On Saturday morning I visited a colleague’s home. He lives just a short distance away on a nice piece of property. He’s worked hard over the years building a pleasant garden, planting flowers, repairing a chicken coop, updating his small, vintage home. He has the kind of property that can seem idyllic. Lots of space, nice tall trees to provide shade in the summer, but still some room for a sunny patch to grow vegetables, herbs, and roaming strawberries. He rescues plants his mom is ready to cast off. His dog roams the property looking for good places to roll around. And then, there are the chickens. Until recently, he had six or eight. But something was able to chew through the wire screening one night and feasted on many; leaving only two hens for my friend to care for. They are something to behold and seem to come from a storybook. They are what you see in your mind’s eye when you think of chickens: snowy white feathers and regal red combs. While I was there, one of them laid an egg and my friend rinsed it off and let me bring it home.

It’s one thing to get to know a coworker within the confines of your workspace. In our case, as teachers, we see each other’s personalities reflected in our classrooms, how we relate to each other, how we interact with the kids we teach. But to see a teammate in their own home can be more revealing. This is the space they chose and each chair, wall color, appliance has a story behind it. I’ll admit I was curious about where my colleague called home. I know him to be a talented teacher, a strong member of our teaching team, well-liked by our school staff because, in part, of his positive nature. But I wondered about his own personal space and what it would reveal about him. Reflecting on my Saturday visit, I was reminded of the quote attributed to Maya Angelou: “People may not remember exactly what you did, or what you said, but they will always remember how you made them feel.” One day I won’t remember the details of my visit to his house. But I will long remember how my friend made me feel: welcomed, inspired, warmed.

Now, what should I make with that egg?