Priceless...

"Perspective...what you see depends not only on what you look at, but also on where you look from." ~James Deacon

I spent the first half of my day reading a National Geographic Atlas of the U.S. with a group of third graders. Don't tell Central Office, but we had so much fun I'd have done today's work for free! The kids and I played games with the maps, racing each other to locate resources on California, North Carolina, Texas, Hawaii, and other states they'd chosen to read about. I have to say, the morning flew by in happy conversation (and they learned stuff, too!).

One thing I love about being in the classroom and maybe appreciate now more than ever is that children have so many wonderful things to teach us. They love without condition, laugh a lot, and see the whole world through eyes that are not yet jaded or clouded with harsh pain. God, it's refreshing! While we read about the history of various states, I could feel dark thoughts trying to take over of not so pretty parts of our past....war and bloodshed, slavery and near genocide of our Native American people, but the children quickly yanked me back from the brink of that unhappy space. They reminded me that as an adult I may be aware of the "rest of the story", the ugly parts with less than "happily ever after" endings, but I get to choose what I will focus on. I choose to focus on the wonder and magic seen through youthful, wise eyes. I choose to focus not on what has been, or worries about how it will all turn out...I'd rather have faith that the outcome will be amazing! With those precious eyes looking up at me, no other option made a lick of sense.