Happy Humpday Haiku #24

A Child's Affection, Served Two Ways

When they ask for hugs

Or when they place the palm of

Your hand on their cheeks.

When they want "high-fives"

And you see their clenched fist too

Late. They punch your balls.

            So there is a thing in Korea called "skinship" which roughly translates to any physical affectionate contact between two people. My students love it. I'm also positive they've never seen hairy arms like mine before because they like to pet it like its fur. Anyways, these kids are very affectionate. They love to hug, and high-fives are the equivalent of crack-cocaine to them. Watching their smiles grow bigger with each slap of the hand is priceless. I have witnessed one child, who at the beginning of the year came to school crying everyday and required her own care teacher to hold her hand all day, light up like it was her birthday when I told her to give me just one more high-five. My seven year olds keep taking my hands and placing them on their cheeks so I have their face in the palms of my hands. Others make an effort to sit in my lap when it is reading time. "Endearing" falls short.

            Then there are other children who take these measures to an exaggerated level and basically try to climb me like a tree. Which is fine for all of three seconds, until four students are hanging off of me and I risk falling on top of them. Then there are the students who have fallen in love with high-fives so much that they forget to unclench their fists and miss their target. Needless to say a child has brought me to my knees several times since my stay here. For better or worse.