At this point in the school year the morning routine is the same and my class knows it very well. Unpack in the hall. Lunch in the bin. Sign up for lunch. Read the morning message. Begin morning work of your choice. I watch it over and over again.
Today though I notice T rush in the classroom and go right to the lunch count. He looks at the choices and cringes. He puts two hands on his head and says “Oh no! Man!”
I go over thinking he forgot his lunch, or that he doesn’t like any of the choices and is going to need help navigating what to do. Instead he tells me “Hot Dogs! Today’s choice is hot dogs! They are my favorite!”
I can hear the “but…” before he says it.
“But I gave them up for Lent.” he says. Then after a pause he adds quietly, “at least it’s the only time they are being served this month.”
I smile knowing how hard giving something up can be, especially at such a young age and say “I know what you mean. I used to give up ice cream when I was little. It was so hard. This year…I’m making my bed.” He laughed and carried on this his morning routine.
Standing Tall 
What a sweet slice! You captured the rush and then the sudden stop of T when he realizes he can’t have, won’t have, his favorite! This line is brilliantly placed “I can hear the “but…” before he says it” – thanks for sharing!
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I love the way you describe him. So perfect! I remember being that little Catholic kid. My friends and I kept pretty strictly to “no meat on Fridays in Lent,” and our cafeteria ALWAYS served pepperoni pizza on Fridays. It was a struggle. Your slice took me straight back to that feeling.
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Today in third grade we talked about how you can learn a lot about a person by the way they react to a problem. This student’s reaction says a lot about him. He was disappointed but quickly found the silver lining- just in the menu once.
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