Air.

Yesterday, I knew I was getting sick when I woke up. I had tickets to Cabaret, though so instead of going home to bed like I should have, I stayed out until about 11. Then I broke with my practice of never going to work sick. Today was "spicy work" one of my favorite traditions in our group, and I really didn't want to miss it both because I love it, and because everything would have been harder for my co-teachers.

We planted window boxes today. As I coughed and sneezed my bleary way through the morning, many different people said "Kendra, are you sick again? I think it's this building." Our new building is fantastic, but it has a climate control system that means that the windows don't open.

There was a table set up with boxes and organic soil and plants from my local organic fertilizer and plant store (might miss that in Boston). Kids in my small group were asking questions. One in particular didn't get it.
"Where will you put the window boxes?"
"Over there on the window sill."
"Where will the plants live?"
"In the dirt in the box."
"How will they live there?"
"We'll take turns watering them."
"But the windows don't open."
"Yes, that's true."
"But how will they live? Plants need sun and water and AIR to live and the windows don't open!"

Aha. I assured the kid that if there's air enough for people there would be air enough for plants as well. And I looked meaningfully into the eyes of the other adult in the room and coughed.