Notes from Public School - Day 66

I’m late for the Ted Lasso train.

As a matter of fact, I haven’t even bought the Ted Lasso train ticket yet.

But I will.

From the bits and pieces I’ve watched on YouTube, I can tell that it’s a Trevor kind of show.

I’m kind of like Ted Lasso.

Humbly and honorably so.

I’m an eternal optimist.

(I’m a Chicago Cubs fan, for heavens sake. That should tell you a lot about me.)

I try to see the good, even in the bad.

I try to see the belief, even in the fear.

I try to see the hope, even in the despair.

(And I hope others try to see those things in me in my own foibles, failures and tomfoolery.)

So even though I’ve never watched a complete episode of Ted Lasso, I have looked up his best quotes from the series.

I did this last night at 3:30 AM as I was waiting for the magic time of 4:02 AM, which was the peak of the beautiful, ingenious, wonderful eclipse the sun, moon and earth put on for us in the skies of South Carolina.

I found my favorite Ted Lasso quote in those quiet moments.

Here it is.

“I believe in hope. I believe in BELIEVE.”

Why is this my favorite Ted Lesso quote?

Well, the answer partly lies in one of my students.

Cintia.

Over half of my class this year is from Mexico, Central America and South America.

Let the record show…I LOVE each and every one of them.

Some of them have walked from the ends of the earth to make it into my classroom.

I would walk to the ends of the earth and back for them.

Truthfully, I’d do that for all of the students in my care.

But especially for them.

I know many of them have come nose to nose and heart to heart with economic devastation, war, sickness, xenophobia.

I know many of them have been hurt.

I know many of them are still hurting.

I know because I look closely and see them.

I know because I listen carefully and hear them.

I know.

And because I know, I’ll move heaven and earth to ease their pain, lighten their load, make life a little easier for them, help them take small steps to become all they want to be and do all they want to do in our world.

But, do you know what? (And I write this with tears in my eyes.)

These beautiful, ingenious, wonderful, courageous students who have so LITTLE give so MUCH.

Which brings me back to Cintia.

First thing this morning, she hugged me around my shoulder, looked up into my eyes, and held out her hand to me.

“Mr. Barton,” she said with a smile, a sonrisa, a sunrise kind of smile, “I know you love to write. So my mamí and I got this for you.”

She handed me the greatest gift a writer can get.

A notebook.

A pen.

Things so little.

Things so much.

Her Mom works 2 jobs to make ends meet.

They could have spent the money for my notebook and pen on food, rent, clothing, medicine.

But they spent it on me.

They gave me a gift.

They are a gift.

 

To me.

To the world.

Which brings me back to Ted Lasso.

I believe in hope, too, Ted. I believe in BELIEVE.

All because of Cintia and her family.

All because of days in public school.