My Middle Schoolers

   I went to school for a while today.  I loved it.  What's not to love?

--Whit wants to move to Florida.
--Jess agrees because Michigan is too cold.
--Ainsley made batches of different colors of some kind of goop (they were each ziplocked).
--Will is building a battery out of paper clips and a potato.
--Josh and I talked about farming.
--Chase shared his basketball with me.
--Emma smiled.
--Ocean has a wedding dress hanging in her locker...trust me, we talked.
--Jackson learned to spell with his fingers...I didn't know that was possible.
--Logan told stories of Puerto Rico.
--Aly wants more homework.
--Gavin wants less homework.
--Olivia gave me two kiwis.

   Do you see?  Do you see why I want to get back there and enjoy these beautiful people?  Every day is filled with opportunities to meet and greet and love and be loved.  Every day things happen at school that nobody can prepare for, that nobody can expect, that never will happen again.  And they allow me to be their teacher.  I am genuinely a blessed man.  I have come to understand that for me, teaching is the greatest of callings.  I could work different jobs, but being with students on a daily basis leaves me humbled and enthralled.  I am exhausted after staying there up until 1:30 but I once again realized that I am in the right place and working with the right people.  A former colleague used to be fond of saying, "I came to teach but I stayed to learn."  I understand that now better than I ever did before.  I want to keep doing this job for a while, because I have a lot to learn.  It all makes me think, "I wonder what will happen tomorrow?"