I am sorry for making you nervous, I did not mean to scare you like that. My title, instead, is in reference to my volunteer job. Because the semester is coming to a close and I am heading back to my home state of Pennsylvania in just a few days for the holidays, I can no longer volunteer at the daycare center. But not to worry, I shall return. I am even considering dropping a class (totally an elective, it is early, and it is at our Lincoln Center campus) to ensure I can volunteer there any and every moment possible.
I am a big fan of quitting while I am ahead. No that does not mean I give up easily, but if I no longer feel connected or inspired or just become plain uninterested in something I usually just stop right there before I come to hate it or become bogged down by it. (working at the radio station, Ram Van). Around mid-October I felt that way about the Concourse House. It was cutting in on time that could be spent, if for nothing else, sleeping in. It was a decent chunk out of my days not to mention an hour walk in total (to and from work). I took a week off around midterms but studying can only partially be to blame, I just didn't feel it anymore. Luckily, that stage passed and even on nights where I only get 4 hours of sleep, I pop out of bed to go to volunteer. Sure I am tired when I get home, and sometimes its added insult when my roommates are still asleep, but that insult is minimal - I wouldn't trade for it.
I have really come to love volunteering there. My class, these kids, are just amazing people. As I discussed with a friend, it is staggering how stimulating that environment is. Four year-olds are so intelligent. Maybe not how adults measure intelligence but they really are.
So, today was my last day, and also the Christmas show for the parents. For the past month the kids have been working on a Hawaiian-influenced version or spin on the '12 days of Christmas' titled the '12 days of Aloha'. All the gifts and motions are different. It is absolutely a challenge to remember all of those hand signals and words for me, so the kids definitely struggle, so we were nervous. It went so well. Sure, by the 8th day in the song some kids were struggling to keep up while others were reduced to mouthing the words - but the parents didnt care - they were all taking pictures and filming them.
After the show we went back to the classroom and had a little party with pizza and cupcakes (kids had mini-cupcakes so as to not send them into sugar rushes - nap time follows lunch and it may not have if they had been given normal-sized cupcakes, not to mention most just licked the icing and tossed the rest).
I discussed my potential days I could come in next year, got my stuff together, and it was time to go. They were all laying down for nap time and I was waving goodbye to them. As I was about to leave one boy, maybe my favorite in the class, asked me, "Are you leaving?" "Yes," I told him. He asked why and I said, "It's time for me to go home, buddy." He sat up in his cot and said in the most heart breaking voice, "but I'm going to miss you."
I can't explain how much it meant. Kids are brutally honest and sometimes it can catch you off gard and be a little harsh, but the reverse - the pure honesty in this situation, it's just awesome.
About 5 or 6 other kids chimed in with the same, and kept repeating it, mixing in "don't leave". The teacher actually had to tell them all to be quiet and go to sleep. I kinda felt bad for unintentionally getting them wound up, but not really - what a send off. I wish I didn't have to be away for a month.
Pictures of the Christmas Party at my apartment soon!
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