This morning Heather and I met up and headed to Columbine Christian School. It is a small school, bubbling with energy, enthusiasm and joy. The students were so energetic, lively and hilarious to be around. Friday is their Chapel day, so after singing along with some fun songs, Heather and I went up to talk to the kiddos about camp. We planned to show a video and hand out candy, but the projector was broken, and we forgot about the candy. But we didn't let the chaos stop us from talking about the summer camp we share a passion for. It was a morning full of spontaneity, and we made it work. After leaving some brochures for the kids, we headed downtown to talk about nalgene designs, the Sonlight Pulse, staff hiring, Sonlight store merchandise, and this summer over blueberry pancakes. Previous to the Columbine Christian visit, I was talking with Rachael about our internships. All day I have been thinking about this conversation, awe-struck by such an amazing opportunity. I have been overwhelmed by how each of my peers and I have found the place where our puzzle piece fits, the thing that makes us come alive. I am a different person than when I started my internship. These first two weeks have gone by so quickly, and I have made so much growth. I find myself lost for words when I try and tell people about how much I love my internship. And so at a loss for words, I try to express my excitement for this discovery of where I belong. I belong with kids. I am passionate about being with them, teaching them, laughing with them, and loving them. My goal is to not let this passion stop when I am outside of my internship, but let this newly found love infuse itself into each moment. I work at a restaurant, and so tonight I talked to a lot of the little kids who came in. I told one sweet little girl about how cool I thought her unicorn was and she came up and gave me a big hug. Another little girl who I waved at and talked to in bits and pieces throughout the night started blowing me kisses as she walked out of the door. She didn't let her inability to speak more than a few words stop her from expressing a raw, simplistic, childish form of gratitude and love. These little girls made me realize that what I may lack in age or words, I can express in an undignified bright energy that comes from being passionate about working with kids. This energy shines.
I won't stop shining.
I won't stop shining.
