Day Thirty -One

Today was one of those great days, when things are going well and all is right with the world. I was cleaning out a drawer in my kitchen when I ran across an old camera that I had put aside when I recieved a new one for my birthday. I remembered that one of my colleagues had mentioned that she needed a camera for her classroom. So, I put new batteries in the old camera, found a memory card that worked, and presto!! New camera for my colleague! She was glad to get it, and I was glad to have something put to good use that was just lying around in a drawer.

Quote of the Day - " One man's junk is another man's treasure." Anonymous

Day Thirty

Today was a very busy, harried day in the classroom. There were, however, many opportunities to show kindness to others. There were children who needed hugs, as they are adjusting to being in a classroom , away from Mom and Dad. Also, there were nervous parents, who were getting used to letting their little ones go....to first grade in a new school. No matter how many years I have taught, I always find that it comes down to this- the parents all want what I wanted for my child;just to know that the teacher cares and is going to give their child all the love and TLC that is possible. I found myself hugging a nervous parent, who was far more upset than her child. Just a little bit of caring goes such a long way.......

Quote of the day -

"The essence of love is kindness." Robert Louis Stevenson

Day Twenty-nine

Chocolate. It is my guilty pleasure, especially the dark variety. The candy jar on my colleague's desk had been empty for far too long; I think it had been at least three days or more! So, as I passed by the candy isle in the store today, the family-sized bags of chocolate were calling out to be purchased. I refilled the candy jar, knowing that many people this week will stop by to get a sweet treat and a little pick-me-up. Chocolate. It has to be good for you.

Quote of the day - "No good thing is pleasant to possess without friends to share it." Seneca the Younger

Day Twenty-eight

It was only a phone call. My friend from high school had recently divorced after over twenty years of marriage. I just called her to see how she was doing, no questions asked. There is nothing worse than having people ask for details when one is experiencing a difficult time. This conversation was lively and animated, as we caught up with each other after a number of years. Most of the time that we talked, I listened. Much of the time that I talked, she laughed. It was like a breath of fresh air to have these moments of reminiscing. She thanked me, but I should have thanked her. Her cheerful voice reminded me that although life is sometimes unpredictable, it can always be full and meaningful.

Quote of the day - "Burdens shared are easier to bear." Jesse Jackson

Day Twenty -seven

It wasn't hard to find opportunities for kindness today; hungry teenagers bombarded my classroom at the end of the day with one question- " Got anything to eat?" I know by now that I have to keep a special cabinet of snacks for my daughter and her friends. When I go to the grocery store, those "buy one get one free" offers help me stock my private shelf just for such a time as this. Several kids filtered in and out of my room, each with a granola bar or a handful of crackers. They smiled or waved as they left. I love seeing them at the end of the day. It helps me to remember that even though they are often taller than me, they still need that small bit of reassurance that there is a place to go , food to eat, and someone who cares.

Quote of the day - "Man does not live by bread alone, but he does not live long without it." Frederick Buechner

Day Twenty-six

It was another day to be kind to the planet. I am trying very hard to be aware of turning out lights, recycling every scrap of paper, picking up litter,and printing as little as possible. At lunch today, my students happen to notice that someone had left trash on the picnic tables. When one of them saw me picking up trash, they all began to do likewise. We collected a medium sized bag of trash in only about 5 minutes. One of my students even suggested that we forego recess in leiu of spending the time picking up trash on the campus. (So cute!) Well, we had time for litter patrol and recess. The picnic area looks a lot nicer, now!

Quote of the day -

" What is the use of a house if you haven't got a tolerable planet to put it on?"

Henry David Thoreau

Day Twenty- five

Today was another day that presented so many opportunities to extend kindness to others. It was the first day of school, and for some students, today was the first day in a new school. I remembered the year I changed schools, and how with fear and trepidation, I had entered the new classroom. These children were no different; one of my students was crying (very loudly), and another just kept asking, "Can I please call my mommy?" After much consoling, hugging, and reassurance, these two were able to make it through the day, after which they were joyfully reunited with their mommies. The little kindness that I was able to offer them was not much, but it mattered. Sometimes a little goes a long way.

Quote of the day -

"It is not attention that the child is seeking, but love." Sigmund Freud