When Kellen was in Kindergarten he had the most wonderful teacher, Mrs. A. She was knowledgeable, experienced, compassionate and an all-around perfect teacher for Kellen.
During the spring of that year, I went into Seattle to see a foreign movie called The Eighth Day. It starred a young man with Down syndrome who did such a great job of acting that he and his co-star shared the Best Actor Award at the Cannes Film Festival in 1996.
The film had a deep impact on me and one day I shared my thoughts with Mrs. A. I told her that the movie showed me that Kellen would need more than just his mother and father in his life. He would need a cadre of people who loved, cared and would look out for him, so that after we're gone he wouldn't be all alone.
Mrs. A. quickly responded with, "I want to be one of those people".
It was so unexpected and so touching that my eyes immediately filled with tears. Ten years later, thinking about this moment can still make me tear up. There are some very, very good and kind people in this world that are just waiting to be asked into your child's life. Have you experienced them?
1 comment:
Oh my gosh, Jodi, I was just thinking about this very same thing this morning after dropping my son off at pre-school. About a year ago, I came to the realization that my son needed to have these special people in his life. At the time, he was attending an early intervention program where the lead teacher developed a very close bond with him. When she announced that she was leaving the program, I was heartbroken. But then, she approached me and told me that she wanted to be a part of Max's life. I was so touched! She continues to be one of his most outspoken cheerleaders and we are blessed to call her our friend.
Take good care,
Heesun
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