kisses

Today I received one of the sweetest gifts. I was sitting in one of those very small, plastic chairs, the kind that are found in every proper preschool. I was in the middle of quite a muddle; there was a fight going on to my right about someone stealing someone else's ruler. In front of me was a teacher, calm in the middle of the storm. At my far left sat a student who was making taunting faces to the girl across the table. I was wondering where exactly are those moments that teachers live for? What do they look like? Then a small boy with downs syndrome, who was sitting calmly in the chair next to me, leaned over and kissed my arm...all that I needed at the exact moment. Yes it was slobbery, and in childlike fashion no words of sentiment were expressed. This I thought is one of those moments that teachers live for. A child expressing love or maybe compassion on you, not demanded or expected but given freely. This must be one of those moments.