A Sign.

Some time before Christmas, I was sitting in the living room of my parents house with some of my best friends. We were musing about what the new year might bring, and sort of laughing about the fact that most of us had had pretty crappy 2012s, or, at the very least, ends of 2012s. I think we all were hoping for some kind of magical sign to tell us that we were on the right track. And a few days later, after I had returned to New York, that is exactly what happened to me.

This is the story of how I knew that 2013 would be a good year, and that the choices I've made for the future are the right ones.

Picture it: Bistro Nora. December 31, 2012. I am a total grouch. I was told that we would close early because the restaurant is not exactly a New Year's destination. Turns out: it was more of a destination than we had planned, and I wasn't going anywhere. Cue the pity party.

It was then that a family walked in. I won't say much about them aside from the fact that they come in fairly often and that they have two children- a daughter and a non-verbal son who usually sits in a high chair and doesn't do much in the way of communication.

I went over- could I interest Mom and Dad in a little champagne? Why sure! And then, this little boy grabbed my hand.
“Oh honey, don't..” his mother protested from across the table.
He gave my hand a kiss.
“Oh, I'm sorry!”
“It's okay!” I knelt down so that I was eye level with the child. He still held my hand. And then he wrapped his arms around my neck and gave me the most wonderful hug- and kissed my cheek too.
“Oh- my gosh!!” his mother looked surprised, but in a good way, “he- he never does that with strangers!”

I knew in that moment that my grad school decision was the right one. I've got to work with children. I like them, they like me, and I cannot begin to express the joy that I felt when this little boy squeezed me into his chest. After a brief conversation about my future plans- Mom thought I would be a great teacher- I had such enthusiasm, she said- I walked back into the coffee station and wiped the happy tears off my face. I am so, SO glad that I had to work on New Year's Eve. The goals for the future that I was still getting used to were reaffirmed by an awesome little guy and his mother.


And I knew that 2013 would be good.


And yeah, I know that this is a little late, but I just found it yesterday- so let's just apply it to the REST of 2013...