Life Lessons From a Pineapple

I'm going to start this post by offering some unsolicited advice.

I've been home for exactly one month. Its been one month of hugs, family, food, a trip to Disneyland, an interview and a job offer, trying to buy a car and figure out what it looks like to live in America. I've spent time with people but a lot of time by myself, too. Here's my advice: if you know someone who just got back from studying, working, or living abroad and want to know about their experience try asking specific questions.

I've most appreciated those people who pinpoint their questions because a specific question is much easier to answer than the giant "how was Micronesia" question. That one is easy to ask but overwhelming to answer. It's much easier to answer questions like: How was the food? What was your job like? Did you really wear muumuus? What do you miss the most? What's the best part of being back? I want to ask better questions when my friends return stateside and I want to challenge you to do the same.

Besides those people who ask specific questions, I've found myself incredibly grateful for the ones who have made this transition themselves. I've had people ask me, "But Emily, how are you really? Because when I moved back after living in _______ it was really hard." Those people remind me that I am not alone and it's ok to feel a plethora of complicated, contradictory feelings all at the same time.

In between eating spinach salads and figuring out how to be in America, I've thought a lot about the life I want to create. Moves offers a fresh slate and I've been thinking about how I want to fill mine. It all comes down to capacity and choice.

We carry with us, as human beings, not just the capacity for different actions and emotions but the very choice of how we want to live.

Each person has capacity - the capacity to be kind, to be loving, to be joyful or jealous or angry. It's in all of us.

What's really beautiful, the part that's profound and moving, is choice.

Capacity is our baseline, choice is our heart. We all have the capacity to be kind, but there are some who choose to be kinder than necessary. I appreciate and look up to those people. We all have the capacity to show hospitality, but I witnessed more hospitality during my 2 years in Pohnpei than the 22 years before. We all have it in us to be open-minded, but it takes the choice to put open-mindedness into action.

Have we chosen to be helpful today? To be humble? To be truthful? To step outside the noise of our own lives and offer generosity to others? We all have the capacity but each of us must make the choice. And it's not easy because after the choice comes the work of actually living that virtue out, but we must, or else we will forever live admiring the choices others have made to tell the truth or be compassionate but we'll never have lived that way ourselves.

Living in Pohnpei changed my life. I worked harder, sweated more, learned how to build a life and navigate a new culture. I'm a truer version of myself, now, thanks to the past 2 years. I am more of the woman that God made me to be. I'm a vastly different person today than 2 years ago. My dreams have changed, the way I see and interact with the world has changed, the way I think has changed. It happened slowly, day-after-day of small choices and moments and mindsets. It's hard to describe but I want you to know that my spirit and heart have changed. My life is forever marked by this season.

I have a simple motto these days:

Be a pineapple.

Now, I have a mild obsession with pineapples. Eating pineapple, pineapple shirts or journals or keychains. Ever since I found this phrase on pinterest I've been a sucker for anything and everything pineapple.

Stand tall, wear a crown, & be sweet on the inside. Pineapples hit on three key choices I want to make every day which I got to practice in Pohnpei - to be confident, take care of myself, and be kind.

Stand Tall
Was I qualified to be the tech expert, the accreditation paperwork writer, the curriculum editor? Not particularly. But I was willing to put in the work and I had confidence that I would do a good job, even though I hadn't done it before. I was confident and I was my own biggest cheerleader. I did a lot of 'faking it until you make it' and honestly, I don't think anyone ever knew. That's what happens when you stand tall, have confidence in yourself, and aren't afraid to work hard and ask questions.

Wear a Crown
I think too many people forget to take care of themselves. Maybe they think they don't deserve it or have too many responsibilities or too little time, but Pohnpei pushed me to my limit and taught me that I have to take care of myself. My self-care often involves working out, reading, and going for walks. Those are the things that I do to fill myself up so I can give to others. Everyone's self care is different but it truly is the most important thing you can do. Please please please remember that you are wonderful and please please please take care to keep yourself feeling whole. You wear a metaphoric crown and deserve to treat yourself that way.

Be Sweet On the Inside
No matter what happens, be kind. There is hate and injustice and heartbreak in this world. In the past 48 hours news stories have brought me to my knees, brought tears to my eyes, made me wonder what in the world I can do to help and made me whisper fervent, broken prayers. All I know is that no one will get mad at you for being extra sweet to the cashier or your co-worker or your family. Lets spread LOVE. No matter what is happening be sweet on the inside and let it show on the outside.

These are my mantras.

Thank you for reading them and for reading about my life the past 2 years. You came to Pohnpei with me and I hope you are richer for it, I know I am. I hope these posts left you with more hope than you started the day with. I hope they made you think and evaluate your own life. I hope they gave you a peak into my heart and a glimpse into the wonderful island of Pohnpei. Most of all I hope you saw God in the stories I shared and words I wrote. Because I see God in each one of you, and I hope you see Him in yourself.

Lessons Learned

Back in the fall our maintenance man made a concrete bridge connecting two parts of the school so instead of hopping over a little ditch, students could walk across. I was coming out of the office as the concrete was drying and principal told me, "Put your hands in it! It's still wet!" The other teachers agreed so out I went to immortalize my handprints at PCS. I hope in 5 or 10 years to come back and put my hands right back there.

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Last week the PCS staff and I enjoyed a wonderful lunch celebrating my time here in Pohnpei and imminent departure. At the end I got this beautiful local handicraft as a gift and had the chance to say a few words. I'd been thinking about what I was going to say, perfectly calm and collected inside my head. Then I got up to actually speak and immediately my eyes filled with tears. I managed to squeak out a whisper, "I've learned more about hospitality and generosity the past two years than ever before. Thank you for inviting me into your family and teaching me how to be a better teacher and friend."

Hospitality. Generosity. Rest.

Those are the three biggest lessons I have learned here.

Pohnpeians have Matthew 25:35 on lockdown, "For I was hungry and you gave me food. I was thirsty and you gave me drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed me."

If you go over to someone's house or walk by people eating together, you're likely to be invited to come eat. Homelessness and hunger are not major social justice issues here. Why? Because everyone has a family. And if you have a  family, you have a place to stay and food to eat. Family is serious, serious business. Loyalty to family runs to the core of your being.

Where hospitality abounds, so does generosity, whether that be generosity with one's time, money, food, or energy. It seems as though every weekend there is some sort of fundraiser happening around the island (bingo, sakau, raffles) and whole villages will go enjoy the social event and support whatever cause their neighbors are fundraising for.

