Peace

 

I try really hard not to complain, but I’m in so much physical pain. My knee is not happy with me right now, and it’s making that known. But I went to work anyway, miserable and on crutches. I lasted an hour before I was fighting back tears from pain and frustration. My first class every day is younger kids who don’t understand that sometimes people are having a bad day so you have to work extra hard at being good. They just do what they feel like doing. So today I’m sitting there, fighting back tears next to this little boy who never ever listens. He wants to do things his way or not at all. But today, all he wanted to do was sit next to me and talk to me about the world. About how he felt about things. About growing up and the wonder that was seven. We sat there and talked and before we left he asked me for a piece of paper. I didn’t think much of it, because like I said, this kid is always set on his way or nothing at all. I’ve chased him around in stilettos before because he didn’t want to stay in class. So I assumed he just wanted to make an airplane. But after class, as I hobbled back into the cafeteria to pick up my next class, blinking back tears and trying to handle the pain, he came up to me, grinned and said “Here Miss Anna, I made this for you.” And all of a sudden, none of the pain or stress mattered because this little boy and I had finally made some sort of connection. He helped me find peace.