Affection Galore

Friday was our beginning of the year Meet Your Teacher Day. As I sat at my table working that afternoon, I heard a voice from the hallway blurt excitedly, "She's here! She's in there!" The door burst open and in bopped one of my favorite second graders from last year. Since he has now graduated from our primary school to the intermediate, I didn't expect to see him again. I jumped up to meet him as he threw his arms around my waist and said, "I MISSED you!" At this point I noticed that he was actually crying. Taking his glasses off, he swiped at the tears. Obviously this little freckle-faced guy and I were thick last year...I even gave him the title of my second grade Mr. Personality! After a brief visit, he and his family moved on down the hallway in search of his little brother's new teacher. About half an hour later, he reappeared with a picture he'd made for me, enclosed in an envelope. He even punched holes at the top in hopes that I'd hang it in my room to remember him by.

While I was enthusing over the note he'd written, his 3 year old sister hopped up in the chair with me. Turns out she had "written" a letter of her own. After I helped her get it out of the envelope, she unfolded it to show me her "words", which were just a few pencil marks. "Do you want me to READ it to you?" she asked. Of course I couldn't pass up this opportunity, so I eagerly listened as she "read". "Dear ________, ", she said, inserting her own name. "I love you very much. You are SO beautiful! Love, Daddy" Realizing that she'd just "written" herself a love note from her daddy touched my heart, and since Dad was standing out in the hallway, I was able to invite him in to hear her "read" it again! Isn't it wonderful to see little children who can both express and receive affection? This was just one of the highlights of seeing the children return to school on Friday!