The other supreme lesson I've learned is rest. Rest, rest, rest. I've rested more here than ever in my life. I've read 117 books (that's 37,256 pages!) in 22 months. I've played more games of Settlers of Catan and Ticket to Ride than I care to admit (and loved every minute of them) and learned to just be. Life moves at a slower pace here and people realize the value of rest, not only when you're sick but also when you're perfectly well. Rest is good for the soul. Always.

Apparently I needed a last minute reminder about the importance of rest. I've been down for the count these last few days with a terrible case of cold sores. My mouth is riddled with them. And they HURT, besides making my lips/face look like an alien. Not exactly how I envisioned spending some of my last days in Pohnpei. I finally got the right medicine Monday from my doctor after being mis-medicated at the hospital and am slowly on the road to recovery. (It is now Thursday and I look normal again - yay!) In the process I've done one thing: rest. Monday I spent the entire day watching movies and sleeping and reading different blogs. I took my meds and didn't talk or smile (it hurts!). My Principal was having an allergic reaction to some fish she ate and between her swollen face and my swollen lips, we were a quite a mess. When I went to Kindergarten graduation on Tuesday and the teachers all took one look at me after the ceremony and told me, "Emily, go rest. Go now!"

Pohnpeians know that our greatest strength comes out of a place of rest. Not from a place of striving or seeking or racing. From a place of rest.

Today, may you spend some quiet moments in true rest. Whether you are sick or healthy, worn down or walking on top of the world, may you rest and know the great strength that comes from it.

Rules, Teacher Emily

I have rules, Teacher Emily.

That's what Randall told me the other day.

Would you like to hear them?

Sure, Randall, sock it to me.

1) Always listen to Randall.
2) Students do their work.
3) I will sleep at my house.

Those are nice rules, Randall.

You can call me FBI.

Ok, FBI, go find your friends and play for a while.

I went back to my grading before I realized that Randall was onto something with these rules of his. We all have rules - unspoken or written - that shape how we live our lives. They're the mottos we live by, the things that ground us, the proverbs we play on repeat like a broken record.

I've added a new rule to my life maxims: acknowledge the end.

How to do this well and what it actually means - acknowledging the end - are still a work in progress. Acknowledging the end means saying out loud, "I won't do these things anymore, but it mattered that I did them, and it mattered that I did them with you." It means this job or person or place or season of life shaped me in significant ways and it's now coming to an end. It means I'm not the same person that I was before this (job/relationship/place/season) and I'm grateful for that. Acknowledging the end is recognizing the moments that changed me.

These moments, they deserve a hundred rounds of applause and a cash prize and a deep announcer's voice proclaiming them the winner. I've let myself be changed by the world, be changed by Pohnpei, be changed by my students and friends and host family. Each person and day and event changed me - made me more loving, more open, more patient, more empathetic, more aware of the experiences of others, of how very big the world is and how very small I am. There were moments that broke my heart and took my breathe away like a hard punch to the gut. Sometimes I became more frustrated, more short tempered, more of all those characteristics I don't want to be. Other moments left me helpless and confused and angry. These too, the hard moments, deserve their space on the podium, because we are not only changed by joy and goodness but by hard fought lessons when you walk through fire and aren't always at your best before you earn your reward.

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Last week I gathered some Girl Scout Cookies, chocolate, and my pull-out students for something that I like to call a 'Teacher Emily Acknowledges the End Ceremony.' Besides teaching 1st grade this year, I've been working with small groups of students (1st-4th graders) on reading and language skills in the afternoons. I have truly thrived in this job. The chance to work with small groups and encourage these students utilized my gifts to the T.

The students and I gathered together on our last day to celebrate and to stop. We stopped for a moment over Thin Mints and Toblerone to recognize what mattered. It mattered that we met everyday to learn and share and grow this year. The moments we spent together mattered. Those moments have come to an end and this unique group of people won't ever be together again in this exact way. But we were together this year, and we learned from each other and brought our best to the table. That matters, and that's worth recognizing.

I wanted to show my students the power of acknowledging the end. There is power in naming the end, putting words to it, saying and feeling something. With each group there was a holy moment, a moment when time stopped and they all looked at me as I said, "Thank you for letting me be your teacher this year. Thank you for being my students. I care about all of you and I will miss you so much. You have changed me and I am so grateful."

Each student talked about their favorite activities and lessons from the past year. Our emotional, holy moment exchanged itself for laughter and hunger when I dug out the Thin Mints and Toblerone, but I know they got it. I saw it in their eyes.

2nd Grade

4th Grade

3rd Grade

I'm embarking on a season of goodbyes, changes, transitions, and new these next few weeks. I know I'm not the only one. If you're going through this season, too, I hope you can find healing and beauty by acknowledging the end and recognizing those moments that mattered.

The Monday Blues

Monday was a blue day - blue muumuu, blue headband, blue comb. A group of 4th graders even provided commentary on my outfit while standing in the doorway of the teachers' room; I was making copies when I heard, "Wow Teacher Emily, even your eyes match today!"

But the 'Monday Blues' were only present in physical attire. The day started off with a quick Skype call to my parents and grandparents, who were celebrating Mother's Day together. I can't put into words how excited I am to see my family next month. At school we celebrated my student Aja's birthday with donuts and juice. Aja, myself, and her pals went around the school passing out extra donuts to the other teachers after every 1st grader was happily munching and slurping. I love surprising people with food - particularly baked goods - because a surprise treat never fails to put a smile on any face.

My students danced to Justin Timberlake's new song, Can't Stop the Feeling, while cleaning the classroom after school.

I picked a plumeria flower for my hair as I walked home at 5. Plumeria trees are in full bloom and without thinking I scan the ground to see which fallen flowers I can use. I pray for 5 people - one for each petal - before placing it behind my ear or tucking it into my bun.

This evening after Nicole and I ran errands we stopped by Principal Bernie's house to see if we could pick some calamansi lemons. Before I knew it I had hauled out the school's old ladder and was climbing up its silver rungs. I grabbed two before some men passing by on the road stopped to help. A foreigner in a muumuu climbing a ladder near a busy road to pick calamansi practically guaranteed that help would be offered immediately. A young man happily took my place, climbed up the ladder and into the tree, and picked our calamansi. He was much more skilled for the job than I and I'm grateful to live in a place where not only do you greet everyone you see on the road, but strangers help you without a second thought.

After dropping the priests' car at their house I grabbed a sliver of fresh Kosraen pie brought back from Kosrae by one of the Sisters. I ate and walked back to the apartment feeling very content - happy to be back in a normal rhythm after a few weeks of unique scheduling yet all the while knowing that this is my last 'normal' week before finals and the whirlwind of graduations and endings coming far too quickly.

