Comfort and Joy

Well, here we are at the beginning of Winter Break. I'm fully prepared to enjoy it as much as possible. My grand and glorious plan to have CLAD done before break didn't quite work out. But you know, had I actually given myself two full weeks of nothing to do, I would have evolved into a video game/ daytime television degenerate. As appealing as it may sound, you start to ponder the meaning of your existence after a few days.

As much as I like caroling, I'm glad the season is over. Especially when the end of the run marked the beginning of the realization that this year's senior class needs to go. It always comes with a little disappointment... and make no mistake... it does inevitably come: students who were once your best and most dedicated suddenly become self absorbed and no longer pull for the good of the group. Our last caroling event of the year... the annual party that happens on the last day of school before break. We meet at one of the students houses for food and drink... then walk around the neighborhood singing to anyone who will hear. This year we sang one or two sets, then a bout a third of the party decided to "go do their own thing" and split off from the main group without saying anything to me. When we caught up with them they said "Oh we lost track of you guys, we didn't know where you went" (using the crowded boardwalk as an excuse). One of my not-so-falky seniors whispered to me under her breath- "Thats BS, they asked me if I wanted to go with them." Later when they rejoined us, the same group of seniors started screwing around while they were singing, and failed to notice that they were phasing out of time with the rest of the group. *sigh*

Unfortunately I'm talking about three out of my four section leaders.... Yeah, it's time.

But before I brood too much about that, let me tell you about this morning:

One of my more dedicated seniors and I took the time to visit a student who had gone to the hospital with a collapsed lung. Unfortunately, he missed both the recent concert and the caroling party. We brought him some goodies, including cards signed by the music classes that he is enrolled in. We happened to catch him when his parents were there; they were impressed that I would come to see him. He seemed to be doing well, although the corrective surgery left him in a bit of pain. His spirits were pretty good, all things considered (He was asleep when we walked in, the first thing he said when he woke up was "I was dreaming that I was eating Chinese food")

On the white board next to his bed was written the details of his care: who the managing doctor was, the nurse, the anesthesiologist... and a space at the bottom labeled "Today's goals" under which a single word: "Comfort" was written. I grabbed the dry erase pen and added "and Joy"
This made him laugh.. which I immediately regretted since it also inspired a small coughing fit. Nonetheless, he kept smiling, and his mother gave me a hug before we left.