Your
wits will be lost at one time or another.
Your
bedtime will pass you by
and
your dogs will think it is funny to wait ‘til the midnight hour
to
role play - as the Bumpus Dogs.
When
trying to rescue the new kitten, you will trip over the clothes
which
have been pulled from the hamper for a cozy bed.
While
you begin to pick them up,
you
find that your favorite sock has a hole.
You
stare at the clock… your students appear.
You
drift off to sleep, only to wake five minutes later.
Your
mind races with tomorrow’s lessons
and
all the troubles of your babies,
as
you try to lull yourself to sleep.
Your
dog will knock your phone off the nightstand
and
your phone will die, thus resulting in
your
musical wakeup call of
“Mah Nà Mah Nà” not telling you that
everything’s A-OK.
You
will lie in bed for just five more minutes
and
promise yourself that you will leave the building
at
3:20, so that you can have an evening for yourself.
Only
seconds later do you realize that it is indeed
Thursday
and not Friday;
after
school tutoring is calling your name.
As
you enter the doors of the school
your
heart begins to race – students have gathered.
Two
girls circle. Eyes dart.
You
realize you are the only adult present.
The
fight is inevitable and there is nothing you can do.
Finally,
you reach your room with five minutes left
until
the 7:50 bell – scrambling to plug in…
suddenly
the projector refuses to shine.
You
quickly write a journal prompt on the board,
call
the IT man and patiently wait.
On
your plan, you plan to tackle Mount Vesuvius,
only
to realize that your MTSS meeting is today - which you forgot -
because,
again, you thought it was Friday.
You
take a deep breath and realize your evening at home for you
and
the man you love
will
be joined by the third wheel; the red pen.
Your
body questions its stamina, but only briefly,
as
it remembers the poem your mother posted in your room
from
the day you were born.
The
Englishman reminds you to “hold on,”
keep
your head about you, to dream with reason,
and
be virtuous and true.
So
here you are, the breath, the room full of students, their smiles,
the
reminder of why you do what you do.
All
for them…
Some
days your patience will be tried, your rational will be nixed,
and
your perseverance will be tried.
You
will be reminded the Earth and everything in it is yours.
- Virginia Quincy
