Last Friday was my birthday. I turned 36. I suppose that makes me old-at least according to Sarah it does =)! To be honest, the day wasn’t going to be anything other than an ordinary day-okay maybe a bit worse than ordinary. That’s exactly how it started off anyhow. The morning preparations for school were hectic (as usual) and I left the house in what could be described at best as a sour and bitter mood due to circumstances that were beyond my control. It appeared that my birthday, my 36th birthday, was going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.
All of that changed however when I arrived at school-not all at once though. As we were unloading the car we realized that some of the items we needed for the day had been left at home making my sour mood fall lower and lower (how can myself and 2 kids need so much stuff for just one day of school?). It was then that I ran into Mrs. Newkirk, another teacher, in the parking lot who showered me with birthday hugs and a card. She is always so sweet to me and remembers my birthday every year. Her kindness brought a smile to my face-which was a first step in chipping away at the crankiness I was carrying around with me.
I spent the first few minutes in my classroom frantically preparing for the day-I didn’t have my copies done and was stressed about having things ready for the kids. After a few moments, I was greeted at the door my Frankie and his mom who surprised me with cards and a dozen roses! This kind gesture completely caught me off guard and lifted the heavy weight I was carrying in my heart. I told them at the time that they truly made my day…I’m not sure if they realized just what a difference their simple act had made.
Things just continued to get better and better. When the 7:45 bell rang I stepped out to greet my students and was wished a happy birthday by each of them as they passed by me. Each kind wish chipped away most of what was left of my grouchy mood. As the children settled into their day I started about the menial tasks of the typical school day-taking attendance, checking agendas, verifying homework, listening to announcements, and so on. While checking off names for homework, Naomi brought up a delicious box of chocolates (a definite must for the mood I was in that morning!)-one more chip gone. And then, as soon as the announcements were over, after the infamous words “Make it a great day or not, the choice is yours” my Abril softly counted, “1, 2, 3…” and the entire class sang Happy Birthday to me (complete with a cha-cha-cha). That was it, that’s all there was to it…the final chip was gone and my bitter, sour mood from the morning had been turned into a lighthearted, carefree outlook towards the day ahead.
So the lesson learned, the moral of the story is never doubt the power of a simple act of kindness. Without the combined acts of kindness of my wonderful students and friends my birthday, my 36th birthday, would have been a bitter, sour, and ordinary day.
Thanks to all of you for making it different.
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