November 17:
Today in class, Lily randomly told me that she loved me and then asked me how to spell 'I love you.' I explained to the other kids what that meant, and Mark patted my arm to get my attention. He pointed to little Sarah and said, "Teacher, I love Sarah." Then he gently touched her nose. "Teacher, I love Sarah's nose." Sarah looked as surprised as I did to hear him say this, but she beamed and giggled. It was easily the cutest thing ever in the history of cute.
Love must be in the air, actually, because during Opening class Mike and Stephen practically kissed. They turned toward each other and leaned in until their noses were touching—it wasn’t menacing or confrontational, but awkwardly romantic. Cami and I gasped in disbelief. Then in class, Mark wanted Stephen to sit beside him. It was…strange. They’re only seven, too!
Again speaking of romance and love, I sent my last class away but Jack was hesitant to leave. He stood beside me and opened his arms for a hug, and I obliged him. He gave me a lingering kiss on the cheek, too; when he pulled away, he smiled sweetly. What a freaking heartbreaker! I wonder if I’ve started a tradition by asking him for that hug a couple days ago.
Truthfully, it’s one of the best traditions I’ve ever instigated.
We suspect that Tom has autism, due to several signs he exhibits regularly--one of which is his aversion to human-to-human contact: he doesn't seem to know how to react when touched/grabbed/hugged. I love to tease my kids and ruffle their hair, but he has always freaked out when I do this to him so I stopped. However, I was taking pictures with all my students and when it came to be Tom's turn, he surprised me by throwing his arm around my neck, pressing his cheek to mine, and squeezing me tight. Needless to say, I melted in his arms.
Again, I thank all of you who read these emails and support me in my endeavors in China. I appreciate and love you all. I would love to hear from any of you!
Always,
瑞 婷
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