By Terra Avilla
This week’s feature actually came from my 11-year-old. Out of nowhere she said, “Why haven’t you written about Mrs. Loflin yet?” And honestly… I didn’t have a good answer. Because, the truth is, Sarah Loflin is exactly the kind of person this series was made for.
Sarah is a mom of three, with kids similar in age to mine… which means I can confidently say: that stage of life is no joke. It’s busy, chaotic, LOUD and nonstop. And somehow, she makes it look a whole lot easier than it actually is.
She teaches 8th grade at Richmond, and if you’ve ever been around eighth graders, you know that’s a tough crowd. It’s an age that can wear people down, but Sarah? She loves it. She has this natural way with her students, and you can tell they genuinely love her right back.
And it doesn’t stop when the bell rings. Anytime her kids are involved in something at school, Sarah is there. not just for her own child, but for the whole class. She shows up, she helps out, and she gives her time in a way that really builds community.
My daughter, who is actually a pretty great judge of character, is already excited at the idea of having her one day and it’s really easy, within three seconds of meeting Sarah, to see why.
On a side note, I’ve also seen Sarah in full travel ball mode, and if you know, you know… that is a huge commitment. At our last tournament, her husband was busy coaching, which meant she was handling the toddler chaos solo on the sidelines. And she was just crushing it. Calm, collected, completely present …something that I have never been able to do.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen her frazzled. Or grumpy. Or anything less than kind and put together. And on top of all of that, she’s a law enforcement wife, which comes with its own challenges, but she carries it all with so much strength and grace.
Sarah is a mom’s mom. A girl’s girl. The kind of person you’re just really glad to have in your community.
And of course, she’s an incredible teacher.
This week and every week Mrs. Loflin is one of the reasons I love where we live.
