I’m All Ears
Thursday, January 21st, 2016From Wednesday Mom – Janelle:
Jack’s teacher asked me to chaperone a field trip, and told her I’d love to. I arrived in the classroom several minutes early to make sure I received all the info I needed. When it was time, I helped get 19 third graders in a line and outside to the correct school bus, quietly. Phew, that is not as easy as you think it might be. We arrived at the theatre, and filed into our seats. Local students put on “The Wizard of Oz” show for several local school districts. It was a great show, and the audience loved it.
Once the show was over, I did a head count of the kids I was responsible for and we lined up outside to get back on the bus. A sweet little girl, with big, beautiful brown eyes, grabbed my hand and asked if she could sit next to me on the bus. I told her that would be fine. Once I wrangled a few kids into their seats and shushed a few times, we were ready to head back to the school. I turned around in my seat, which I was sharing with Jack, and asked him about the play. He was busy talking to his friends and didn’t hear me. The sweet little girl who sat next to me quickly told me her feelings about the play. She also told me about her siblings who weren’t always nice, her wish to play basketball, her dream to go travel out of town, to enjoy an ice cream cone and a new pair of socks, and numerous other wishes that I realized were things my kids experience regularly. I felt for this little girl, as she didn’t stop talking to me the entire way back to school.
We arrived back to the school and into the classroom. As I was saying goodbye to Jack, this sweet little girl grabbed my hand again and thanked me for listening to her. She said it was so nice to speak with someone who actually listened to her. Although I felt sad for her, I was so happy to hear that just by listening and asking her some questions, it made her day. Honestly, it made my day, too. I know some kids are less fortunate than others, and to bring a smile to an otherwise sad person raised my spirits pretty high. Taking the time to listen can truly make a difference.