my god he's beautiful

Today was just one of those rollercoaster rides. Although I slept a little too late, I was energetic and ready to tackle the day.

During the morning, I was a proctor for a Latin exam. It was for a group of students that I have a pretty good relationship with, ones that like to give me a hard time. It was a little challenging getting them to calm down, but once that bell rang, they were in full test mode. I walked around the room and noticed one of my closest students having an anxiety attack. I knew it, because that would have been me. I had SEVERE test anxiety as a kid. Luckily, my teachers noticed and I got help at an early age. This girl, however, has been pushed through one of the worst public school systems in the country, no one noticing that she needed help. I knelt down beside her and asked her if she was okay, and she immediatley burst into tears. "I studied for HOURS and I can't remember nothing!". I ignored her poor English and tried to calm her down "Take a few deep breaths and focus on relaxing before you look at the test. You know this. You got this. Just breathe. Push the nerves away". I sat down and prayed for her....but everytime I looked up, she was CLEARLY in distress. She even began pulling her hair out. I knelt down beside her again, took her hand, and said "breathe. I know your nervous, but you worked hard for this. Do you think it would help if you took these tests one on one?" She nodded and cried some more. God, did I feel for her. I wanted to cry with her...I wanted to give her the answers. I know what that's like. It's one of the most frustrating feelings in the world, and one of the hardest aspects of anxiety as a kid. There's already pressure for tests and exams, but when you have an anxiety disorder on top of that, it's nearly impossible to concentrate and to breathe. I talked to a few teachers about it and I am going to be doing some one on one test anxiety counseling with her. I think she's also going to be doing one on one testing, instead of with all her classmates...because once they caught on to what was happening, she was even more nervous.

It's things like this that make me SO happy to be where I am. Although I will NEVER know the full reality of the lives these kids live, I can relate to them on some aspects, I can teach them. I can tell them the mistakes I made or the lessons I learned and hope that it touches them in some way. I won't ever know if I made any difference on them, but trying my hardest makes my heart happy.

Dave and I watched "Funny People" this afternoon. Good movie...very good movie. I can't say much without giving things away (you really should watch it), but my two favorite quotes were

"Don't let things slip away. When you love someone, don't let them slip away"

and

"Get back to your life".

I mean really. It's that simple. If someone means that much to you, don't let them slip away. Things may change in your relationship with them, but there's a reason they are there. Hold on tight to the people that care.

The second quote piggy backs off my blog a few nights ago. Something knocks you down, you learn, you get back up and live your life.

day 21 → a recipe
Chicken Parmesan :) yummm
4 boneless chicken breasts
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
seasoned bread crumbs
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
8 slices mozzarella cheese, or more
1 jar (16 oz) spaghetti sauce
Parmesan cheese
Preparation: Whisk together the egg and milk. Dip the chicken breasts in milk and egg mixture and then in bread crumbs. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken in the hot oil on both sides until golden, about 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Set chicken in a baking dish.
Slice 8 pieces of mozzarella cheese and put two on each chicken breast. Pour 1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce over all. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and a little more mozzarella and bake at 350° for about 25 to 30 minutes. Serve with Spaghetti.

Listening To: "I'd Lie"- Taylor Swift