It was recess and P, an exuberant first grader in a printed T-shirt, came barreling across the playground and threw herself against me for a hug. Her brother, C, was in my class last year, and that’s granted me premium hug-target status.
“Hi, my Positive Proton!” I said, reading her shirt’s inscription as I returned her hug. “How’s it going?”
“Good,” she said.
She stood by my side for a moment or two, joining my colleague, Haley, and I in surveying the playground.
Suddenly, P enthused, “It’s soooo exciting!”
Haley and I exchanged confused glances, and simultaneously looked around the playground trying to figure out what she was talking about.
“What’s exciting?” I finally asked.
“Is it recess?” Haley asked.
“No! C lost a tooth!” She was practically vibrating with excitement.
“Oh, that is exciting!”
“Yeah!” she replied.
We began to follow up with the essential tooth questions, “When did he lose it?” “Which one?” etc, but she interrupted us both and stated matter-of-factly, “Actually, it happened a long time ago.”
“Ooohhkay,” we responded, once again exchanging bemused glances.
Then P happily skipped off, whirling her way across the basketball court.
“And that,” stated Haley, “pretty much sums up conversations with first graders.”
Nix the comfort zone 
The words “Premium hug-target status” are now bouncing around, as I remember students in the past who surprised me with an unexpected hug.
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Don’t you just love when that love from a sibling conveys?! I love your description of this precious small moment at recess. And that t-shirt- “positive proton!”
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Ugh, it’s moments like this that I really miss teaching first grade! So precious.
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Molly, what a precious story. Thanks for sharing recess time.
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Haha! That is a cute story. I can concur with Haley’s summary of first grade conversations. I love her “positive proton” shirt and that you are a hug target now that her brother was in your class.
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Our grandson is a first grader and his sisters are 4.5 years old in preschool. As with most kids, they drop everything wherever they are move on to something else.
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