place to work. I deal with a bossy co-worker, I let it slide but it was just too much to handle. 


Recently, just decided to quit for multiple reasons aside from the back problem I suffered during the year of being in the baby class.


Now, here I am!!! facing a new beginning, new environment, new people around me. They are French-speaking yet they are so respectful. They accepted me for who I am. Honestly speaking, I am struggling every day trying to speak French, Google translating so I can communicate a little somehow. I never hear any complaints. 


I finished my 1 month in my new place as a successful one and hoping that I will stay and remain okay in my new workplace.

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