Katherine woke up this morning happy. She was happy because she remembered that today would be her first day of spelling homework.

I thought that maybe the day at school would damper her joy but she ran out of school beaming.

And she was not the only one. A friend’s little boy came up to her at pick up with a gigantic smile on his face. He too is a younger sibling, happier than happy that he would be doing big, important work like his older brother.

As soon as ballet and hip hop were complete and dinner eaten, Katherine cleared her spot at the table and sat down earnestly to begin her work.

I can only cross my fingers and hope that one day, Katherine will come out of a school building overjoyed by her algebra or biology or U.S. History homework. I can dream, right?