"Passion" Anonymous

I see it in the eyes of my friend Jill, the true Red Sox fan. Every game, she's there with her eyes transfixed to the glow of the television. She doesn't just want to believe it; she knows that this is the year her beloved team will win the World Series.

I see it in the weary eyes of my father, who is constantly torn between compassion for his patients and a longing to be home with his family. Even if he has to sleep at the hospital or see patients on weekends, he will do whatever it takes to be there for his family. All three of his children have learned to watch the school door during a concert or a sports game - chances are he will sneak in, a little bit late, to cheer us on.

I see it in the eyes of my music teacher, long past retirement age, who still teaches three classes a day and then supervises my a cappella group. After the last of the students have asked their questions and left the classroom, she goes over to her office and resumes her phone calls, working for donations. With the town's budget cuts, she has taken it upon herself to make sure the music department stays alive in all the schools throughout town. All her work wearies her to the point of exhaustion, but she never so much as hesitates to do...