Copyright: kolonist1982 / 123RF Stock Photo
Too many years ago to note, I volunteered in my son's kindergarten class for most of the year, and it was a great time. Not knowing my son was ASD at the time, I was just doing what I felt I needed to do to ensure his best success in the classroom. There were fewer meltdowns if I was there, and when they did occur I knew how to calm him back down.
I will never forget, one day, walking down the hallway listening to the morning announcements. I heard something about a fire and donations for the family.
I go to the classroom, and I'm sitting there, not even thinking about it. At the beginning of reading time, the teacher brings up one of the kids in the class. Well, it's the kid who just lost everything in the fire over the weekend. You could tell the kid wasn't in the highest of spirits.
The teacher's explaining to the class that the important thing was that nobody was hurt. She's doing exactly what she should do because kids have questions, you know?
"Did you lose your clothes?" "Did you lose your toys?"
He starts talking about how one of his cats ran off because it was scared of the fire, and his two dogs are now in heaven, and it's just killing this kid to sit up there and talk about it.
All of a sudden, these little kids start saying things like, "You can have some of my clothes," and "You can have my dog," and "You can stay at my house." Every single kid in this class is willing to give this kid their toys. He looks up and says that everything's fine and he has everything he needs right in front of him.
I had to get up and walk out of the room.
All of these kids knew that the most important things in life are friends and family. As I was standing in the hallway and it just dawned on me. Where did we get so messed up? Because we all really start off okay. It was one of the most inspiring moments I've had in my entire life, seeing the strength and resolve of a five-year-old kid.
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