Bingo!

We were in the middle of playing math bingo when Najee, a third grade boy, tilted his head to one side and said, "Ms. Jackson, I'd say you look about eighteen."

It took everything I had not to go over and sweep the kid out of his chair and dance around the room with him. But I restrained myself.

"Really?" I said, tilting my head, parrot-like, back at him.

Then, "Thank you, Najee," and we carried on with our game of multiplication math bingo.

Eighteen is not what I see when I pass by a mirror, but out of the blue, this eight year old boy offered up a rare moment for me to see something, like my face, from another perspective.

9 x 2 = 18...

Bingo!