oh the things kids say...

Well, today E was ALREADY in the classroom without me for an hour- and he rocked it! His teacher is amazing and really loves giving him attention! That's one of many things to be thankful for, he was talking her ear off while they were reading together today. And instead of asking where I was, when he couldn't see her he kept asking where she was! LOVE

So, E was chatting with me this morning in class and says(with correct inflection) Miss Meghan, honey, don't play with you food......I contained the joy and said- What was that I didn't hear you?   Miss Meghan,honey(add body sway) don't play with your food!!!!! OH MY- props to E first for the proper use of the word honey, and second for using it with me- LOVED IT!!!

Then one of his classmates says to me: Did you get your hair cut? No...maybe it's just different looking today. He responds- well, your face looks different too- I laughed out loud!! I have been wearing my glasses, today was a contact day- so cute!

Treasure working with kids, who know how long I will get to soak in their joy for life!!

I'm struck by the respect that the Thai people have for everyone,government included. As I was visiting the US this summer there was all sorts of political debate etc- well, for me it just made me ill to my stomach. I feel like a lot of respect has been lost and appreciation for how to correctly have a disagreement and the best way to make our voices heard. I was in fact nauseated by the amount of  "believing" people who were quick to be disrespectful to whichever candidate they didn't agree with. I have come to appreciate my freedom of speech, freedom of religion, along with the freedom to assemble this past year. It's an odd feeling to come back to the US and be around people who place such a high value on disrespectful disagreements. Especially coming from a country where such a disrespectful statement would lead to you missing, your house missing or one of your immediate family members all of a sudden going missing. I think it's the whole idea that last year words were picked with carefulness, things that were said were deliberate and even now I can't seem to adjust to have many people use the C words to describe themselves or the M word to tell of who they are. I quite like the whole idea of being careful with words, and being more aware that my actions speak the loudest over whatever comes out of my mouth. I'm so very imperfect, it's just this summer my eyes were opened to the non value of complaining.  A very long time again, my college would send  us out- with a declaration that we would not be the fly on the wall in the group, that thing which annoyed everyone with constant nothingness of complaining. I've been pondering this for the whole summer as a dear friend asked me what the biggest culture shock was- hands down it's a new right that people in the US freely have, and that is the right to complain. Makes me wish I took debate class(although my brother gave me free lessons), what on earth is the purpose of so much complaint when there is so much to be thankful for. Disagreement, I love a a well thought through disagreement, complaining as if it makes anything change, besides that feeling of the people around you! I'm so glad I didn't have a fly swatter this summer, GOODNESS. And ever so grateful for my brother who taught and schooled me in the ways of a productive disagreement, as an 12 year old I didn't think that, now I realize how valuable it is.