Of hallways, owls and love..

Well today was the day... That's right it was back to work again after a wonderful two week break. The picture on the left is what the hallway where the classroom that I work in is located. This picture was taken at around 7:40 this morning and as you can tell the halls were pretty sparse at that time. The cute little owl on the right is a stock image I found somewhere out there in internet land. 

Today I am going to write just a bit about what work means to me. I work as a teacher's aide in a self-contained classroom of special needs students. I love my job and the kids are awesome. My co-workers in general are wonderful people but some of my best friends work with me and that makes my job oh so much easier to like. 

I get to make a difference in the lives of children everyday. I probably spend more time with each of them on a daily basis than their parents do. I get to help develop their minds through  educating them but my job goes far deeper than just that. I get the privilege of helping to teach them life skills like manners and appropriateness (believe me that is important in life) , how to dress themselves and to take care of their personal grooming needs. In addition to that I get to laugh with them , make them smile and of course that works in reverse as well , console them when they are upset, calm them down when they are angry, anxious or just plain fidgety , hold them close when they are scared or just need a hug and most importantly love them in a way that they have no doubt that school is a safe place that has people who care about each one of them and that are there each day eagerly waiting for them to walk through the doors.

Our school mascot is the owl and every time our assistant principal does the announcements he always says, "It's a great day  (pause) to be an owl." Today as is the case with most of my days, because of these kids and the relationships that we have created with each one ; as well as the friendships of teachers and other school staff I KNOW that today WAS a great day to be an owl. 


"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."  1 Corinthians 13:4-7