In June of 2001, I left my job as a Mathematics teacher after 8 years. I was 7 months pregnant with my first child. When I pulled out of the parking lot of Bloomfield High School I was so relieved that I would not have to go back into the classroom again. I was excited to stay home and raise my child. I did not care if it was a girl or a boy. I was just so thrilled to be a mom. I couldn’t wait to walk my child to school with all the other moms, go to soccer practice, swimming lessons, or whatever my child chose to do.

What exactly does it mean to be human? Am I not already a human? Surely anatomically I am human, however intellectually I am a person and this is where the the issue starts.

I notice how each sensory receptor at the soles of my feet wake up at the touch of the plush carpet as I enter the dim, candle lit room. Notes of rosemary, orange peel, cinnamon, clove and star anise seed greet me long before I arrive, preparing me for a soothing experience. The low voice of a saxophone is dancing softly in the corner.

The other day I waited 16 hours to get from one place to another. It never happened to me before, however even as a flight attendant, this was something that really tested my limits.