We're all a little special

Today I was teaching my students how to add fractions with like denominators. Part of the process is simplifying the answer.

This happens to be an extremely difficult step for many students.

I taught them how to make factor trees to find the greatest common factor.

Some students rely on the trees. Some students rely on the teacher to help them make the trees. Other students can do it 5 or 6 times and then start to do the math mentally. While others still, are able to bypass all of those steps and do the whole thing in their head.

I realized today how this extends to my life.

I met a boy several months ago. I'll say that 99% percent of the whole situation was wonderful and I liked him.

At one point we decided, for various reasons, to not move forward with a r

elationship right now.

I couldn't figure out how to switch things off in my mind. Going from intense intimacy to "friends".

I knew what the answer was, but I had no idea what the process was to get to the answer. I am one of those students. I need to draw my factor trees, sometimes 190 times, before I learn how to get to the answer.

I can't do the math in my head.

Maybe someday I'll be able to.

Practice? maybe that helps.

We'll see.

But for now, I've decided I'm special too.