Proud.

I came into school today, walked into my classroom and closed the door.  There was almost complete silence.  Middle school students were at an assembly and the only noise I could hear was the quiet humming of a leaf blower out on the school yard.  As a teacher, you get very few moments of complete silence.  I savored it.  I walked around my classroom, getting materials ready for my classes of the day and thinking of all that lay ahead today.

I went to the back of the classroom and picked up a few stray pencils off of the floor and as I was standing up I saw the Creative Compassion Project bin.  I paused.  I saw that the bin was starting to fill up.  I started rifling through the projects and my heart filled up with so much pride.

I saw worry dolls that 4th and 5th graders have been making that will some time this year be in the hands of a child, most likely their same age that is battling with cancer in a cancer hospital.  The bright colors and happy smiles drawn on the dolls such a token of hope.

I saw joke books, created with so much love and concern, with notes in the back of them for the recipients of them wishing them well and telling them that they are thought of and loved.

I saw notes to police officers thanking them for their service and for protecting us every day.

In the silence of my classroom, I was nearly in tears.  I am so blessed.  I am so blessed to be surrounded every day with children that understand what it means to be compassionate.  I am blessed to work in a school where parents and faculty instill these ideals in our children daily.

I could not be more proud of my students.

I hope that everyone today gets a little quiet moment to remember how lucky we really are.