While messaging a friend today I told her, "transitions that involve moving away from a life you've built and people you love is hard." That pretty much sums it up - I have built a life here. I haven't been on a mission trip or just been a volunteer - I've lived my life, I've made friends, I've found a church home. I have favorite restaurants and favorite places and favorite people. Life isn't perfect, but life never will be and I've found contentment in a lifestyle I truly love here. It is precisely because I have been living my life in a wild, glorious, simple way that makes leaving so bittersweet.

I'm soaking in the joys of Pohnpei for 20-something more days before I touch down in good old Sacramento, CA on June 8th!

My goal for today is to live simply and love deeply. I hope you will join me.

Everyday Santa Claus

A few weeks ago my student Reedson walked into class one morning with a hot commodity in tow. After dropping his backpack at his desk he turned to me and said, "Good morning, teacher. Look what I have for snack today!" He was holding an entire package of chocolate wafers. I had an immediate flashback to sitting on the playground curb at Lake Forest Elementary School's after school daycare and smiling from ear to ear when my coffee filter was filled with those same vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry wafers. "Yum, that's going to be a great snack!" Beaming, Reedson put the package in his bag for safekeeping.

Morning recess rolled around and Reedson called three of his friends over to his desk. I heard them whispering and then Reedson zipped his backpack shut again. "We'll have them at afternoon recess," he said as they ran outside to play.

Afternoon rolled around and I was filling homework folders at my desk while a few girls ate and another erased the chalkboard. Reedson walked in. After surveying the scene he pulled out his chocolate wafers and made the rounds. "Here you go. Would you like one?" he smiled as he went from classmate to classmate. A chorus of "thank you!" followed his every step. After he gave a wafer to all the girls and me, he shuffled outside to share with his other classmates. I leaned against the doorway enjoying a little taste of my childhood and watched as Reedson distributed his wafers to every single 1st grade classmate before enjoying one himself.

At 6 years old, hospitality and sharing are already etched deeply on my students' hearts.

I sat down at the table outside our classroom and pondered what the situation would have looked like had I been Reedson. It took me less than 10 seconds to realize it - there's no way I would have shared with everyone! Six-year-old Emily would have given a few to her closest friends, maybe, and kept the rest for herself. A snack as good as chocolate wafers? Hello, more for me!

But not Reedson. No one even had the opportunity to ask if they could have one; he opened the package and what was his immediate action? Let me share these with my friends. Let me give one to everyone. Let me pass these wafers out like it's the most important job I'll do all day.

That's just it. Hospitality and sharing ARE the most important jobs we all do on any day. The sharing of food, a text or a phone call, letting that annoying car merge in front of you, paying for someone else's coffee. Hospitality and sharing lead to conversation, conversation to acceptance, acceptance to love.

On that day in March, Santa traded in his red suit for a school uniform and his bag of gifts for a package of wafers. Reedson showed me what it's like to be an everyday Santa Claus. With every chocolate wafer he shared he gave out a message, too: you matter to me, I want to give this to you, I want us to both enjoy this. Acceptance, sharing, and joy in a simple gesture.

I want to be an everyday Santa Claus. On any given day I want to sprinkle a little bit of positivity and a pinch of joy and throw a whole bucketful of kindness into this world. If you pass me on the side of the road those are the things I want you to be drenched in.

What about you? What do you want to pinch, sprinkle, or pour into the world today? We're all a little different and your recipe won't be the same as mine. Thank goodness the world needs all sorts of people and every single thing we have to offer: humor, love, music, peace, poetry, acceptance, patience, art, a listening ear, gratitude, courage, honesty. The list could go on and on.

Whatever you have, I hope you can give it today. I hope you remember that none of us are perfect, but we can all do our best with whatever we're given. I hope you can see the important, vital role you play in this world. I hope you can say "amen" at the end of the day and see the small moments where you tried your best to shake, sprinkle, and drench the world in whatever is important to you.

I hope Reedson and his wafers will remind you to be an everyday Santa Claus every month of the year.

March Comings & Goings

March brought some exciting travel opportunities to my schedule and the change of pace was exactly what I needed after a longggggg February. First was a long weekend in Guam to chaperone our PCS Spelling Bee winner for the Scripps Regional Spelling Bee and later in the month a trip to Ant Atoll for spring break and my birthday!

Principal Bernie and I enjoying good food in Guam!

Look out point while driving around Guam

The one and only Father Fran Hezel! So thankful he took time out of his schedule to show us around!

Out to mass and dinner the night before the spelling bee

I don't have any pictures from the actual spelling bee competition but it was quite the morning! Our PCS speller did a great job amidst the tough competition of 50 other spellers. The winner was a very excited 5th grade boy from Guam! I not only got to relax, eat, shop, and experience my first in-person Scripps Spelling Bee, but I learned so much about Guam in just a few days. We stayed with Principal Bernie's family and I learned a lot about the history of Guam and Chamorro culture from our conversations. Guam is very different from Pohnpei and I'm so glad I had the chance to visit!

*****

A few days of my spring break looked like this. It was glorious.

The sunset on my birthday just kept getting more and more vivid. I will never forget turning 24 on much a beautiful atoll! 

The view from my hammock.

Lastly I'd like to give a huge shout out to my friend Myvy's Uncle Victor for sending every student in my class an awesome Power Rangers toothbrush and toothpaste!! We had a few fun lessons on dental hygiene and the kids were bouncing off the walls to be the proud owners of new toothbrushes. About half of my class didn't regularly brush their teeth before our lesson, but now each one can keep their teeth healthy and clean!

Wishing everyone a happy, healthy week!

Cheerleaders & Chocolate

I opened a package from my parents the other day to find a baggie full of Holland America chocolates and a note in my Mom's handwriting, "Put one on your pillow each night!" My family has been on a few cruises and always enjoyed coming back to our cabins after dinner to find a perfect little chocolate on our pillows. What's better than finding someone left you chocolate? I'd always eat mine within about 30 seconds of entering my cabin. My mom, on the other hand, is a master of self-control and would often save her nightly treat. She'd hide them away and once we were back at home I'd come into my bedroom and surprise! Find a chocolate on my pillow.

I had to fight back tears as I saw the chocolates she and my dad and grandparents collected for me on their Christmas cruise. Getting emotional over chocolates? What's up, Em? But it's not about the chocolate. It's the thought. Putting a chocolate on my pillow is just one of the millions of ways that my parents show me they care. It's a reminder to be myself and an affirmation that they know I'm working my hardest and giving my all.

I've also taken to rewarding myself after school with a sticker. If my after school cleaners get so excited about stickers, shouldn't they make me happy, too? You're Awesome! Excellent. Well done. Superstar! I stick one on my hand and take a deep breathe. You did good today, Em. Teaching is challenging, balancing my time between my classroom responsibilities and helping the school with other projects is challenging. But hey, life is challenging for everyone, no matter the job. So I slap on that sticker and press on.

