...I was a special ed teacher. I have been away from the classroom since June, and every time I see my colleagues, at least one person says I look "incredibly rested". That's great, but tells me that I must have looked incredibly unrested for quite some time before my well-planned exit. I don't like that.

My (former) co-workers live in a land of continuous stress, without the opportunity to see much result. When you work with autistic children, drug-affected kids, kindergartners who throw chairs, and small people who have been abused, your day often consists of trying to create and follow a behavioral plan that keeps everyone safe. You wonder when the child will be available enough emotionally to learn. You never know, even years later, if what you did helped or hindered in the overall scheme of things.

In massage, people get a blissful look on their faces, and you know right away, that at least in that moment, you have accomplished something.