The Hurt.

There are moments in the classroom when students allow you to see the most wonderful events and occasions in their life. Those are extremely common in my day to day life and for that I am perpetually grateful.But there are also those days when you see a student so visibly wear their pain. Today I looked straight into the face of one of my most energetic and engaged students and only pain and hurt was looking back at me. This happens, it isn't a rare thing in the teaching profession. But today, seeing that pain was harder than usual. It is still with me as I sit here on a Friday night, packing for a long weekend away.I had to hold onto that student today while they sobbed over the extremely hurtful words yelled at them by an adult that is supposed to love and protect, damaging soul-crushing words. In doing so, some of that pain stuck to me. That is also not new and part of the job. I get that. But for whatever reason, this time, I need this to live somewhere other than just in my mind. As I suggested to the student, sometimes we just need to write those feelings down somewhere so it doesn't bounce around in our heads, continuing the hurt. So here is where I choose to let this live. For now at least, this hurt lives here.