I took the kids to school today.
Brian and I took Leslie to her class, when we got in the door, she basically waved at me and gave me a kiss and jumped into playing with her friends. Her teacher, "Miss Jamie" was there, and said Leslie was doing really well, and was talking up a storm.
When I took Brian to his room, I was immediately accosted by his teacher.
I was happy to see her, but also a little worried he had done something wrong.
This is the morning teacher, "Miss June", whom I really love.
She and I began talking and I asked her how Brian was doing.
She began telling me that pretty much "everyday" was a good day with him, that he was doing really well with his friends, except for one named "Michael". Evidently Michael and Brian love to rough house a little too much.
But she said she was really glad we had moved him from the "bear" room to the "moose" room because he was doing so well. That he was socializing well, that he was kind and compassionate with the other kids, and was usually the first to answer questions, and had a good attitude. She told me they were working on manners, and that because she is from the south, did I mind the "Yes Mamm" "No Mamm" stuff. I told her I didn't mind at all, and that I felt like learning good manners was very important.
I told her we work on manners a great deal at home, and that though I didn't expect him to use the "Yes Mamm/No Mamm" really very much, that I thought it was great that he was learning to respect adults.
I was just super pleased with the whole conversation, as she is the type of woman who I sense intrinsically will set a good example in a kind and loving way for my son. I walked out of there this morning, again more certain than ever that I had my kids in the best possible place.
I got to thinking tonight, it is important to be smart, there is no doubt in my mind about this, and Brian is smart. But what is more important is that they turn into a kind, compassionate human being with the social skills to make a go of it in this life.
I think back to the people I've known over my lifetime, and realize that though I have run into many very "smart" people, the people who have left the biggest impression on me, are the people who are kind and compassionate.
There are few that stand out in my mind very strongly, and each one of them gave me a gift so precious, so important, that there is no way to determine the value of it.
There are also the people I've ran across in my life who were not nice, who were mean. To me, and I think to most people, if you are super smart driven, compassionate and kind, you can make a difference in this world.
If you are super smart, driven, mean and nasty, all you do is make the world an extremely unhappy place to be in.
Given this choice, I love the person he is. I love the person he is becoming. He is a shining star in this vast planet, and I know the future holds wonderful things for him because he is such a special person. He will be one of the ones that will make a difference.
Tonight, we had a meeting with our Early Intervention counselor, Margie. It was our last visit, as Leslie has been been discharged from speech therapy, and Margie is retiring.
I am really grateful she came into our lives. She has been nothing but a blessing, and a support. It was bittersweet having her leave our house for the last time tonight, I am really going to miss her, but she has made a huge difference in our lives, and in Miss Leslie's life.
Leslie is moving on, and so is Margie, and I hope she has a wonderful, beautiful ride ahead of her.
The biggest surprise of all, was that tonight, I broke down and bought the kids happy meals for dinner (which I rarely do), and Brian ate his ENTIRE cheeseburger.
This is the very first time he has ever eaten an entire cheeseburger in his life.
Can I say happy dance????
Recent Comments