Crystal E. Wilson, GPC Student

A Cold and Stormy Day

I was drowning in an enormous sea of endless options and choking on the complexity of life. I was a promising eighteen-year-old, fresh out of high school, and lacking goals for my future. Uncertainty and confusion clouded my thoughts, making it impossible for me to choose a proper path in life. One significant event changed my life of dreary hopelessness into a world of ambitious dreams and tangible goals. I discovered myself and the life I was to lead on the day I began working at the daycare center. I would never again doubt my security or my purpose in life.

I vividly remember the day my future became bright. It was a bitter cold fall day and the dark skies threatened stormy weather. I was full of excitement and butterflies fluttered in my stomach; it was my first day as a toddler teacher. I rushed into the center to escape the frigid winds that the storm had brewed. As I opened the door, I could immediately hear countless voices of young children joyfully playing. The overwhelming smell of fresh popped popcorn filled my nostrils and my empty stomach growled longing for a taste. My new boss was awkwardly seated behind a small desk busily typing away on an old computer oblivious to my presence. I greeted her cordially and she immediately took me to my toddler room to begin work.

Upon entering the small room, I caught a pungent whiff of stinky dirty diapers and the faint chemical smell of cleaning solutions. Half a dozen tiny smiling faces greeted me at the door staring at me intently with great curiosity. I knelt down to their height to introduce myself as ‘Ms. Crystal’, their new teacher. Several of the braver children began poking and prodding me, it was as if I was an exciting new toy that must be thoroughly examined before accepted. My plump, elderly boss gave me a quick tour of the tiny, pleasant room before she hurriedly exited leaving me alone with my small class of six.

An hour progressed smoothly without incident and I began to familiarize myself with my small group of oversized babies. All seven of us sat huddled on the large blue carpet while I began to emphatically narrate Dr. Suess’s, Foot Book. Suddenly, a large bright bolt of lighting illuminated the dark sky and it was followed by a loud crack of thunder that rattled the walls. All six toddlers began howling in unison fearful of the huge storm that was rapidly approaching. I jumped up frantically looking around the colorful playroom trying desperately to find something to calm their fears. As the great storm relentlessly continued, so did the screaming cries of the small children.

Everything became very clear all at once and I had a solid plan to quiet the toddlers’ fears. I leaped towards the biggest table in the room and started dragging it toward the center of the large carpet. I could already feel the room growing less tense as their attention was directed away from the loud storm and onto me. Next, I grabbed a large blanket from underneath the counter and threw it up high in the air bringing it down on top of the small table. The dark blue blanket had created exactly the effect I had wanted and the table became a makeshift tent. I hustled all the children under the table, where they stopped crying and were now looking out their tear stained faces with excitement. Once we were in our fortress, all of us piled on top of each other and I loudly began singing every nursery rhyme I knew and the children clumsily sung along.

After an hour of singing, giggling, and playing I peaked out from under the blanket to see that the worst of the storm had passed. I pulled the stuffy blanket off the table. The children gracelessly bolted around the room releasing the excess energy they had bottled up from sitting still for too long. They had long since forgotten about the storm and were all contently playing with toys by themselves. I slowly looked around the room remembering the crisis the storm had caused and my quick thinking that had stopped the chaos. It was my innovative idea and clear minded thinking that had quieted the distressed toddlers.

That stormy day at the daycare helped me to discover what path I must lead and what I was to do with my life. For the first time in my life, I felt completely content and secure in my surroundings. As I stared at the small children I had rescued from the horror of the horrendous storm, my future goals instantly became apparent. I must work with children in order to be happy in life. This life changing experience was exactly what I needed in order to learn what direction I must take. Without it, I might still be lost running in circles never knowing what path to choose. I am now in college learning as much as I can about children so my future will be full of enjoyable stormy days.