Fun

"Grown-ups never understand anything by themselves, and it is tiresome for children to be always explaining things to them."

Antoine de Saint-Exupery


I work part-time with kindergarteners or rather I spend part of my day with them so that they can work on me. They try to teach me new things everyday. I am a slow learner but the children are patient. They persist. "Mrs Khan, look my paper plane!" as it zooms across the class. I am gifted beautiful pictures and lovely smiles. I get hugs. I am shown new bags and the toys hidden in there. The hugs sometimes, result in strange, greenish mucous patterns on my clothes but it's the love that counts!

I watch as the children move to higher grades. I pass them in the hallways and am awarded enthusiastic smiles and hand-waves. I am amazed at how quickly they grow and at their unself-conscious beauty. I would be lying if I left out the days when I feel like pulling out my hair. There are moments when the thirty four to six-year-olds seem like monsters gathered together for the sole purpose of raising havoc but those are the days that remind me to take a deep breath and calm down. Ask them why they are throwing sand all over the classroom and I am told,"But Mrs. Khan, we're just having fun!"

Sometimes Mrs. Khan does need a reminder to allow some fun.