Compliment.

Slow down… breathe… take it all in. Things I know I should do, but when the day is spinning, sometimes hard to do. Kids have a way of forcing us to… in their own special way.

Today, after writing facts about whales in our Ocean Journals, I sat reading them to the class. As usual, I had one eye on the clock and was thinking about getting the class to the cafeteria on time. I was doing my best to be in the moment and relish praise on each author, but I also knew we needed to get to lunch in a timely fashion.

When I finally read the last journal, a few hands went up. At this point, we had about five minutes to wash up, get our things, and be down the hallway.

“Dan, is it an emergency?” I asked.

This is my ‘we don’t have time for you to tell me about your grandmother’s new puppy’ comment.

“No, I just wanted to tell David his writing was really good today,” he spit out before I could cut him off.

Yes, universe, stop, slow down, take the moment.

David was displaying an enormous smile.

“You’re right Dan, and thank you for that compliment… now to get ready for lunch,” I said.