Instructor Tom: Topping One One other Up

Since my first 12 months educating, this was the best way the two-year-olds stated goodbye to me on the finish of the day. I by no means requested for it or inspired it in any means apart from, I suppose, to be open to it. It all the time began on the primary day of sophistication annually as a result of there was all the time that one baby who genuinely felt the urge to hug me, to obtain a hug from me, then others noticed it, thought, “I need a few of that,” and got here for his or her hug as effectively. I stated the youngsters’s names as they approached, “This is my Sarah hug, my Nora hug, my Alex hug . . .”

Mister Rogers stated, “I imagine that appreciation is a holy factor.” We had been saying goodbye to 1 one other, after all, however we had been additionally saying thanks, expressing our gratitude, exhibiting our appreciation, not in cost for any explicit favor, however merely for the time we had collectively. It began spontaneously, then, because the 12 months progressed, turned a type of ritual, every baby making it their very own. There have been some who rushed to be first, others who waited for the group to skinny. Some did not need to let go. Some come again for a second and third and fourth hug. A number of did not need to hug, preferring a excessive 5 or just eye contact. Some had been moved to hug their classmates.

It was a lovely option to finish our time collectively, topping each other up earlier than heading off into our separate lives.