Snow day!!

Two posts in less than 24 hours? What is this nonsense?

Well, dear readers, this is me with extra time on my hands in the afternoon because of a snow day! And you know what? Today was actually a pretty fun day at school. I got to sleep in and go late. I got to start my day off with a pretty great [albeit cranky--at first] group of kids, and i only had to teach three hours before it was time to go home.

I've been thinking about what I'll do when my first batch of seniors graduates. Not going to lie, I think it'll be pretty hard. It's very natural that I would find them such a special class, for they're my first seniors. Unique circumstances [read: a terrible year and little love lost between them and their teacher last year] have also made them much more prone to create relationship with me. Granted, they can be sneaky, but I can also be demanding. Overall, however, I'm going to have trouble.

I had an excellent conversation with a friend over the weekend. He's dealt with those same feelings before and gave me some great warnings and encouragements. The most surprising warning?

Don't detach.

Apparently after Spring Break I'll find myself wanting to detach from my seniors. To spare myself the emotional pain that will come when they have to leave. I never thought I might do that, but now that I think about it, I could see it happening.

Why?

I'm well aware of the fact that some of my seniors would love to call me their friend. And, if I'm honest, I'd love to call myself their friend as well. But we don't do that. And when they graduate, and it's no longer against Miss M's rules [which some of them find dumb], I'm sure we'll call each other friends--might be weird at first, but it'll work.

And then they're going to leave me.

Oh my word, how pathetic does that sound? But it's totally true. We'll call each other friends, but how much would we really be friends? That's not to say that I'd keep myself above them or refuse to talk or hang out. And that's not to say that some of them won't want to hang out with me. It's just different when you go off to school. Friends at home are still friends, but friends made in college and very different from friends made in high school. Trust me, I would know. I'm sure many of you know exactly what I'm talking about as well.

Therefore, I can now see why I would be tempted to disengage. It's emotionally difficult when they graduate, yes, but it's ten times worse when these young people I have grown to love leave. I'm so excited for them. They will grow, and they will actually change into the men and women they've dreamed of being. Mostly. Hopefully. But my darn selfish heart wants to keep them, too.

I want to keep the laughter in class. I want to keep the discussions--both deep and stupid. I want to keep the arguments and shouting. I want to keep the feeling of a captive audience with their eyes widening when I tell them something particularly juicy. I want to keep the embarrassments and the discomforts.

I know next year will be great. I know the next class will be special to me, too. But I'm a first year. And to me, the only ones I know are the ones I have now. And I love them dearly.

Here's a little taste of why I love them so much:

We wrote epigrams in class today. Short, sweet musings on life. Some of them were funny, some of them were deep [and some both], and some were . . . special. Either way, here's just a tiny peek into why I love these young adults and love my job.

A's Epigram [I like this one because it's such a heart check for those of us who use our faith to judge others.]
To be judged is never pleasing,
It always ends in others teasing,
Yet we always find the faults of people,
Simply because they're not under the steeple.

C's Epigram [I enjoy the contrast between the lameness of Mankind and the spirit of Mankind.]
The body of man is often lame,
The lame man's walk is that of shame,
But Man's spirit, one can never take,
His soul, one cannot break.

K's Epigram [So much truth in this one. And the last line rocks. I want to steal it!]
Master of reason clothed in ignorance,
Climbing his way down by one's own preference.
Wishing for that which is painfully good,
Refusing the things he knows that he should.
He struggles to control, a useless hunt,
But God's got his back, his side, his front.

R's Epigram [This one is very true, and it's also very fun. I like that.]
People are like the wind, some like a breeze,
Some people are a hurricane, some a small sneeze,
Some are consistent, and strong they blow,
Others are fickle, they ebb and flow.

B's Epigram [This one is just cheeky, and I couldn't resist posting it.]
If you want to stay fit,
You cannot just sit.
So muster up some grit
And grab your balls and a mitt. [Yep]


-

That's pretty clear, right? Love them.