Innocence

It's Monday. A day that is normally summed up with the following phrases:

"But, I don't want to go to work tomorrow!"
"I hate Mondays."
"How is it ALREADY Monday?!"
"The weekend went by too fast."
"Where's the fast forward button?"

You get the point.

However, today was different. Today, I welcomed Monday with open arms - literally. I welcomed it, because I had 20 young kindergarten students I eagerly wanted to see, to hug, and to teach. This morning, I went to work with a different mindset. I spent most of the day sitting back and watching my students interact with one another. (Albeit, I did have a pounding headache, so I probably would have done this regardless of the recent tragic events.)

I didn't stop the constant chit chat.
I didn't tell them to "stop getting out of your seat" when they needed a tissue for the hundredth time.
I didn't get on to them for tattling, blurting out, or telling me about their loose tooth (which they had already told me about last week.)
I let them argue.
I let them whine and complain about the fact that "so-and-so looked at them wrong, cut in line, poked them, etc."
I let them be kids.

I didn't do this because I was tired of teaching, or because it's so close to Christmas break and I just "gave in." I did it because I wanted them to be six years old. Innocent and oblivious to the evil in this world, even though I sadly know they are not.