Today's gift wasn't intended as a gift. But, the more I sat in a classroom waxing nostalgic about my own childhood, the more I though that one moment of my day was probably more genuine of a gift than some others in the past week.
I subbed today as an aide for a middle school special-need student. Early on in the day, she says to me,
"You're pretty."
"Thank you," I said, "you're pretty too."
I didn't think much about it until the day was nearly done.
I was sitting a classroom where there was a review going on, so I was not needed as an aide. I was watching a boy in the class who reminded me a lot of a boy I went to school with. He was quiet and nerdy, in a computer-gamer kind of way.
One of the other aides and I got to talking about how these particular middle school students were still kind to one another.
I thought about the student I was aiding andhow she probably didn't have much longer before the kids started picking on her. Maybe one of those days in the future, she will remember that an adult, who was not related to her, told her she was pretty. Maybe it will keep her going.
Middle School is such a strange age. Popular cliques start to begin to form and some kids are left out in the cold. I went to a school where we did not change schools at fifth grade, so those cliques were years in the making.
I know I, in the midst of being nicknamed cow and moose and the like would have appreciated an adult telling me I was pretty. Grade school was fairly miserable. But, it toughened my skin a little. More than that, though, I think it prepared me to be in a classroom. I can spot a bully a mile away.
So, for today, my gift was a reminder for one child to remember her own beauty.
And, consider this a reminder for all of you.
YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL
Don't ever forget it.
D
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