The Stuff of Small Moments

Yesterday was the last day of school. I got this beautiful portrait from my former student Abby, whom I taught two years ago when she was in third grade; she is now a rising 6th grader. The portrait has been months in the making. This picture does not do it justice. Abby consulted with friends to get the right skin color, she practiced through many sample sketches and even watched the intro video about my book to get the details of my dress down. It warmed my heart to see how much she has grown from the shy artist she was. I feel so fortunate that Abby wandered into my class often this year to ask me about my book. She always had wonderful words of encouragement to keep me going.

It's humbling when a child keeps wanting to connect. What a privilege that is! Abby reminds me of the tremendous responsibility we have as teachers. For the better part of the year, we spend more time with our students than they do with their families. Everything we do, say, and how we act has the potential to build them up. I try to remember this every morning before I step into the classroom to start the day.

My work revising the manuscript for my book, Born at the End of the World, has been slow going over the last few weeks. I have been full on with my class of twenty-two, wrapping up the year and getting them ready for 6th grade. I put the manuscript aside to focus on my students as they prepare to step into the next chapter of their lives. It has been worth every minute!

Now that we've sent them off with a beautiful promotion ceremony and many emotional speeches, I am eager to return to revisions. I look forward to the stretch of summer break to dive in deep and work with my editor and beta readers to get this book to be the best it can be.

In my previous post, I likened writing a book to building a house. We are now at the finishes stage. My fellow HGTV fans will know that this final stage is all about details and it makes all the difference. The next sixteen weeks will be all about moulding my manuscript into a seamless tale from beginning to end. I can't wait for you to read it!

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