Okay, well, a thing … or one thing.

People. People look up to me.

Holy shit. Deep breath. I spoke the forbidden words. Because honestly, I haven’t wanted to face this little big Truth.

But it’s kinda sorta fact around these parts. It’s what happens when you teach and for some crazy and bizarre reason, your students actually like you and think you’re a {somewhat} decent teacher.

I’m perpetually mystified by both.

When you know you are being watched day in and day out by that many People … well, geez! That’s a lot of pressure! And I don’t do well with pressure.

This means that I’ve had to learn how to let myself off the hook.

In short, this means I show my human-y real side. Pretty much at all times in the classroom. I just simply cannot be an all business Teacher. At any point. It’s not me.

I want them to know that I feel the same way they do. Yes, I am tired, stressed and worried, too. And yes, some days, it takes every single thing I have in me to get my ass out of bed, get dressed and get out the door.

But I do it and I show up.

I try to tell them that all we have to do in life is show up. We don’t have to show up looking put together and perfect. We come as we are and we give it our best shot.

Sometimes our best shot is a pretty half assed shot. But it’s okay, because there’s tomorrow.

I tell them not to stress. A test is just a test. It’s not what is important in Life. And if they do really bad, come see me. Let’s figure something else out that they can do. I really loathe our current system of assigning letter grades.

I tell them to breathe more and be more. Let’s all be present with each other.

Let’s all figure out Life together — because, news flash, just because I’m an adult does not mean I have it figured out. We’re all in this together.

I try to tell them that what they’ll remember — truly remember — is not who won what or who looked the best — it’ll be those moments of feeling that they’ll take with them wherever they go.

Which is why we owe it to one another to be the best of who we are. At all times.