Grateful Friday

What a week!

Also, as I write this, I'm home in my comfy clothes.  

Monday I had a great day at school in my professional development meetings.  I always go away from those meetings encouraged and energized and so very grateful for my job and the fabulous people I work with.

We painted for one of our activities.

I'm the one in the mask, holding a pumpkin painting....

These are my people and it makes me happy to see them all in the same spot.  

Here's my pumpkin painting up close:

Jamie hung them on the wall in the hallway on the way to the cafeteria.  On Tuesday, when I was walking my students to lunch, they wanted to know which one was mine.  I showed them and they oohed and ahhed appreciatively and one of them started clapping and yelling "Bravo!"

Third graders are such an easy crowd.

Wednesday I went to school feeling kind of rotten which happens about 25% of the time.  Teachers still go to work when they don't feel well.

As a little time passed, it became clear to me, no, I'm really sick.  This isn't just normal sick.  I came home and because it's the school's policy and I felt so very rotten, I had a covid test.  I felt really sad to leave my sweet students when I'd just returned from being gone.  I think I need them more than they need me, but I have missed them.

I'm grateful that I have a job that I love.

I'm grateful that I could (pretty painlessly) get a covid test.  It was a bizarre experience.  Mark drove me and we went west of the freeway and I didn't even know there was anything out there but we followed the signs to a tent in a parking lot.  I spit into a funnel and then gave it back to them and the whole thing had a dreamlike quality to it because who goes to a parking lot west of the freeway to spit into a funnel?

Yesterday we heard the very tragic news that a husband and father in our neighborhood and ward had died suddenly.  He leaves behind a beautiful wife and four beautiful children and a lot of grief.  He was the kind of guy who everyone loved.  He was a force for good in the world.  I have felt shocked and so very sad.  I've prayed for their family and here's what I feel really truly grateful for: the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I know that there's nothing I or anyone could say to this grieving family to make it better.  I know that their faith and their knowledge of eternal families will help.  It won't take away all the pain or make them miss him any less, but it will be a salve.  

And in an upside down world, that is exactly the salve we all need.