I didn't plan it.
On the contrary, I was definitely against it.
I stood firmly on the edge and vowed not to falter.
It wasn't going to happen to me. Not this year. Not today.
See, I was already in love...in love with summer, all things warm, all things beautiful, and happy, and unscheduled.
So when I showed up to my classroom today, after over a week of working from 10 am to 10 pm on class set up, to meet my first new student during our orientation conference, I was not expecting much.
In all honesty, my mind was racing with thoughts of what was to come...images of children running amok, short staffing, minimal help, and most likely a kid lost on a bus...(it happens).
And then in she came...short, very short...dark brown hair, a single pony tail, little almond shaped eyes, with a smile that spread from ear to ear. She was beyond excited to come in, and I, all serious and dedicated to my infinite love of summer, fell into a puddle at her feet.
She was why I became a teacher. She was the reason I come back each year after surviving the first 6 weeks of kids using the bathroom with the door open, eating their nasal discharge, and running amok, all the while speaking the constant threat of turning into a Starbucks barista.
She is the reason Starbucks is still hiring, because there is no better feeling than that of a student eager to learn, whose eyes are filled with wonder and promise, and whose lips carry nothing but kindness and sweetness.
Thank you, little C, for reminding me of what I forgot...
