Article December 5, 2005 ISSUE

'If I'm not a teacher...

BY TONI KYRIAKAKIS

For 23 years or so I knew myself through the roles I filled: teacher, mother, wife, homemaker. As a lifelong Christian Scientist, however, I had always found great fulfillment in identifying myself spiritually. Three years ago I had an experience that was a turning point in viewing myself from this deeper basis.

Partway into the school year, when our two daughters were still in college, I decided to take advantage of an early teacher retirement package that my school district was offering. But I was surprised to learn that my summer birthday would force me to leave at the end of that same school year in June, rather than the following June, which was when I had planned to retire.