You know something that happens when I stop to give myself a sticker? I more easily see the good in others. By being my own biggest cheerleader instead of my own biggest critic, it's easier to be a cheerleader for others. By finding the good in myself, I open up my eyes to the good in others or the good still present in hard situations.

Sometimes, you'll have people in your life putting chocolates on your pillows and stickers on your hands. They'll tell you how valuable your work is and how much you mean to them. Those people are the gems of life. There are other seasons where you might be the one handing out stickers and chocolates. The people in your life might need you to be a gem for them. Or maybe it's a bit of both, you give some stickers and chocolate and get some in return. Other times, though, you have to be your own biggest cheerleader. You have to put stickers on your own hand and chocolates on your own pillow. When things get hard are you going to be your own biggest cheerleader or let yourself be defeated?

I hope you have the eyes to see the good in others and sprinkle around some (real or metaphoric) pieces of chocolate. I hope you have the eyes to see the gems in your life and thank them for all they do. Most of all, I hope that you have the strength and love to be your own biggest cheerleader.

Big Moments

I choose to believe that there is nothing more sacred or profound than this day. I choose to believe that there may be a thousand big moments embedded in this day, waiting to be discovered like tiny shards of gold....The big moments are in every hour, every conversation, every meal, every meeting. - Shauna Niequist

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It's a Monday and I've just squirted soap on 25 little pairs of hands. Everyone is taking out their lunches and digging into containers of rice, fried chicken, and hot dogs. Vallerie runs back to my desk with gusto and squeals, "Teacher! Guess what I have?!" I fiend confusion, "Hmm, I don't know. What?" "Uht sukasuk! [mashed bananas with coconut milk] Lets eat, teacher!" She knows it's my favorite local dish, so we have this exact conversation every time she finds it in her lunch. But who can say no to that smile? "Yes, Vallerie, lets eat!" She laughs at me and we walk to the green picnic table outside our classroom. The table is full of children eating, sharing with their neighbors, talking about those things that 6-year-olds talk about, and I join right in. We squish little bits of banana and coconut milk into balls with our fingers and pop them into our mouths. "So yummy!" I say, and Vallerie just laughs.

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It's Sunday afternoon and I'm sitting in a third floor apartment with some of my community mates and our Japanese friends. Once or twice a month we meet up with the young JICA volunteers at a senior JICA's apartment for food and conversation; she cooks a delicious lunch for all of us in exchange for some English tutoring. The best part of the whole arrangement is that everyone thinks they're winning - we get a great meal and enjoy answering their English questions and the young volunteers are excited to eat Japanese food and practice English. We're all excited to be together. It's like we're a little family, our own ragtag Pohnpei family. Some are young, some are old, some are Japanese, some are American. But we're all here, on this island. And we're all together, in this moment.  Between bites of Japanese dishes, we share stories from our childhood and our culture's customs. We linger over dessert and keep talking, keep laughing, keep asking a few more questions to delay our departure. This apartment, right above Imelda's Shoes, if you peeked inside it on a Sunday afternoon you'd see people full - of life, of friendship, of food.

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We only eat at tables on Tuesdays. We eat dinner on the floor in our apartment - we don't own a table - but Tuesdays we eat with the priests. The evening starts with prayer in the chapel at 6:15 sharp, followed by drinks and chips on the porch. We soak in the setting sun, the view of Sokehs Rock, and the silhouettes of tropical trees. I fix my normal drink - guava juice with a shot of triple sec - and head out to the porch. Between nibbles of chips and chez-mix we regale Father Dave and Father Ken with our latest teaching stories until it's time to go downstairs and eat dinner. Tonight it's salad, rice, and a beef stew with vegetables. Once we're finished with our meal Father Dave grabs the ice cream and insists we indulge. I collect some plates and start doing dishes. We switch off who does dishes every week and tonight I crave the warm water and rhythmic washing and rinsing, washing and rinsing. After a little ice cream we bid the priests thank you and farewell and start the walk back to our apartment.

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It's Saturday night and I'm sitting with my host family at their house. Normally we stay in a house right next to the church since my host dad is a deacon, but tonight we're at their own home. It's about a 10 minute walk from the road, across 2 small rivers, and is perfectly peaceful all day. It's dinner time and in the cool of the evening everyone settles in for the night. I'm sitting with a handful of host brothers/sisters and their children. There's a huge plate of rice, some leftover fried fish, and ramen in the middle of us. We all dig in and help ourselves. First I use my fingers to make a little ball of rice to pop in my mouth. Then some leftover fish, back to the rice, and a little ramen. Kids are coming in and out to get food and there are anywhere from 6-9 people sitting here together, on the floor, eating dinner.

After the meal the kids go into the other room and I stay with the adults. A bottle of sakau is brought out and it's time to drink. Sakau is a traditional drink made by pounding the roots of the sakau plant and squeezing the liquid through a large hibiscus leaf. The resulting mixture is a muddy-brown color and the consistency of troll snot. While we each take our sips we touch many topics, tonight specifically homelessness in Pohnpei versus America or other places. This conversation never would have happened on its own, but sakau offers a space for adults to be together and talk. In this moment, drinking sakau, sitting on the floor of their porch looking at the trees, surrounded by my host family, I feel like I belong.

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It's Saturday night and I'm on my way to the docks with The Kwaks, a Korean family I started tutoring over the summer. Mr. Kwak works for a Korean fishing company and tonight they invited me onboard one of the vessels to have dinner with the captain. We climb up and over two boats, climbing on boxes and up tiny stairwells to find the gangplank that finally takes us to the Korean vessel. The Captain eagerly welcomes me, the new guest, onboard and talks excitedly with Mr. Kwak, Mrs. Kwak, Eunice (a junior in high school), and Kristin (a 3rd grader). They are all old friends and as we're ushered to the dining room I imagine the exciting stories the Captain might be telling them, wishing I could understand even a bit of Korean.

We all sit down and soon slabs of meat sizzle on the grill in the middle of the table. I'm introduced to the Captain's wife, who just flew in from Korea to visit her husband. We eat the tasty meat and other Korean dishes paired with a sweet white wine that I enjoy immensely (a feat, for my friends who know that I don't like most wines). My chopstick skills from Japanese lunches come in handy and I fit right in: grab a slice of meat, kimchi, and sauces. Everyone is speaking Korean and I don't know a thing that is going on, but I sip my sweet wine and know I'll remember this moment forever. These are the moments I live for: new cultures, new food, new customs, and above all the notion that I was welcomed in, warmly invited, to be a part of this moment. I feel wanted, known, and accepted. Isn't that how we all want to feel? Wanted, known, accepted.

I pour myself a second glass of wine and keep sipping, wishing this moment could last forever.

