I have a very long commute. Sometimes it is terrible. But most times it just gives me time to decompress and listen to the radio. I think about the day that just happened and things that are coming up. Every once in a while, I really get to thinking. Like down to the nitty-gritty of my day…especially when it was a really hard day or a really great day.

Friday was one of those days. It was hard. My kids were hard. I was tired from a long week of working and battling a cold at the same time. By the time 3:15 rolled around, I was ready to see my darling students out the door and get on to the weekend.

But as I thought, those nitty-gritty kind of thoughts, I remembered an unexpected hug. A smile. A giggle. A student complimenting another one, without being prompted, but just because he was being nice. One student’s walk around the room to say goodbye, get hugs and have secret handshakes on his last day at our school.

I thought about the moment when I realized that they are becoming more mature every day, even when that particular day wasn’t too great. I thought about the math work I read over and the realization that they are having some major breakthroughs in their math thinking. The student who read so fluently, after struggling for so long.

Pretty soon, I was awash with gratitude. Then, THAT was all I could think about.

I AM SO LUCKY.

I AM SO GRATEFUL.

I AM SO HAPPY TO DO MY LIFE’S WORK.

EVERY DAY.

Even when it’s tough, those little moments make it all worth it.

I hope that everyone has a great Sunday and a beautiful week.

If you feel so inclined, I would love to hear something that you felt great about this week. 🙂