The Friday Lunch
On certain Fridays, I provide myself with a job well done high-five in the form of treating myself to lunch. Picking up food instead of bringing it from home is such a well deserved work-week ending treat - although realistically it's my fridge's fault for being so empty by the time this day comes. Should I have been feeling creative enough this morning to partake in an at-home version of the Food Network show Chopped, perhaps I could have used some mystery ingredients from my pantry to whip up something homemade. Peering through my cupboard and fridge, I was left with a banana, peanut butter, and a bagel. The combination of ingredients does lend itself vaguely to Elvis Presley's favorite sandwich, and although I am a fan of his, the sandwich itself is not something I would line up for. The go-to in this result? A Panera "you-pick-two" of course!
The sun shined bright enough to trick me through my windshield of the freezing temperature outside. The slight chill in the air swiftly swept across my face as I opened my car door and carried my bagged soup & salad combo. The wind's refreshing touch entered into my lungs and I took a deep breath in - inviting it to awake my senses. A shiver erupted from my body as I exhaled, but instead of shuttering from the cold, my limbs prompted a bounce in my step as I headed toward the school's entrance door with energy I assumed I had expelled. This was going to be a good day, and a much needed end to a week of unforeseen stress brought on by too much work in my personal/not enough personal time to catch my breath.
The flight of stairs I climbed no longer pained my quads that ached from my exercise the night before. I greeted my colleagues as I approached my work station and arrived to see two new items on my desk waiting for me. One was a note reminding me to "be awesome" from my face-partner across from me. The other - a book with a sticky note that read: "Tarah, I though of you and thought you would like this. Heard it was awesome." When I taught ELA, I would leave surprise books on the desks for the students in the morning once per quarter with a note on each from "the book fairy". I (I mean the book fairy!) curated and selected each book to match the interest of the student. Their shocks of awe as they entered the classroom each time this happened didn't quite put the Christmas morning reaction to shame, but it was extremely close. A book chose them. In this moment, I realized that although I always did this for my students, I never got the pleasure to experience it on the receiving end myself. This week, I really did forget to be awesome (#DFTBA via author John Green). Today, I put a little bit of that awesome back into the universe, and the universe must have noticed.
There is something to be said about a fresh breeze, sunshine, takeout, and a visit from the "book fairy" that makes one realize how much of yesterday that was really taking up too much of today. I cannot wait to get started reading the book that found me at the most opportune time.