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May we embrace every meal we have this week as a sacred opportunity, a big moment, to be present with our food and our family, and may we never forget that some of the greatest moments in life happen around the table.

Mangos, Milestones, & Multicultural Day

It's mango season in Pohnpei. As we've been gifted bags upon bags of mangos the last few weeks, we've perfected the art of eating a mango. The first, and most essential step, to easy mango eating is proper placement: if possible, stand over a sink (for easy clean up post-mango eating). Once you slice or tear the skin off it becomes a juicy, messy mango free for all. Floss is normally involved, at least in my case, to get all the mango out of my teeth. I've started bringing my floss to school because more than likely I'm going to be offered a mango throughout the day.

Besides the mangos, its been a week of milestones. Last Tuesday, I celebrated 18 months in Pohnpei and it was the 100th day of school! My students and I celebrated with lots of 100 themed activities. My favorite activity of the day was our old men/women craft (the boys thought that putting a mustache on their old man was the most hilarious thing I've ever told them to do) and accompanying writing. The students filled in the sentence: "When I'm 100..." with some comical responses. My favorites were:

When I'm 100...

-I'll be ugly
-I'll drink so much coffee
-I will be old like a grandma
-I will drink sakau
-I won't be able to see when I drive and I will get into an accident.

We also started a brand new big concept this week...long vowel words with Silent E! We used magic wands to introduce the topic of "Magic E" and they loved it. It's exciting to see how much my 1st graders have grown since August and be jumping into the world of long vowels.

The last week of January ended with another big milestone: our Multicultural Night! PCS is a very diverse school and we celebrated the different cultural heritages of students with a night of songs, dances, and food from around the world. I helped out with the Hawaiian hula group and the Pakistani group (we have 2 sisters at our school who are half Pakistani and half Pohnpeian) and was so proud to see the culmination of all of our hard work. For a few weeks, all of my breaks and lunches were filled with group meetings or practices. It is safe to say that I'm happy this event is over and was a success! Other performances included Pohnpeian, Yapese, Chuukese, Japanese, Kosraean, Cameroonian, and Tahitian songs and dances. I took a few videos when I had the chance to document the night!

First we have the Pohnpeian boys doing a war dance. Legend tells that when Pohnpeians first came to the island, they fought with the ghosts living here using this war dance!

Next up is a Chuukese welcome dance. They performed this dance in Chuuk a few months ago when the Archbishop visited!

This is the Hawaiian hula group that I helped oversee/coordinate. I could only record a bit before I had to go back and help my next group. The girls did a wonderful job - I wish I could move my hips like they can!

These Pakistani sisters did a beautiful job with their dance! I was so proud of them for rocking the stage just the two of them!

The next 2 clips are from the Yapese dance. The Yapese have a way with entrances - the biggest part of their performance was getting everyone on stage in such a loud, excited fashion! I loved the Yapese flower mwaramars, too. So beautiful!

15 Things I Learned in 2015

My Year of Micro (all 365 days of 2015 spent in this tiny island nation) has come to an end. Here are 15 things I learned in 2015!

1. Persistence. I have had a plethora of opportunities to learn the sacred art of persistence this year. That lesson didn't go as well as I would have liked? I will come to school tomorrow and try again. Feeling baffled by Pohnpeian culture and habits? Keep learning, keep having an open mind, keep humbling yourself. Not sure where you fit into your community of JVs? Keep being yourself. Keep looking for how you can be a good community mate to those around you. Persistence, persistence, persistence.

2. Patience. It's true that patience is a virtue, but it's a darn hard virtue to have. How did I grow in patience this year? Through purposeful, daily practice. If you want to be patient, you have to work for it. Patience to listen when my students want to tell me something supremely important right as I sit down to take a break for lunch. Patience when I arrive 'on time' and have to wait around for others to arrive who have strong 'island time' tendencies. Patience as I'm trying to understand how my community mates operate. Patience for others and patience for myself.

3. Try the food. Sashimi, ramen with kool-aid, dog, green mangos with kool-aid, unique cuts of pig, breadfruit, yams, coconuts, bananas cooked in a million different ways - I've had some unique food the past 17 months. I firmly believe that wherever you are, especially if you're staying for long periods of time, try the food. It shows that you are open to learn and leads to some great conversation starters...and some pretty good tasting food.

4. I (and you!) can do hard things. It might sound romantic and wonderful to live on a tropical island, but 99% of the time it's just a whole lot of hard work and a whole lot of sweat. I've learned that I can do hard things. I can create my own curriculum, I can learn about a new culture totally different from my own, I can live in a new climate and learn to thrive. We can all do hard things, but it takes time to adjust and persistence to keep doing those hard things.

5. Take time to reflect. Setting aside time to reflect, set goals, and give myself mini pep talks has made all of the difference. When I really stop to think and reflect - about my teaching, about all I've learned about Pohnpeian culture, about how I've changed and grown since arriving in the FSM - I realize how close God has been and how much He has guided me through. I always leave my reflection times feeling proud of myself and ready to continue working hard.

6. Let others help you. I might live on an island, but as the saying goes no man is an island. I've learned now more than ever before that I am not alone, and that is what has given me the most strength to give my all everyday. For everyone who has prayed for me, sent me mail, or asked my parents how I'm doing, thank you. I could not do it without you.

7. Find a good work/life balance. Leaving school by 5 pm, and not bringing any work home, has been a life saver for me. I can't be in work mode all day, and by creating that balance now, I know I am setting myself up for future success trying to find a work/life balance back in America.

8. Transitions take time. If I could go back in time and tell Emily who just arrived in Pohnpei one thing, I'd tell her to be gentle with herself. I'd tell her she's going to be just fine. That she's going to thrive in her second year. I'd tell her that transitions take time. Moving to a new place, starting a new job or a new phase in life, every transition takes time.

9. Relationships take time and energy. If you want to be friends with someone, or fit in with some group, it's going to take time and consistent energy and engagement with those people. I have been able to benefit from the fruit of great friendships in my second year because I put in a lot of hours and some awkward moments my first year. Friendships don't happen overnight, and you have to put in the time and effort to really be friends with someone. 

10. Accept change. I put myself on the Pride Board this year (see #14) for how well I accepted the changes that were coming. From my three second year JVs leaving to welcoming visitors and new JVs, I said many hellos and many goodbyes in 2015. By accepting that these changes were coming and allowing myself to feel whatever emotions they brought forth, I was better able to navigate each situation.

11. Don't be afraid to slow down. By removing myself from American soil and American culture, I've realized that we are a people constantly seeking entertainment and stimulation. We are afraid of slowing down. We are afraid of turning off our phones. Why? Don't be afraid to slow down. Don't be afraid to entertain the ideas that come to your mind when you slow down. Don't be afraid to ask your soul how it's doing and really listen.

