index | archives | notes Saturday, Nov. 17, 2007 5:36 p.m. << [ Did You See the Words? ] >> "I want you to know," I'm saying, water dripping into my lungs, "we just found out my mother has cancer. And I wanted you to know that if I miss some lessons that's why." "That's okay," he said, "spend time with your family, that's priority." "I also wanted you to know that your son is the reason I worked today. Otherwise I probably would have taken the day off." I'm smiling, now, looking up at the father of my student with autism. He crouches down and smiles back. "He knows your name. He has trouble remembering names, he knows faces, but his memory with names is terrible. Earlier today I asked him who his teacher was and he said, 'Miss Manda'. You're the first teacher he's ever been able to name." Life is amazing and beautiful and bursting, spilling out of every pore in my body. I could do this for the rest of forever. << | x | >> whatiscopyright.org