Wicked
As I was leaving the school building for my one lunch break every other Wednesday (no... that is not funny!) I saw the parent who had a "meltdown" as I like to call it in my classroom a few weeks ago. I suddenly started humming..."If I Only had a Heart" from the Wizard of Oz. I found it odd that the song so quickly and firmly got itself stuck in my head. On the heels of the song I had a sudden epiphany. I have always fancied myself the Alice-in-Wonderland or Dorothy-of-Oz-type...I think I was born singing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," wishing on stars, and dreaming of other worlds. And now I saw so very plainly the striking resemblance of this parent to the Wicked Witch of the West. I snickered slightly to myself and wickedly stole a glance over my shoulder at her. To my utter horror my glance revealed the accuracy of my epiphany and took it a step further. I tell you that her laugh resembles the exact cackle that haunts innocent dreamers in their darkest of nightmares. So beware. These wicked thoughts are tempting.
. But as amusing as I found this comparison I decidedly banished the thought from my head. There is no way that I can be an effective communicator with this woman, let alone a Godly example to her child, if I am to view her as anything but a child made in the image of God. As I climbed into my car I bowed my head to pray for forgiveness. I still giggle at the thought of it. But maybe that is what God wanted in the first place, I needed a reason to smile at her. Now I have one, born out of my own silliness, and not feelings of anger or frustration. Now it is simply an amusing memory and one that causes me to smile and nod and try my best to love her just as I am called to do...that is after all why I am here. So now I can whistle to the tune of "Ding-Dong! The Witch is Dead!" because to me she is no longer a witch, I guess I got that heart that I was wishing for.
posted by Trisha @ 6:23 PM
