The Gift of...

Love is the best gift of all... Right, but you can't even see that! I am one of those people who needs tangible gifts! Gifts that validate my existence in this massive, overly crowded, yet lonely universe. I can't help it. It is the way I am programmed. I know it's shallow. I do believe in, "It's the thought that counts". If that helps make me seem like any less of a selfish person. Anyways, gifts are great! Which brings me to my blog for today. I have received 2 gifts in the last 2 days that made my heart swell.

Gift #1: I was talking to my mom last week about my class. How much I love them, and the things I am doing with them. I got into talking about how each kid has a job in my class, and how much they really enjoy doing their job. Except for one little boy. His job for the week was botanist, so he would take care of the plants in my room. One problem. I had yet to buy a plant for my room. They are kind of pricey and I still hadn't gotten paid, and yet to have seen my first paycheck. 10 more days till payday! I hung up the phone and went about my business for the week. Well this last weekend I dog my close friend's dog Tiva so I wasn't home all weekend. When I did arrive home I found the most beautiful plant awaiting my arrival. There it sat perched on my desk. I did shed a few drops of eye moisture after reading the attached card. It had only 1 little message. "Congrats on your first teaching job.-Love Mom"

Gift #2: It is Monday and I am going about my business, per usual, at school. I just walked my kids through the lunch line and was warming up my lunch in the teacher's lounge. I was mulling over the events of the day leading up to lunch. As I was beginning a stratagem for the rest of the day someone walked in and said, "Special delivery for Mr. Sosa"! I was a little taken back. A gift? For me? The lady who announced my special delivery handed me a familiar white box with a familiar blue ribbon on it. I immediately recognized the package not only from sight, but from smell and touch as well. The small box was warm, and it had an intoxicating aroma that made me salivate, as well as make my stomach do somersaults of glee. This box, these feelings, took me back to my early years of college, especially exam times. Someone had sent me the best gift a connoisseur of fine delicatessens could receive... Tiff's Treats! I swear they make the best cookies on the face of the Earth. Not only do they make the best cookies ever, they deliver them fresh and still warm. Lucky for me, they just opened a Tiff's Treats next to my school. I read the card and I developed the biggest Cheshire grin on my face. Every one's eyes in the lounge were on me as they looked on with bated breath, dying to know who it was from. It didn't say who it was from, but the message on the attached card made it loud and clear, "Thanks for taking care of Tiva".

Tear Tattoo...

I had a really close friend a few years back whom whenever there was a sad or sentimental moment we would point to our eyes and say tear. We did it so much that we joked about actually getting a tear tattooed under our eye so we would just point to it and not have to say anything. From that point on when one of those moments came up we would just say tear tattoo. I really miss that friend but life took us down different roads. I know our paths will cross again and when they do it will make my heart happy and yes there will be a tear tattoo.

The reason I mention tear tattoo is because today I had a tear tattoo moment. Occasionally at work the older kids need me take them on a field trip and I leave my kids in the capable hands of my assistant. My kids are too young for field trips, but next year they will be old enough. It was circle time and we were talking and sharing stories when one little boy quietly raised his hand. I was a little taken back because this little boy never raises his hand and is rarely quiet. I called on him and he asked the simplest question that almost made me cry. It was:
"Mr. Jesse, when we are older will you take us on field trips like you do for the other class?"
Doesn't seem like a big deal, but to me it was the world. I am only there for the summer so come August chances are I will never see those kids again. That came rushing to mind right after he asked the question. I told him yes, even though the chances of it happening are slim to none. That is the curse of being a teacher. You fall in love with all these little individuals after helping them grow and teaching them to become good people and then they leave you a year later. Will you ever see them again? Maybe, but sadly not. I just hope that I have touched their hearts only a fraction of how they touched mine. Tear tattoo...