Ten Things

I've been assigned the letter S by Semicolon. I'm supposed to tell you ten things I love that begin with that letter.

S-people. This is cheating, I guess, but there are several people in my family whose names start with S. I love them, but I don't want to write their names here. They know who they are!

Siblings. I have two. They are great. There's nobody else in the world who shares exactly the same memories, so even though now the three of us live in three separate countries, I still feel very close to them.

Saints. I use that term in the Protestant sense - that is, not just people who have been through a process to be named saints, but all believers. They are role-models, and intercessors, and encouragers. They are the "great cloud of witnesses," both those still living and those who have died.

Smiles. There's nothing like a friendly smile to make you feel at ease. I'm not one of those teachers that doesn't smile until November. I think kids need to know you're on their side. OK, so I don't have a reputation of ferocity, and sometimes I'd like to, but in all I prefer things the way I do them!

Stories. I was looking for a way to include "books" and my daughter suggested this. I can't imagine life without reading. I also love listening to my friends' stories and sharing mine with them.

Seashells. I love going to the beach and I love living in a tropical country where that can happen all year round! We usually bring back seashells as souvenirs, and we have baskets of them here and there.

School. Most of my life has been organized by the academic year, as I've either been a student or a teacher - or both. I love learning and I hope never to stop.

Safaris. I love to travel and to learn about other cultures and ways of living. I also love to study new languages. "Safari" is the Swahili word for "journey."

Singing. I love music. I love to sing silly songs, lullabies to my children, praise to God.

Sushi. I love all different kinds of foods, but sushi starts with S, so that's the one I'll pick! It is one of my favorites. I love all the different varieties of fish, I love how beautifully presented it is, and I love the way wasabi blows off the top of your head! (Just like Emily Dickinson said about poetry, which is another thing I love.)

If anybody wants to continue this, let me know and I'll assign you a letter!