What a hug and a smile are capable of.

As the children were being let out of their kindergarten class many of the children hugged their teacher, and she hugged them right back. She hugged them with a look on her face that said she cared for them. Not because they were assigned to her but because she understood who they were and respected them as individuals. She managed to give these genuine hugs while making sure they went off with the right adults and that the adults had the information that they needed. I was struck with the memory of my own kindergarten teacher. Thinking she would have never shown such demonstrative affection to us. I do not recall ever receiving one hug from her. I actually do not remember receiving a hug from any of my teachers. I remember I did have a few teacher that smiled with their eyes. Those were the ones I had respect for because I had the feeling of being notice-of being significant. I try to hug each child that greets me when I arrive to my shift at the childcare centre and if I can't hug them because they are across the room or just don't seem as they want a hug I smile at them with my whole self. I am as happy to see them as they are to see me. Watching the kindergarten teacher with her class reminded me just how important those connections are, even for the "big" kids.