Tuesday Turmoil

This morning has been crazy. I got out of bed late, no running so that my foot can get better. Laura was late for carpool, so far, Becca is out of bed and doing well. I have to write quickly as I have a student who will appear in 20 minutes and I still have to shower. In the midst of the turmoil, I promised myself just a moment of reflection and lowering my blood pressure.

I was thinking of a few things this am. First , Tom went to Laura's open house. The key to sixth grade, I think, is organization. While I pride myself on being organized (maybe too much), Laura is not. I am hoping that Tom and I work together so that she can develop a sense of what is right.

Second, I was thinking of two things that happened to me at school yesterday. First, I was helping the librarian when a new, little, second grade boy introduced himself. You could tell immediately that he couldn't stay still and thrived on attention. This took about 1 min., maybe. As I was thinking to myself "you are gonna remember this kids name", something happened. He raised his hand to tell the librarian something. This is what he said "my Mom died because she had cancer that spread over half her body". My heart sank and I felt so guilty for judging this little book by it's cover. Wow, that was a lesson learned and a definite prayer for him as he lives alone with his Dad. I will remember that kids name.

The other thought about school happened in the same class. I was saying hello to one of my favorite little kiddos that I have known since he was in kindergarten. We were talking and out of the blue, he gave me a big hug. I think it surprised both of us, but I was thinking about how much I needed that little hug. I needed the reminder that teaching is what I do and why. I realized how much I truly love those little kids. I also realized how a hug, or even a touch can make your whole day. I should have said "thank-you" to him.

Big lessons learned from little people. Isn't it great?