12. Read, baby, read. Open up a good book and see where it takes you. There's something out there for everyone! My current reads: The Martian by Andy Weir (fantastic book so far and a great movie!) and On A Hoof and A Prayer by Polly Evans (about a woman's stories and experiences riding horses through Argentina).

13. Have an open mind, don't judge what you don't understand. When I don't understand what's going on or I am confused by someone's actions, I remind myself how different humankind is and how beautiful that makes our world. Different cultures emphasize different character traits or teach different skills, so just because I don't understand doesn't mean I need to judge.

14. Put yourself on the pride board. "But I'm learning to stop and celebrate an inch of progress, even if there are miles to go, to cheer myself on for staying in the ring, even though I can't seem to land a punch. We might make more progress if we celebrate each millimeter, instead of shouting at ourselves for not covering more ground. If you've covered any ground at all: Pride Board. If you simply didn't give up: Pride Board. If you tried and failed but are trying again today: Pride Board." 
-Shauna Niequist
Read her whole Pride Board blog post here:

http://www.shaunaniequist.com/put-pride-board/

15. Look higher, dream bigger. I've spent the past months dreaming some really big dreams and I'm in the process of pursuing some big possible opportunities for life after Micronesia. Do I know if they are going to work out? No, not yet. Is it ok if they don't work out? Yes, because some doors have to close for me to have just one door to walk through. But the thought, the action of dreaming really, really big, has allowed me to articulate where my future career goals are leading me.

What did you learn in 2015? I'd love to hear from you!

Nunsgiving and a Man Named Bernard

All of my life I've had a fascination with nuns. It all started with Maria in The Sound of Music and continued from there. Whenever I see a nun, I have the urge to sit down with her at the nearest cafe and bombard her with questions - how did you join the convent? What order are you from? What work do you do? How do you pray? 

Lucky for me, I've had the chance to work alongside some of the sassiest, most hardworking, wise Sisters here in Micronesia. Nuns were present at all three of our Thanksgiving celebrations, so it was indeed a nunsgiving, and it was quite the event. It started a week and a half before Thanksgiving's calendar date with a Thanksgiving dinner at the Jesuit house with Father Dave, Father Ken, Sister Isabel, Sister Marlesa, Sister Toni, and Sister Dasko. Natalie, Nicole and I put ourselves in charge of preparing all the food as a thank you to the priests and nuns, who are always incredibly hospitable to us. Natalie, Head Chef, cooked an incredible turkey and Nicole and I helped with all of the side dishes. The nuns came over a few minutes before we were ready and thought it was so funny that we were using our computers to look up recipes online. We were glad to give them a good laugh, and grateful to Buzzfeed for the turkey recipe.

My heart was so full that night. The lazy susan was constantly spinning as people helped themselves to seconds and thirds. We were so happy to cook for this wonderful group of religious people who give so much to the church in Pohnpei.

Celebration #2 took place on Thanksgiving Day at Bernie's (the principal of my school) house. In true Pohnpei fashion, the power was off all afternoon that Bernie was planning on cooking. What do you do when the power is off and it's Thanksgiving? Eat chips and spinach dip until the power comes back on, tell stories and laugh and enjoy each other's company, that's what you do. Bernie made a wonderful spread after the power came back on for the three of us JVs, Sister Sophie, Sister Christina, and Sister Elerina. [There are two orders of Sisters on the island. The MMB Sisters live right next door to us (they were at our first celebration) and the MA Sisters live about 15 minutes away in Awak.] The MA Sisters are quite spirited - they have big laughs and bigger personalities. We had such a great time celebrating together!

Our third and final Thanksgiving took place next door at the MMB Sister's house. Our first Thanksgiving inspired Sister Dasko to try her hand a cooking a turkey, so we found ourselves sitting on their back porch with appetizers and wine on Friday night. The Deacon of the local parish was also there with his son and a man named Bernard.

Bernard is from Indonesia and has a crazy story. He is a fisherman and was out fishing in his boat one day when somehow he ran out of gas. No one was around, he couldn't get any help, and his boat started drifting. Bernard drifted at sea for 35 days. He only had uncooked rice to eat and rainwater to drink for 35 days. Finally, he was found drifting in Yap, the most western state of the Federated States of Micronesia.

I couldn't wrap my head around this story, this man who sat across the table from me. I just kept staring. Bernard. Bernard. You were stranded, drifting at sea, for 35 days. 35 days. And here you are! Alive! Breathing! Laughing! Drinking wine and miming because we lack a common language. Bernard!

I couldn't get over it. Through drinks and appetizers, a dinner plate full of turkey and all the fixings, and a plate of our now-famous JV gluten free apple crisp. I kept looking over at Bernard and I just wanted to give him a big hug. Bernard, you are here. Bernard, you are safe. Bernard, God provided for you. Most of Indonesia is Muslim, but Bernard is a Christian. With the few words of English that he knows, he told us that it was only thanks to God that he was rescued and is alive today.

Bernard finally has all of his documents in order and he flies back to Indonesia to be reunited with his family next week.

Bernard has so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving and Christmas season. And while none of us have been lost at sea for 35 days like Bernard, we too have so much to be thankful for. What has God blessed you with this year? Where have you seen His hand at work? Ask your friend or your sibling or your child what they are thankful for this year. Lets be a people who spend less money on gifts, more time with those we love, and more quiet moments whispering thank you, thank you, thank you for the blessings in our lives.

Getaways & Goals

I have a confession to make. I am not a beach person. My family has never been a "lets go to the beach" family (probably because everyone but my mom would have burned to a crisp). Our idea of a vacation is go-go-go see-see-see rather than the lounge-with-a-book philosophy of other families. And yet here I am, living on island time in one of the most laid back regions of the world - life does have a funny way of working itself out. Sometimes it takes a sharp left turn an you have a split second to choose: lean in or risk falling off. So I leaned in, and now I'm learning more about island culture, Pohnpeian and other, than I ever knew existed.

Which is how I found myself lounging in the blue waters of the Pacific on October 31st, on a very tiny, rentable private island, with 8 other volunteers (Jesuit Volunteers + Peace Corp Volunteers). We lead very simple lives as volunteers - small stipends, simple forms of fun, lots of humble learning in a new culture - but one (of the many) joys of life in the Pacific is a private island getaway cheap enough for our volunteer salary.

So, Halloween weekend and we're floating in the perfect blue ocean, reading books on our bungalow porches, napping in hammocks, eating candy corn, talking and catching up on our lives, exchanging funny school stories, being filled with good company and good friends and all the feel-good vibes of a late night glow stick dance party.

