“Can I be your hug for today?”
I looked up from my laptop, where I was answering a parent email. It was lunch time in my classroom. My students were in groups, eating, laughing, and enjoying each other’s company, while I was at my desk with my salad, trying to get a few tasks off my list.
My student was smiling at me and as I looked up, she pointed to my to-do list that sat on the shelf beside my desk. There at #2- Hug Someone.
That got my attention. I smiled, and stood up so we could hug.
“You looked like you needed a break and I thought the hug would do it,” giggled this obviously insightful 9-year-old.
Giving her an extra squeeze, I took a deep breath and thanked her for reminding me of what was important.
I must admit to being a compulsive list-maker. Have been for as long as I can remember. I find that lists help to keep me productive and focused. Additionally, being a full-time elementary school teacher, a part-time college professor, and a middle grades author, multi-tasking is also a way of life for me. Which was the reason I was eating lunch and responding to parent emails, all while also keeping an eye on the students in my classroom.
As she walked back to her friends and I sat back down, I turned and looked at my posted list.
TODAY’S TO-DO LIST
- Laugh With My Students
- Hug Someone
- Compliment Someone
- Learn Something New
- Smile
I had written that out and posted it several years ago, to remind myself to be present. To savor the miracles that happen in ordinary moments, and to not let the noise of all the other things, overwhelm the present moments.
Picking up the rest of my salad, I stood and walked over to a group of students playing chess while they ate their lunch. One of them looked up, and pulled out the empty chair at their group.
“Sit here Mrs. Lindquist,” she said. “This is such an exciting game! Alex did not even know how to play chess a month ago, and look- he is really playing awesome.”
“Well, I’m still losing,” said Alex with a shrug, “But not by as much as I used to.” He smiled at his classmates as one of them patted him on the back.
He looked back at the board, and several students started to give advice as he contemplated his next move. I took a deep breath and leaned back in the chair. The parent emails can wait.
While productivity and efficiency are important to accomplishing our goals, so is slowing down and savoring those ordinary moments.
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