Just Magical

I know I am going to sound ridiculously cheesy describing it this way, but our school's first prom was absolutely magical. I now understand why parents cry at every major event in their child's life. I held back tears more than once on Friday. If you could have seen the students! Almost all of them came in dressed up, girls in dresses and guys in dress shirts and ties. It was just beautiful. They may not have completely understood this whole idea of a prom, but they did understand that they were a part of something special.

The day started with what you would typically expect on prom day...waiting for the girls to arrive :) Once the ladies made their entrance, boutonnieres were pinned on, corsages placed around wrists, and we were ready to go. The rest of the school lined the halls cheering on all of our high schoolers as they made their way to prom. Talk about a proud moment! I was not the only one with tears in my eyes. The rest of the day was spent taking pictures, eating some amazing food, dancing the afternoon away, and the crowning of our prom king and queen. 

Days like this remind me how much I absolutely love my job. The day wasn't about their disabilities or limitations. It was about enjoying the high school experience, about getting dressed up and feeling special, smiling from ear to ear, stuffing our faces with delicious food, and dancing like no one is watching. This experience gave me the chance to take a step back and look at what really is important in life. It's so easy to let all the paperwork consume me at work. At the end of the day, what matters is that I give my students the best version of my self every day. It is my job to be an advocate for them, push them to their fullest potential, and most importantly bring a smile to their faces every day. Knowing that the work we put into this prom gave our students a very special day just makes it all worthwhile. 

Unfortunately I can't share any pictures of my students, but trust me- they looked amazing and would bring a smile to your face instantly! The best I can do is a picture of the gym all decked out. By the way, this picture doesn't do it justice. It looked pretty amazing, for a gym at least.