~and I suppose that time will tell~

And so today it was my birthday.  I turned 61 and I have to say that I don't feel one bit different than when I was 60 yesterday.  Perhaps that is a good thing.  The aging process slowly creeps up on all of us.  When I am 70 my guess is that 61 will look pretty young.  

One thing is for sure.
I'd like to live long enough to make the comparison.

We had a lovely birthday cake at school today, the gift of 3 families of children in my classroom. I shared it with all of my students and we had enough for each of us to have a great and delicious slice of it.  It was good to see the looks on their faces as the plates were passed around.  I was thankful for it and that act of kindness meant so much to me. 

Before we ate the cake, as a matter of fact it was early this morning, I had a chance to talk to the kids about what it was like to turn 61 today.  I really didn't think it would happen in the way that it did, but for some reason I was just overcome with a deep sense of gratitude for the ability to be the teacher of 19 young people 

I looked at them and began to speak.  Only a few words could come out of my mouth at first.

"You know boys and girls, it seems like as people get older they find out that there are things they no longer choose to do."
That was as far as I got.

I wanted to tell them that I was thankful that I had come out of retirement and was able to join them this year.  Yet the more I tried to say it, the more the lump came in my throat and my voice began to get a little shaky.  I fought hard to keep back tears.

When I finally got it all together in what seemed like minutes that went on forever, I gained my composure and looked them all in the eyes.  Finally the words came out that I had been searching for in the moments prior and I began to speak once again.

"I want you to know how happy I am to be your teacher.  I am glad that I came out of retirement because if I had not, I would have never met you.  Sometimes we have rough days in this classroom but I want you to know something.  There is no other class in this world that I would trade you for.  If someone offered me the quietest and most studious class on earth in exchange for you all, I would NEVER trade you.  We belong together.  As a matter of fact, there is nothing you could ever do that would make me not love you anymore.  That's how much you all mean to me.

I grabbed a tissue, dabbed at the corners of my eyes, and took a deep breath.  Soon we were back to studying what was on the schedule for us, working together in the classroom community that we call our home each and every day.  They are very smart and observant children who figured out rather quickly that their teacher has an extremely soft heart.  I later told them that people don't always have to be sad to cry.  Sometimes we are so happy that the tears sometimes well up and indeed that was what happened to me this morning.  The weird thing is that they truly understood.  They were so quiet that you could have heard that proverbial pin drop.  No kidding.  It was that silent.

And so now it is time to begin this 61st year of life.  Really it doesn't seem that bad at all as of yet.  Perhaps I shall begin to get gray hair as the next decade of years goes by.  Maybe yet another wrinkle will show up on my face.  There's even a chance that I'll end up with a hearing aid or two because according to my dear husband, I don't always hear what he says.  Whatever the future holds, I am going forward in faith that all will be well for me.  I still believe that God has big plans for me and a future that I have yet to behold.  

Time will tell.
I cannot wait to find out.

                       It became the most delicious birthday cake that I had ever tasted.