Breanna of Honduras

Serendipity. 

Genius. 

Simple.

Beauty.

Plain.

Wonder.

Ordinary.

Kindness.

These are my eight favorite words.

I chose eight words because the number 8 is the symbol for infinity standing up big and tall.

They are my infinity words.

This afternoon, I’m thinking about these words because they describe a person, a moment and a gift.

The person is one of my students. 

She is from Honduras. 

She is nine years old. 

She speaks Spanish at home and English at school.

She works infinity times harder than her peers.

After 109 days of being her teacher, I know her life makes the world a more beautiful and wonderful place.

I know she is kind.

The serendipity for me today was learning that she is a kind genius.

And that takes me to a moment.

First thing this morning, at 7:45 a.m., she simply appeared at my classroom door with a twinkle in her eyes and a smile on her face that brightened my classroom and lightened my heart.

“Mr. Barton,” she said, “I painted this for you.”

She held up a small, plain canvas.

And that brings me to the gift.

Look at the painting.

Look at her use of the color blue.

See the genius.

See the beauty.

See the wonder.

See the kindness.

Know the serendipity that I found on an early morning on an ordinary day in public school.

Simply see and simply know.