All I have is a bandaid, and that won't fix a broken heart.
This is a line from one of my student's blogs. Feeling stuck and somewhat uninspired as a writer this evening, I turned to the wise words of my 8th graders.
I read through some of my students' blogs to find inspiration:
I read through some of my students' blogs to find inspiration:
Some beautifully captured the prison of a classroom in the days preceding spring break (hopefully not my classroom, but one never knows).
Some took me back in time with a fun concert review of a Cure cover band.
Some reported soccer losses.
Some wrote about yesterday's snow as "synchronized silver soldiers."
Some captured their love of ice cream in just three words.
Some wrote about their love of math in more than three words.
Some compared learning a new instrument to slow turtles.
Some complained of the time change and waking up in darkness (I totally get it).
Some described smelly moments.
Some worried for their brother and whether or not he would pass his driving test.
Some composed poems calling us to put down the pixels.
Some recited recipes and the silver lining in decaf sweet tea.
But it is, "All I have is a bandaid, and that won't fix my broken heart," that has continued to ping-pong around my head.
It's a sticky line for me today.
Maybe because I, too, enjoyed a good cry with my sisters this weekend. Maybe because I instantly saw myself staring out the window as my big brother buried his Great Dane, Jake, when I was in high school. Never before had I seen him cry so hard. It shattered us all to watch him with that shovel knowing full well he'd never be able to bury that pain.
Maybe that is the point. Maybe it isn't about hiding or burying the pain, but instead giving it a voice and letting the pain tell its own story. Maybe that is a reason we write.
Maybe that is the point. Maybe it isn't about hiding or burying the pain, but instead giving it a voice and letting the pain tell its own story. Maybe that is a reason we write.
At any rate, I'm so thankful for my student writers and all they inspire!
I will never forget soaking my blankie in tears with our big brother that day...I agree, pain does tell a story. And my favorite part is often the redemptive thread of what life teaches us in those moments. A sticky line I read a while ago is to be a student of suffering. Glad you got to be a student of your students this week through their writing.
ReplyDeleteWhat a powerful line! And while a bandaid doesn't fix a broken heart, it does let you know that someone sees your pain and wants to reach out to connect. So there is beauty and solace in that. The range of what your students write about is truly awe-inspiring to me. I love that you found your own slices in reading their slices.
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