Today was Halloween, and as I’ve blogged about before, this is not my favourite day of the year. As someone who appreciates routine and enjoys the quiet, I actually find this holiday to be rather stressful. While I know that the treats and costumes are enjoyable for many, I also know that the extra sugar, the different schedule, and sometimes even the stressors of the costumes themselves, can make the day a more challenging one.
It was a handful of students that really turned things around for me this year. Just after the first nutrition break, I was sitting out at my favourite spot in the hall — waiting for a small group of students to head to the music room — when I heard them coming out of the classroom. The children were walking in line behind the music teacher, and as usual, many of them stopped to wave and/or say “hello” to me. Today though, one child, after he said, “hello,” walked out of line, came back to me, bent down, and gave me a big hug. Three other children did the same. I totally didn’t expect this. As strange as it seems, and totally unbeknownst to them, I think that these hugs changed things for me.
As the day went on, the sugar took effect, the routine changes started to make an impact, and …
- the children got louder,
- the tears started,
- the classroom cleanup took longer than usual,
- the packing up seemed like an impossible task,
- and staying still was a struggle,
I thought again about what the four children did, and somehow, everything seemed better. Sometimes it’s the smallest acts that have the biggest impact. Have you hugged someone today? This morning, I was reminded that both adults and children benefit from knowing somebody cares.
Aviva