Converse shoes: I retired my Adidas shoes littered with stitched flowers stitched on the sides due to a worn inside. They were accustomed to my feet and I easily slid them on and off. I exchanged them with a pair of my sister’s old Converse shoes. These are not accustomed to my feet. I sit down, untie the shoe, pull on the subtly stained cloth tongue, and tighten the laces while looking at the marker streaks from high school art classes. Thank you to the old Converse shoes that slow down my morning process, if only for a few moments. Not everything has to be of convenience.
My third graders: I finished my last week of field experience at Greenvale Park. Towards the end, I told my host teacher it was my last day, and she announced it to the class. I received three hugs from one student, another from a student I worked with once, hugs from some who I never worked with, and a hug that went on just a bit longer than the rest. I held on for as long as they needed.
December 03: My birthday! It was filled with beautiful people. Phone calls from my family and friends, cannolis, free hoagies, a handmade cribbage board from a washed up tree in my friend’s yard. I am so thankful to be able to experience another birthday, another year, this life.
