Your alarm goes off at 6:30 in the morning. Well, it went off at 5:00, 5:30, and 6:00, but the snooze button was activated more than once. It's time for you to be a productive member of society and go to work.

How do you feel after that rude awakening, though? How do you feel after your half hour long commute? Which (side-note) turned into an hour long commute because you were behind the 109-year-old woman in the Oldsmobile who forgot how to drive above 20 mph.

How do you feel when you're in the parking lot of your work awaiting your clock-in time? Perhaps you feel anxious because it's your first day at a corporate based job. Or maybe you're the depressing type, and you feel like your just continuing to dig into the rut that's become your life (please start talking to someone if you are this person).

I was a teacher at a preschool academy, and, personally, I loved my job. I would pull up in the parking lot every morning at 8:30 and clock-in a half hour early. I would grab a coffee or water from the staff room, and walk back to help with the main teachers and strike up a conversation that would last all day.

Now, when I first started at this academy, being the only 20-year-old guy at the school, I thought I would be shunned by the large group of grown women. However, the complete opposite ended up being the case. Now, I know what you’re thinking: “Dude…you were the only guy…at a preschool…and you clocked in a half-hour early?" Yes, and I loved every minute of it. The first and foremost factor that made every day worth working was my coworkers.

Each one of those women I worked with made the day go by infinitely faster than any of my other previous jobs. They had interesting lives, complex situations, and hilarious point of views on every and any situation. I can guarantee you that these women helped to eradicate any previous notion I had on the education system. They were a close family that graciously invited me in, and taught me all that they learned. This included enthusiasm in the workplace, fitness, relationship advice, and how to add levity to daily life.

The second most important factor to these great days were the children. Each child I taught had a developed personality that most adults failed to have. When asked what they wanted to be when they grew up, one boy would always say “A garbage man," while another boy would say “Paleontologist!” They wanted to help their friends in need instead of making fun of them. Being a male role-model for them was the greatest aspect of my job. One parent came up to me one day and expressed to me how grateful she was that I was a positive male figure her son could look up too. I later found out that her husband passed away shortly after her son was born. Hearing this really added so much value to my position to the point that I wanted to live at that place.

Sadly, in June, the academy’s corporate office decided to close the door’s on our location. So many tears were shed as every worker realized that we wouldn’t be seeing each other every day. One thing you commonly hear after this event happens is, “Don’t worry, it was just a stepping stone,” or “There are going to be so many more opportunities." While these are all true, no one truly knows the loss a worker feels when the place they love so much is taken away. Everyday rituals become memories. Coworkers that you spent more time with than your family are taken from you without warning. Students that were in your care for 9-6 are no longer your responsibility. It hurts…converting moments and rituals you knew for so long into memories.

However, there was just as much pain watching these people leave. So many more opportunities were forced on us. We were so comfortable at the academy that most of us gave up on future goals for convenience. Having the academy close forced all of us to move on. One teacher followed her dream of being a nurse, while another decided to go back to school. I decided to try my hand at substitute teaching as a way fro me to gain experience for my future teaching career.

Another upside to this was that new teachers and students the were introduced when the workers consolidated with another academy. Previous notions and stereotypes were quickly dismissed as new friendships were made, and new experiences made.

So, I guess the lesson of this article is that with every heartache, there ultimately is a silver lining. It is up to us to see to acknowledge it and make the most of it.

I still drive by that empty building and the memories come flashing back to me. Carrying a child on my shoulders from one end of the playground to the other. Making lesson plans while complaining about the curriculum. Inside jokes and mantras us teachers would say to get through the day. The jokes that made tears come to my eyes and my stomach hurting from laughing so hard. The good thing is that we have these memories forever.

“Oh, the places we’ll go."

Huge dedication to every CBA worker I have had the pleasure of knowing. You all made me who I am today.