Gifts

I stood at the water refill station, filling up my water bottle after four straight hours of presenting and facilitating professional development…the day after our weeklong February break. As I turned around, still screwing on the top of my water bottle, I saw a crowd of familiar faces coming down the hall, probably on their at to the cafeteria for lunch. The leader of the pack, Michelle began to sing. “Happy birthday to you” and the crowd that followed joined in. I looked around, making sure there weren’t any other birthday people behind me. I didn’t want to presume the singing was for me…even though it was my birthday. My face lit up at this kind gesture and the sight of so many friends from across so many schools coming my way. I was soon embraced in hug after hug. I wished I tallied the number of hugs I received today.

If you had asked me yesterday about having to come back from break to do pd on my birthday, I probably would have told you I wished I had another day at home. But, this pd day was filled with more gifts that I could have imagined. It was a good day.

Published by Jessica Carey

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I'm a mom of three daughters and a literacy coach in CT. I love to learn and share with others.

8 thoughts on “Gifts”

  3. Ah, there are gifts and then there are gifts! So glad you had this happy moment for your birthday, and also glad you captured it in writing. I love how you turned to look behind you to make sure, and I love the line “I wish I tallied the number…”

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  6. As I started to read your post, I thought that pd on the first day back from a break is just mean. And then, I realized the love-filled gift you got on that day. Wow.

    I will say one of my happiest birthdays was this year, where I was also serenaded in the hallway…by a group of kindergartners whose classroom I had recently subbed in. (Their teacher is a good friend of mine.) I smiled the rest of the day!

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