Schedule

The next year of my life depended on the paper about to be passed to me. Change had been stalking me for the previous 24 hours, screeching threats at me in a hoarse voice, warning me that happiness only existed in sunshine and that I ought to prepare myself for my crash landing back into reality. Fall hasn't favored me in nearly a decade, Change reminded me, and to think this autumn would be any different was to be fooling myself.

But a little sentence from above suddenly stripped Change of his menacing charade:

"The universe is conspiring in your favor."

In that split second, the room froze and the epiphany wiped away all my powerlessness and fear... It wasn't the paper that would determine my happiness; it was me.

Change, now looking as innocent as a porcelain doll, grinned and whispered in my ear, "You passed." My director handed me the paper and I turned it over slowly. When I saw my schedule, filled with 4's, 5's and 6's, I let out a small gasp. Teaching 4th, 5th and mostly 6th graders had been my dream schedule ever since I'd first stopped to think about it the week after my birthday. And here, six months later, was my dream schedule smiling up at me.

"Thank you!" I squealed at my coordinator, almost hugging him. "Thank you thank you thank you!" He chuckled, confused. I looked up at the ceiling, then, and whispered it once more: "Thank you."

Change winked and Conor waved, but Serendipity just giggled, gently denying responsibility.

My awe melted into an acute awareness of the power of a spirit's mindful happiness and gratitude turned contagious as I walked into my first classroom of the year. The teachers greeted me warmly and the students waved to me, eyes wide with excitement.