A Lesson of Hope

I've been using the book, The Mysterious Journey of Edward Tulane to teach reading comprehension and delve into deeper thinking about fictional characters.  This is a rich book.  Reading it is like eating a gourmet meal; I am so excited about all the courses, but I take my time with each chapter, wanting to savor every bite.

Yesterday, a boy who is often in trouble for silly or off-task behavior, shared his thoughts on lessons learned from this book.  My very, very....very chatty class was silent for a full minute, just staring at him.  Then, they broke into applause.  His words are so beautiful.

They mean more if you've read the book, but I think anyone can be blessed by his insight.  What an amazing kid.

When Edward had some hard times, I learned that your life is not going to be perfect.  You're going to have some hard times.  It will be rocky.  Life shouldn't be easy, so just hope.  Hope for the ones you love, hope for the ones who love you.