I also reached a big milestone on Halloween: I finished my 75th book since arriving in the FSM. Like I mentioned earlier, we do a lot of reading, game playing, cards, and conversations rather than being glued to technology screens at night. I have always always loved books and read away my summer days in middle school and high school, but I lost the pleasure of reading for fun once college hit and I had so much required reading. It has been heavenly to come to a place where I have extra time on my hands and plenty of books to peruse.

I do my best to have a healthy work-life balance, so I leave school around 5 pm and don't work in the evenings. It keeps me sane and whole, because I am more than a teacher. We are all more than the work that we do and we should not let our work define who we are. It's the best feeling leaving work at work and knowing that I can spend the rest of the evening relaxing with good company, good board games (Ticket to Ride, anyone? I'm obsessed), and good books.

When I first came to the FSM 15 months ago I started with series books, reading through all the Harry Potters, Hunger Games, and Divergent books. Then I had a science fiction kick (The Night Circus, Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore) and an autobiography phase (Redefining Realness, Bossypants, Yes Please). There was the era of thriller-adventure books (the Vanessa Michael Monroe Series) and the sweet, sassy books about friendship (Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, The Friday Night Knitting Club). I always enjoy books set in foreign countries (Girls of Riyadh, It's Not About the Tapas), books that inspire me to continue helping the world (Kisses from Katie, Pencils of Promise), and books that open my eyes to the harsh realities some children face everyday (Say You're One of Them). There were the books I couldn't put down, whose suspense made my heart rate rise the second I picked them up, both from fascination and fear (Brain on Fire, Touching the Void). Then the sweet love stories (Eleanor & Park), books written in email format (Attachments), and a compilation of letters sent to the Dear Sugar advice column (Tiny Beautiful Things). I have loved each and every book in parenthesis and would recommend them to anyone.

My 75th book, The Geography of Bliss, definitely makes it onto my Top 5 book list. Eric Weiner, a foreign correspondant for NPR, travels the world in search of the happiest places (also visiting some of the unhappiest) to see what we can learn from them. It combines some of my favorite things in life (travel + happiness) and I enjoyed it immensely.

I love the moment when I finish a book, stick it on the shelf, and stand back to survey the scene. Two bookshelves full of books...the world is at my fingertips. What am I in the mood for? Fiction or  nonfiction, we have a bit of everything - spiritual, autobiography, comedy, thrillers, historical, science fiction, classics. Whenever I'd walk into a library in America I immediately make a beeline for certain sections, genres I knew I loved, but here I've tried a bit of everything. And I love that. I never would have picked up a science fiction book in my life in the US, but I decided to give one a try here and loved it.

75 books (that's 25,376 pages) down, 25 books to go to meet my goal of 100 books in my service.

What was the last good book you read?

If it's been a while, I hope this post has inspired you to put down your phone or TV remote and pick up a book instead. Ask your mom or your grandpa what their favorite books are. I've had some of the best Skype conversations exchanging good book ideas with my parents and grandparents. Use that library card stuck in the bottom of your wallet. Take one of those books you bought on amazon (and promised yourself you'd read) off the shelf.

I promise, you won't regret it.

"We lose ourselves in books, we find ourselves there too." -Kristin Martz

Weekend Mwahu

One of my favorite phrases in Pohnpeian is a simple one – weekend mwahu. Literally translated to ‘weekend good’ it is the Pohnpeian way of saying ‘have a good weekend!’ I throw ‘weekend mwahu’ around like candy on Fridays, saying it to teachers and students and anyone I greet on the street. Because who doesn’t love Friday at 5 pm?

I say this phrase exuberantly but I welcome the weekend in every Friday afternoon quietly, with a solo walk to church, a good workout, and a walk back to the apartment. It’s golden hour, 5 pm, when I start my walk and the streets are bustling. A flat bed truck with a family of 10 sitting in the back passes me, a student sticks her head out the window of another passing car, “Hi Teacher Emilyyyyyyyy.” I wave and smile before saying hello to the man crossing my path. My “kaselehie maing” (a formal version of hello for anyone older than you) is met with “kaselehie, serepein” (hello girl) and I continue on. I notice a hibiscus, bright fuchsia in the center that ombres into a light peach. Next a perfect plumeria, white and yellow, which I pluck from the ground and nestle behind my ear.  Ever since my parents visited in June, I’ve been noticing every flower I walk by. My mom would, without fail, notice every flower we passed on a walk or hike. It was all, “Rick, can you take a picture of this flower” every time we went anywhere. By that point I’d lived here 11 months and hadn’t noticed the gentle beauty of a flower in a long time. I was walking with blinders on, and my mom reminded me to walk in the light, and find beauty in all of creation, even if you see it everyday. So now when I walk to church my eyes are all open – flowers and smells and sounds, a quiet way to decompress after the week and start the weekend right.

Someone is pounding sakau with a rhythmic bong, bong, bong. Brightly patterned skirts are drying on a line outside a house. Cars are pulling up to buy bread and snacks from a container store (literally, a store inside of a shipping container). I pass a bunch of bananas still on the tree, perfectly green with the banana blossom still on. I wrinkle my nose when I pass the pig pens and algae covered riverbed. I’m already sweating and I try to forget how big the last hill up to church is and instead look up. Afternoon light is streaming through the palm trees in ways too beautiful to capture in words or pictures. Coconuts dot the tops of trees, clouds waltz by, even the sky knows it's Friday.

I'm here 10 minutes early, so I sit outside the Sunday School room we use to do T-25 workout videos and breathe. It's my chance to sit and process the week, to ponder and consider and say thank you to God. With a view like this, there is a lot to be thankful for.

After a sweaty workout I step outside into the cool breeze. I’m drenched, almost like I went swimming, and Sylvia and I chat about relationships and dating, her kids' experiences and my own. Sylvia, a native Californian, has been living in Pohnpei for 25+ years with her husband Nob (a missionary kid from the islands, who went to Biola). Together, with a local staff, they run Pacific Mission Fellowship Church and assorted programs for Pacific Mission Aviation, the organization Nob's father started in 1956. PMA is an incredible organization, and I have been wholeheartedly embraced as a member of PMF Church. I have never been so genuinely welcomed into a church as I have felt here at PMF, and for that I am incredibly grateful. (You can learn more about PMA and PMF here: http://www.pmapacific.org/about/history.php)

We talked a bit longer than normal today, so I set a brisk pace and know that I’ll slip through our apartment door as darkness falls. I exchange "pwohng mwahu" (good night) with half a dozen people I pass and ward off a taxi asking if I want a ride with "mwahu! Kalahangan, pwohng mwahu." Less people are walking around now, but the sakau bar is filled with people sitting in yellow and red plastic chairs.

