cartwheels and glitter

by: Judith Viorst

 i did it. i forced myself out of bed and back to school. not only was i oozing with fever but my cough was beginning to sound like a ninety year old smoker who was missing her oxygen tank. pouring coffee and creamer into a cup became like a minute to win it challenge. one of the many perks to being a teacher is casual fridays. although by casual it means, NICE jeans and a school related shirt if you plan on wearing a t-shirt. whatever it takes to get me out of my ghostbuster XXL shirt and brown leggings. i find a stunning zeta tau alpha glitter t-shirt. 

not the actual shirt i wore

i felt drunk as i drove to school. i imagined that the flu would be a legitimate excuse for causing serious harm to someone.
however, i made it to school without harming anyone. my day should be getting better...wrong.
1. my classroom is a mess
2. my substitute wrote ALL over my lesson plans and a few confidential papers
3. news team students do not have a script written for today
4. equipment is not working
5. cannot broadcast because of 'technical difficulties'
6. no broadcast=me looking like an ass who can't be responsible


what happened next ruined it all. it began like this... "catherine, you look awful, are you sure you should be here? (didn't wait for answer) i know you have the flu but the only t-shirt you should wear should be a kendall one, not zeta." i am pretty sure smoke was coming out of my ears at this point.

i go into my classroom, rummage through a closet only to find an extra small "kendall knights do whats right" t-shirt. ha-ha. i squeeze into it and literally laugh out loud. wow, that felt good.

now it's time to continue the laughs:
i started with my kindergarten class.
first:
cartwheels for everyone
then i start singing really loudly, off key, and in gibberish
now i tell my class the things i love about thursdays (which includes them)
by then its time to lie down in the middle of the classroom and gaze up at the ceiling.
we then close our eyes and wake up to me thrusting a fist full of glitter into the air

i forget what i was told earlier about my shirt, and who cares that we couldn't 'air' the announcements, and i forget about feeling sick! smile & embrace today. i told myself that everything is always getting better.

just as the saying goes, the world is yours! don't let annoying people bring you down, do what makes you feel better. and don't forget to have fun, just like you did when you were younger.

smile at a stranger, hug them if you feel spontaneous!

don't forget about humanity, be kind to everyone.