Imagination is Most Important

There's a strange dichotomy in parenting a toddler and teaching adolescents. For all the wonder and enthusiasm I see in my sweet Grace each day, I see equal (or greater) amounts of cynicism and doubt in the teenagers I teach each class period. Which always leads me to wonder...what happens along the way? 

These are some of Gracie's current favorite toys:

The yardstick becomes a bridge for her plastic animals; the pompoms are used for, among MANY other things, a chance to "Try your luck!" (her words!) in a basket toss; the flashlight on the floor provides the circle she chases down the hall; the blocks and keys? I've yet to determine their sole purpose since they're so multi-functional in her world.

Then there are the majority of my students who, while kind and funny and SO DAMN smart, take enough time out of the things they actually care about to try to get me to tell them: THE RIGHT ANSWER!!! 

And it pains me because, as Grace demonstrates each moment of the day, it's not about being right. Rather, it's about embracing natural curiosity and the possibilities the world offers.

I stress the importance of thought and discovery, yet I suspect most kids in my classes simply hear:

Kids question me about my tattoos, about my use of a Twizzler as a straw ("are you 6?!"), and about my hair which, HUMILITY ALERT, looks better each day:

So...where does this predicament leave me? I suppose it leaves me human. I love my daughter and I love my students; I embrace their innocence and shed tears for their disappointments; and yes, I expect the worst while hoping for the best.

Wonder, enchantment, and surprise...these are the very fibers of our beings. If, as a 32-year-old married, full-time working mother, I can get lost in the world of stories, of fairy tales, of magic, then why can't we all? 

The answer is easy: we can.