I was informed last night, in my “the first semester is really over?” haze, that Christmas is a week away.
Good lord.
My body would like nothing more than to sink into an exhaustion-driven flu/cold/sinus infection situation. I’m convinced that my body is selfish and self-centered and really just wants me to hibernate in bed for a few days. I’m steadfastly ignoring the sickness hints, denying the possibility that *I* could possibly EVER get sick, and spending quality time in bed anyway. (Can’t hurt, right?)
Christmas shopping is done, except for my father. I know what I want to get him and where I want to get it, I just need to actually leave the house, brave the traffic, and, you know, shop. But not right now. Maybe tomorrow.
I have the most awesome students and co-workers. Their generosity humbles me and made me have to make two trips to my car yesterday to bring all the loot inside the house. I’ve never worked at a place that gave gifts the way my current job does. I have students bringing me stuff and even though I’m thrilled to be on the receiving end, I’m also slightly embarrassed because I have nothing to reciprocate. A lot of teachers see the receiving of student gifts as their due compensation for teaching well. I don’t agree. It’s my JOB to teach well, and I receive a paycheck as compensation twice a month. There’s no reason for me to receive anything more, yet those kids just keep on giving. I guess, in a way, it shows that they think about me when they’re not in my classroom. And that’s cool, too. After all, I think about THEM all the time! I love them and worry about them and think about how they’ll feel and respond to not only what I teach, but how I teach it, and even how they’ll respond to what I wear and to the things I bring to the classroom to share with them. I bought socks and earrings (cheap ones) with my kids in mind. The kids got a kick out of my Santa earrings and the ones with jingle bells on them. And they thought it was hilarious to ask to see my Christmas socks every day. And to see how badly they clashed with the rest of my clothes! It was little things like that, occurring all week, that gave us smiles and laughs.
My co-workers, though, they have REALLY humbled me. I just don’t think about giving gifts to people I work with! I didn’t even think about cards this year! I really feel like a heel for not reciprocating, and more, for not thinking of giving to them in the first place. Some of my co-workers are border line friends at this point. It only makes sense to think about them – and not only with the mentality of giving a gift just because I received one. I’m committing today to search the internet for small tokens of appreciation – because really, that’s what these are, so much more than a mere Christmas present – that I can put into mail boxes on January 3rd when we return. Not for every person, certainly, but there are key people with whom I’ve been working very closely and who have been a great help and comfort to me. They deserve some measure of recognition from me for the gift of time and support I’ve received from them. I just have to figure out what to get.
