Once again we are in the season of graduations…the best time of the year to hear encouraging speeches from educators and students alike.

Yesterday, I was walking from the Hispanos Unidos Garden with the Literacy Club when I ran across a beautiful family. I usually would see them in the neighborhood and we would exchange hi’s.

They looked stunning walking towards us. I asked the mom who looks like she could be the oldest sister (she’s the one in the pink) if I could take a photo of them.

My students were on the side of me chanting CONGRATULATIONS!! Over and over.

After the picture, one of the little girls who had chalk in her hand, decided to write on the building behind them. Why did she do that?  The Literacy club suddenly got enraged. Their chants became rebukes and when I tried to take up for her, telling them it could easily come off with water, they turned to me and shouted at me:

RESPECT OTHER PEOPLE’S PROPERTY!! ISN’T THAT WHAT YOU TELL US?

So, in the end I agreed with them and so did the mother who told the little girl, she will have to clean it.