A Blessed Life

After teaching junior high and high school for 20ish years, my mom got moved to teaching first graders. She tells us stories all the time about the adorable things her kids say and do, but it was absolutely more adorable to witness in person. My sisters have been lucky enough to meet my mom's kiddos, and I finally got to stop being the third mysterious sister.

As soon as I walked into the room, I was ambushed by hugs from the 20 smiliest faces I've ever seen in my lifetime. Until I meet next year's class, I suppose ;) They were so excited for visitors, and equally excited for all the fun learning activities my mom had planned. Boy, first graders are busy boys and girls!

These kids come the poorest homes in Fresno, but I'd bet everything to try and find a smarter, happier, sweeter bunch at any other school. You'd never be able to tell the socioeconomic difference, truly, and I walked away filled with so much perspective. These kids were offering to use their change to buy me snacks after school, begged me to help them with puzzles, and told me stories of their rock star mom and dads attending college.

I've prayed for my mom's first graders every night ever since she got moved to this new school, and meeting them in person only makes my desire to protect them and help them even stronger. There is so much privilege, so much gratitude and so much hope in my heart this weekend. And bless my mom for making every single one of her students believe they can graduate college in 14 years!