Celebrating Innocence

Beth's teacher has been away the last couple of days, another victim of winter flu.

"We had a replacement teacher today; Miss Holmes has a croaky voice," announced Beth on Friday.

I smiled at the adjective.

"It's not funny," Beth admonished.

She is very serious sometimes.

Today, Miss Holmes was back in her usual spot, facing the growing line of Preppies.

"Miss Holmes, Miss Holmes!" cried the children gleefully, and a few of them ran forward and threw themselves around her.

It was so beautiful to see that warm connection between children and teacher, that unrestrained passion and innocence that the very young have - and gradually lose, as self-consciousness, peer influence and the complications of growing up set in.