Moving Day

So my day began with chaos. I got stuck in traffic and was late. My students were all outside waiting for me in the drizzle. Okay. Then they were upset that we weren’t watching a movie. Really? Is there a film class they can attend somewhere? Then, a girl announces she wishes to talk to me. She wants to know if Planned Parenthood has an abortion pill. Crash. I am giving advice on how to kill a child. What am I supposed to do? Then my other student is having a panic attack in class and is afraid.
Then I meet my terrors of fourth period. They are annoying, they are loud, they are ridiculous. They are failing many classes. I have to do something to grab ahold of this class. So, we have a discussion. A lightbulb goes on in my head or my muse is whispering, or who knows, God speaks. These kids are overwhelmed, forgotten and depressed. I ask them: How many of you feel overwhelmed? All of them. How many of you feel so stressed out that you just want to hide and sleep for three days? Several. How many of you feel like no one understands you? No one knows how hard life is? Most. How many of you just want to disappear, to die? Seven. How many of you don’t know how to fix it? It went on for ten minutes.
My heart fell.
These dumb, annoying kids felt so lost. So out of place. So alone. Here I was preaching and nagging and dreading….I didn’t take the time to love them.
We talked. We are searching. We will find their purpose and give them reason to shine.