Daily Dose of Joy

I am far beyond the age most people retire.  I’ve been going to school in one way or another for 65 years since I stepped into my beautiful barrack pre-school at Paterson State College in 1960.  School have always been a refuge to me.  I loved almost all my teachers.  I had only one unfortunate encounter with my 4^th grade teacher who definitely did not appreciate my wondering, wandering mind. All in all, school was and is a place of great joy.

And I was reminded of this fact last week when I walked into our Junior Pre-K classroom.  I put down my briefcase, sat carefully down on a small chair, and introduced myself to a table of three-year-old girls.  I started my teaching career working with three-year-olds.  I remember days of play, imagination, and song so fondly.

As we made small red balls into apples for the tree mats in front of us, I talked and showed them my advanced playdough techniques.  They were not interested.  Rather, they wanted me to guess their names.  The girl to my left had corn rows adorned with bright yellow barrettes.  She looked exactly like her older sister, and I guessed her name correctly.  She was surprised.  The girl in front of me with long brown hair and a serious expression was also the spitting image of her older sister, so I named her correctly too.

The little girl to my right quickly turned her name tag around.  She had big brown eyes and a bright smile. “Guess mine!” she declared.

“Hmmm… this was going to be tough.” I said quietly.

“I have an older sister too.”she hinted.

Hmmm… I look carefully at her face.  I had no clue. “Banana?” I asked.

“No!” she giggled

“Strawberry?” I asked again.

“No. Not Strawberry!”

I stopped and thought. “Is it Apple?” I said hopefully.

The little girl laughed again.

All of a sudden, a little boy in a pale green t-shirt ran full speed right into me, stopping inches from my face. “Pickle?” he shouted.

I laughed and laughed. “Who is this little green genius,” I thought.

“Are you Pickle?” I asked him.

“No, I’m Matthew,” he said boldly.

Please to meet you, Matthew.” I smiled

He grinned and leaned into me. 

I turned my attention back to the playdough table.  The girl to my right was giggling.

“Look! I stole all your apples!”

And lo and behold, all my perfectly round apples were now on my new friend’s tree.  “You certainly are tricky,” I said.

The girl on my left shouted, “Do you give up?”

“Yes,” I said, “I give up.  You tricked me too!”

“It’s Cassandra.” She giggled happily.  I’m Blake’s sister.

“Oh, now I see!  You have the same sparkling eyes and shining smile.”

There is such a loving openness to children.  They want friends.  They are unafraid to use their imaginations. This morning’s stop into the Junior PreK was salve for my weary, worn-down soul.  Unfortunately, I could not spend the entire morning at the playdough table.  I told my new friends that I would be back to visit soon. And I will.  I definitely need a daily dose of joy that they give out so freely.  I wholeheartedly recommend spending time with children.  They will restore your faith in humanity, in wonderment, in the healing power of friendship and laughter.