[4/7/2003 8:42:03 PM | Sarah

Children who have been molested. A student who lost both parents in a freak automobile accident. A colleague whose parent was just diagnosed with cancer. Students lying to parents, skipping out, making up bold faced lies and dragging me into a familial mess of monumental proportions. The need, the emotions, so many of them ugly. Where were my defences? What is happening? By lunchtime I was on a very thin thread.

This has been a bad, sad day. I need ..... I need what is beyond my reach right now. So, I need to reach into myself, close ranks around my emotions so they do not completely unravel.

I ache when they ache. My heart hurts for them. This is why I had to leave the last inner city school I was at. There were too many days when I could not shut out all the bad, keep all the ugly thoughts, images, and feelings at bay. Today was one of those days.