I see my favorite stray dog, Cow Dog, as I pass the dumpster by PCS. I see the glittery sign on my classroom door and smile, another week with my sweet class is in the books. I stand on our stoop for a minute before going inside, relishing the cool breeze, breathing in the peace of a quiet school on a Friday night.

Welcome, weekend, I’m glad you are here.

No Loitering

Six year olds are busy little people. From the moment I get to school to the second I step off campus at 4:30 or 5, I am pummeled with questions and comments and stories and tears and smiles and hugs and band-aid requests. One should not underestimate the power of a superhero or Disney Princess band-aid on the knee or arm of a child.

When my band-aid stock was running low in the spring, I knew I needed to call for back up. I needed more band-aids, and I needed them fast. We all have those people in our lives that we can call, anytime, for anything, so that’s what I did. I sent my tribe of friends from college a desperate SOS: SEND BAND-AIDS. Pretty soon I was opening envelopes overflowing with precious, tiny band-aids – Disney Princess, Clifford, glitter, superhero, sports. I continue to experience the magical power of those band-aids everyday, and I relish the small joy of opening the band-aid wrapper and seeing the look of pure delight on a student’s face. I have enough band-aids to last me this entire year, all because of that one SOS I sent to five friends. If my service here has taught me anything, it’s that sometimes, you just need to ask for help.

Besides band-aid requests, the other request I get most often is “Teacher, can I clean?” Pohnpeians love to keep things neat and tidy and students are always re-organizing our glues and scissors after we finish a project. After school is no different, but the cast of characters who want to clean the classroom includes 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd, and 4^th graders. Lots of little bodies with the greatest of intentions.

Honestly, some days I’m tired. After school I just want to get my work done, and I want to get it done alone. On those days, I get this urge to slap a “NO LOITERING” sign on my door, turn the lock, and get all my work done in productive peace and quiet. But that peace and quiet rarely happens because I am somewhat of a mystery to the school. Random students walk into my classroom throughout the day, look around at everything on the walls, whisper to their friends, and walk out. If they notice me watching them they’ll give a sheepish smile or a “I like your classroom, Teacher Emily” or just walk out. Combine these surprise visitors with my current class and the 2^nd graders who often visit and I never have a moment to myself.

But if I’ve learned anything while here, I’ve learned about hospitality and generosity and being with people. And if I know anything about God, he calls us to community and togetherness and love in action. He also really loves little kids.

So after school when sweaty students come sliding into my room and ask if they can clean, I put them to work and play some music, grateful to have seven or eight little bodies do all the work I would rather not do. I delegate like a drill sergeant and the work gets done: someone cleans the chalkboard, two others sweep, one holds the dustpan, another two put stars on behavior charts, another takes out the trash. We laugh and talk and belt out our best versions of Frozen’s “Let it Go.” In 15 minutes the classroom is spotless, everyone chooses a sticker, and they skip outside to wait for their ride. I have relationships with older students purely from this cleaning time; those tiny 15 minutes when I would rather hang a “No Loitering” sign on the door have built community and relationships. Their tendency to loiter is an opportunity for me to love. It is a chance for me to show them that I care, that they are loved and helpful and they have value. 

I’ve learned my lesson. 

I’m glad I never put that “No Loitering” sign on my door.

Part of the afternoon cleaning crew

He Runs Like A Giraffe, He Loves Like A Linebacker

I have a student named Dominic. He's little, even for a 1st grader, and often speaks in a mixture of English and Pohnpeian, rattling off in a jib jab of languages as his brain still figures out what to speak at school.

Dominic is a part of what I call 'The Morning Crew'. This dedicated group of students likes to play Predator and Prey every morning, where I am the prey and my students the predators. I think they have a sixth sense about where I am because the moment I step out the gate of my house and start walking to school, they spot me with great shouts of "Teacher Emily is coming! Teacher Emily is coming!" It's serious business. I wouldn’t be surprised if they bet their snack money on who can spot me first.

Once I have been spotted they break like a football team and one contingent runs out to give me hugs and escort me to the classroom (because clearly I need miniature bodyguards to walk from the school gate to the classroom door) while the others jump up and down and cheer from outside the classroom “Teacher Emily, Teacher Emily is here!” I kid you not. There is jumping and there is cheering, everyday. 

Dominic is part of the 'run out to greet Teacher Emily' party, and let me tell you he runs with a purpose. He also runs like a giraffe. All his limbs are very straight and a little awkward and he looks like a miniature baby giraffe barreling down the grass to give me a hug (and almost pull my skirt down, daily). After a round of hugs at the gate - which could last all morning because everyone starts talking a mile a minute because lots of very important things happened that I need to know about and Teacher Emily I have this for snack and Teacher Emily I did my homework and Teacher Emily my dad comes on the airplane tomorrow - I say, "Lets go to the classroom!" I start walking, with the contingent walking behind me and running ahead of me, all wispy and whimsical in their 6-year-old selves.

This is what happens to me every morning from 7:58 to 8:02 as I make the short commute from my apartment across the street to school. They greet me like this, with such deep, outward love, and all I did was show up. Wake up, put on my local skirt, eat some breakfast, and show up at school.

This year I'm only the 1st grade teacher until lunch. After lunch the kinder teacher takes over in 1st grade while I work as a reading specialist in the empty classroom next door. I work with small groups of 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th graders who are struggling with reading fluency and comprehension. I LOVE this job and am so grateful the school asked me to work in this capacity. I love working with smaller groups of students who really need the extra encouragement and love.

I still see my 1st graders in the afternoons when I'm in the classroom at recess or other random times, but the way they hug me and say "Teacher Emily I missed you!!" makes it seem like its been weeks, instead of hours, that they've gone without me.

That's how six-year-olds roll. They love you deep and loud, even when it's 8 in the morning and you only just showed up. They say 'I love you' and give random hugs throughout the day and dance and smile and giggle. In the afternoons Dominic likes to give me a play-by-play of exactly what happened in class with Teacher Banae while I was next door.

My little Dominic, he runs like a giraffe but he loves like a linebacker. 

And I think God greets us this way every morning, too. He doesn't wait at the classroom door. He doesn't even wave or cheer from afar. He sees you, that you are awake and alive and choosing to show up and live this day, and he runs to you. Whether he runs like Dominic, like a giraffe, I'm not sure, but I know he runs to you and loves you like a linebacker.

How can you love like a linebacker? A hug, picking up a surprise coffee for someone, calling your grandma or a friend you haven't heard from in a while. Everyone can do it.

On the days that I forget this kind of love, I thank my lucky stars I have my students as a physical reminder of how much God loves us.

May we all be bold enough to take a cue from my 1st graders, today, and love like a linebacker.