It's all about the socks

"What is wrong with your socks?"
"Do any of your socks match?"
"Your socks are not a pair."
"How very American."
"All Americans wear mismatched socks."

The last one was one therapist who'd seen my socks before explaining to another who hadn't. I've heard them all. The staff here are baffled by my mismatched socks. To be fair, staff at BFA were too when they discovered my habit. My first staff event led to a colleague asking me whether my mismatched socks were due to jet lag or not having unpacked yet. I sheepishly admitted it was a semi-conscious decision. Years ago I let a teenager convince me it saves time folding laundry. This is the same girl who convinced me SuperWhoLock was a good idea. I stand by my life choices - as does she who recently painted a Captain America shield on her car. But I digress.

Those who know me well are aware I'm not easily swayed by peer pressure, yet loads of my life decisions are formed by teenagers. I left the country because of a hyperbolic statement by one kid who graduated high school this weekend - okay, as I explained to her and her friends, she was just a catalyst.

The mismatched socks have become part of my personality, and I'm not ashamed of it. I'm also not ashamed that it came from a teenager's influence. To those of you who think teenagers don't have good ideas, stop looking down on teenagers. They are brilliant, hilarious, insightful, and passionate.

And I miss my kids a lot.

Really, I miss them more than words can express, and I see reminders of them everywhere, including whenever I take my shoes off and see my mismatched socks. I had a lot of time to rest this weekend and anticipate getting back into my classroom. I'm still pretty nervous about a lot of things related to my transition, and I still covet your prayers for my reentry into daily life in Kandern, but what gets me out of bed here each morning is knowing that not too long from now I'll be able to be with my students again. These kids are incredible, and I love them so much. Each morning when I put on my mismatched socks, I think about how excited I am to return to the classroom and learn with my students. I'm so grateful for the increase in strength and energy I've had in the last few days, and I hope my stamina stays high as I enter into another week of hard work practicing standing and balance. These are the critical skills I need to develop before I leave rehab - as well as learning to step up small stairs. Please keep these things in your prayers.