It was only two days ago

Yet the joy still fills me.

We were immersed in study

I the teacher

They the students

Eager to learn

And they were eager.

It was just a merit badge

One required for Eagle

But in the larger scheme

of things very small,

It wasn’t all that important,

except to them.

They were serious, perhaps too much

So we engaged in an experiment

It illustrated the challenges we face

in cleaning our environment.

One pair, boy and girl

really wanted to make theirs work

So they kept adding more until

it was clear it wouldn’t really work.

The laughter was spontaneous

One moment quiet and serious

The next filled with belly laughs

It was contagious

Soon all pairs were laughing,

Though most didn’t know why.

The group came together in that moment

Sharing not only science, but joy

Joy in learning

Joy in having fun

Joy in being together

Even though they were strangers

And in that joy we all

Gained more than the lesson plan.