Yesterday was kind of a crappy day for me. I'm not even sure why. I just woke up on the wrong side of the bed and no matter what I did (hang out in the sunshine with the baby!) or what I accomplished (made seitan from scratch!), I couldn't shake the totally bummed out feeling.
It got to the point where I went ahead and slept on the couch, just because I felt like I needed some space. Everything was making me grouchy, and I didn't want to give myself the chance to take it out on Paul. Because sometimes, I'm just that guy. I was getting more and more upset with myself because I couldn't figure out what was wrong, but I was still grumped out of my mind. Fortunately for me, I checked my email before I actually fell asleep.
Mixed in with the usual junk emails was a message from one of my former undergrad mock trial students. She had taken the time to write to me and update me on her law school application process. She recently made her final choice on which law school to attend (she had been accepted to multiple) and wanted to let me know. She also asked after my family and hoped all was well.
That email probably took her maybe 5 minutes to write, but it absolutely made my day. Aside from the fact that I am ridiculously proud of her for all that she has accomplished, and for choosing a great law school, it was the subtext involved in simply sending the email that really made me happy.
When you send an email like that, the information in the email is almost secondary. The act of sending it, of having someone reach out to me and letting me know how their life is going, is something that humbles me on a regular basis. The sender of that kind of email is saying that they miss you. They wish you were around so they could tell you this information in person. They are thankful to have had you in their life and want you to know what is going on, because you were a part of making it happen. They have just passed a super awesome and important milestone in their life, and you are a person that they thought of in that moment and wanted to talk to.
Seriously, that kind of connection is a precious thing. I got so happy when I read her email that I cried. I sometimes wonder how I got so lucky as to have amazing people like her in my life.
I haven't written her back yet. Mostly because I had to process the awesomeness that was her email before I could really formulate a response. I'm getting all teary eyed again just thinking about it.
This is why I like teaching. This is why I love coaching mock trial. This is why I will continue to do both those things any and every time I can.
Take care folks, and I'll write again soon.
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