That Clicking Sound

My oldest son has recently rekindled the Lego fire that began burning in his life last year. We have spent a lot of time over the past week building stuff together and we are both having a blast. One of the things we started to do was to make our own creations rather than building off of directions from a kit. I would add a piece, then Eli would add a piece, and back and forth it goes. We had very little idea of what the end product would be, but we just concentrated on picking out that next piece.

I watched as his small hands shuffled through the bin of blocks and carefully selected his next piece. I listened as he exclaimed, "this would be a good piece!" and then watched him add it to our slowly developing creation. Aside from his little voice talking to me, one of the most satisfying sounds was the squeak-and-click sound of two Lego blocks fitting perfectly into place. Eli's four year old hands still struggle with getting the pieces to make that sound and I leaned over several times to help him as we both pressed the pieces together. It is a very distinct sound that I remember well from when my small hands would press the pieces together until there were tiny, round indentations in my thumbs. It is the sound of things working. Of things coming together. Of being one step closer to the finished product.

I love that sound.

I heard the squeak-and-click sound in class this week. Instead of the sound of plastic blocks clicking together, it was fingers tapping on iPads as my students completed graphic organizers for their essays. It was the sound of low talking as students read each other's latest blog posts and gave feedback. It was the sound of my students telling me their goals for the day as I conferenced with them individually. It was the sound of the radiator blowing warm air into a nearly silent room as my students worked.

There were many other sounds over the past few weeks. Harsh sounds coming from mouths that once spoke softly. Defeated sounds made by voices once filled with joy. Some from my own mouth, some from my students.

It's been tough.

But the past few days have been worth plowing through the rough patches. We have made it to yet another clearing where there is peace and productivity. Safety and shelter.

Where the sounds of things clicking into place help give a much clearer picture of what this creation is and is turning into.

I love this sound.