A Very Satisfying Day

I'm listening to rain on the rooftop, and two of my three cats are edging ever closer to me, surreptitiously trying to get on the blanket or my legs without my noticing.  This is no mean feat for animals weighing 8 and 12 pounds, respectively.  However, Pearl, my largest and furriest cat, has powers of stealth that are inexplicable, so probably in a few minutes, there will be a giant pile of grey fur purring contentedly and weighing me down like a living boulder.  Let it be.  It's a good day for it.

Odd that today should be a day for any kind of contentment.  It's a Monday, and they are usually frightful with the ending of the leisure of a weekend and the return to activity in a regular week.  I think it was that it was such an unusual day, one that actually allowed me to get things done.

I stayed after school today until 6:45 and graded like a madwoman.  The papers have stacked up waist-high, and I needed to get some peace about that.  I graded something like twelve sets of papers today.  I still have several left to do, but this got it down to where one more afternoon of intensive work will get me caught up.  I want to leave for the break with everything graded and recorded.  I don't want anything hanging over me during the holiday, no guilt, no nagging worry about stuff in the workbag.

Another reason today was so nice, though, was because two of my wonderful former students dropped by.  I love it when the ones who are gone come back.  I didn't get to talk to either of them very much, which I regret.  I wanted to chat with them, but of course, it just wasn't possible.  Maybe another opportunity will arise.  One was on his way to a fabulous adventure and the other came by as my class was starting.  It was just so good to see them. 

I realized that I hadn't seen one of them for about five years.  He was in my very first AP class.  He's in graduate school now.  That part of it is somehow still messing with my mind.  How is it possible that anybody I taught is now in grad school?  Wait....doesn't that make me....um....old?  Well. Yes.  Yes, it does. 

But you know what?  That's perfectly fine.  I am content with it.  When these brilliant ones I am teaching come back to me as Dr. So-and-So, I'm going to just smile with tranquility.  It's all going to be good.  At least if I'm old, I will have something about which I can be happy.  They make me happy.  Knowing they're out there stretching those rainbow-hued wings, flying and soaring, becoming, that makes these worn old grey/black raven feathers of mine very satisfactory indeed.