This week’s giveaway was a special one. I let my daughter pick the “who” this week, and I wasn’t a bit surprised she chose her teacher. She was so excited to head off to school this morning with the bread safely wrapped and packed in her backpack. My daughter, this amazing ray of sunshine (with definite clouds sometimes people), has had a love affair with her teachers from kindergarten on. My daughter has BIG feelings. And her teachers, the wonderful people who have spent countless hours with her have been the recipient of her big feels over the years. Witness, kindergarten, she hugged her teacher. Every. Single. Day. upon pick up. I thought, what a darling thing for a kindergartener. 1st grade: Same. 2nd grade: Same. Now we are in 3rd grade, and I don’t get to see the exchange at pick up due to bus riding, but I am guessing every day she is hugging this teacher too. Bless these teachers!

I think it is a part of my daughter’s DNA to express her love and affection so joyously and unashamedly, without a trace of self-consciousness. It has never occurred to her that she is “too old” now to be hugging her teachers. To her, it is completely natural to express her emotions as she feels them. Now, don’t get me wrong, sometimes this tendency drives me absolutely crazy.   I don’t always love going along with her roller-coaster emotions, but I am in awe of her innocent expressions of love. And here is the remarkable (and at the same time completely natural) thing about my daughter hugging her teachers. Every single one of them has hugged her back each time.  I think teachers have a knack for knowing what their student’s need, but I also think that when confronted with such obvious, demonstrated, affection and love, it is very hard to turn away. It is pure and sincere, and it is completely heartwarming for both the giver and the receiver. The world needs more of all of the above.

I know that as time goes on, the world will teach my daughter to hold her emotions a little closer to the vest and to not express herself so readily. And, when I think about how she will likely learn those lessons, my heart breaks a little at the pain that I know is coming. But because of this inevitability, I am more resolved than ever that I want to show her that that same joy and sincerity she now easily expresses can survive and thrive into adulthood. I want to channel her as I dive into this project of mine.  Why wouldn’t everyone want to enthusiastically express love for our fellow humans with hugs, or in the case of my love language, baked goods? One should never outgrow loving on others, no matter what the world says.

So, thank you Ms. K. This week you not only continued your amazing love and nurturing of my daughter, but you also helped my daughter teach me a valuable lesson as well.  And I hope you liked our brioche.