Skip to main content

Exploratorium, Continued


Actually, this is the after the Exploratorium part...

As it turns out, these kids have never been to the beach, except once with another teacher. So we were planning on taking them to Ocean Beach. I asked if they wanted to build sandcastles, and the older one said, "I don't know how to build a sandcastle." They didn't know how to build a sandcastle! We had to stay there for a while - building sandcastles (is that one word or two?), digging moats, writing their names in the sand, racing with Austin (my brother, who met us there).

After we all finally became exhausted, we drove home. At this point, Warren asked me if they were going to get dinner. They called home and the answer was no, so Warren stopped to buy them dinner. If he hadn't, it would have been a hard call for me because I want to take care of them in the worst way, but I had already spent a lot of money on them that day, and it's hard to know where to draw the line.

I was very grateful - not just for the time and money a friend of mine was willing to spend on kids who he had never met before, but for the bigger picture. I have been so blessed this year by people who have no responsibility for my kids but want to get involved. I'm sure that Warren had other things he could have been doing on a Saturday, but he was totally there with the kids - playing, explaining, and generally making them feel special. He hasn't been the only one this year. I'm going to be writing a lot more (as soon as I have time!) about our wonderful athlete volunteers, about Ameshia my intern who signed on for an extra semester without school credit, Ellen who prays for and volunteers with the kids, sitting with the most difficult one to make a card, my brother and sister who both came to see how this class was and what they were like, Anna who chaperoned a field trip that no parents came to, Kathy who comes in once a week - and her visits are the highlight of the kids weeks! Also all the people who pray for the kids, who write to them (when our Internet connection works), who donate stuff, or even wonder how the kids are doing.

The thing that astounds me about all these people is that none of them have any responsibility for these kids. They are all choosing to be a part of the kids' lives in a direct or indirect way out of the goodness of their hearts and because they value the kids - without even knowing them - and that is a radical difference from what these kids are used to. It makes me believe that there's some hope for these kids still, and that God is showing me - and hopefully them - that he will provide people to care for them, even if it is not the people who are supposed to be doing it. So, if you are any of these people, just know that you are making a difference - absolutely, no doubt in my mind!
Labels:

Comments

Anonymous said…
Your post shows that humankind still has an innate goodness.

Aloha,

Jeff
4:10 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Volunteers

I had some of the most overqualified volunteers ever in my third grade class.  This may have had something to do with the fact that I shamelessly begged my friends to help in any way possible.  I think there were a few friends who I asked to come as soon as I met them, before I was entirely sure of their names.  Some of my volunteers included: -Someone with an MFA helping kids read -a PhD candidate in chemical engineering from Stanford helping with math -a PhD candidate in civil engineering from Cal helping with math -several PhD candidates in engineering from Cal teaching about construction (several years in a row) and helping with a field trip -my extremely talented brother bringing his drums several times -a friend from Pixar who got us tours three different years, once when they were no longer giving tours - and came to the class to sign the kids' toys from Cars . -a physical therapist (who I think has a masters') who helped the kids with reading -many athlet...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Best Mistake

I recently wanted to get a pedicure (I promise this will be important) and was looking at nail salons nearby. I knew there was a place called Kim's Nails near my exercise class, so I quickly googled to see if I could make an appointment online (I hate calling on the phone) and it let me, so I made an appointment for a few days later and went on with my day. Later that day, I got a text confirming my appointment and I realized that I had made the appointment at the wrong Kim's Nails! I meant to make an appointment for the one in my city and I made one at a nail shop in the next city over (Kim's Nails is a common business name). Because I had already made the appointment and they had taken the time to text me, I figured I'd just go with it. OK, if you're still with me, this is where it gets exciting! A few hours after I got the confirmation text, the owner of Kim's Nails texted me again. the text just said, "Are you a teacher?" I didn't know why they...
1 comment
Read more

A New Prison, Part Two

  Second very long part of the prison visit report.   After we got all the paperwork filled out and went through the metal detector, we got visitation slips with the name of the inmate, and made our way over to the other building for visitation. This is not maximum security so thankfully you can just sit next to the inmates, and not be separated by glass or have to use a telephone to talk.    First, you get a gate unlocked and go into a holding pen that is of course in direct sunlight (or rain if it's that season) and surrounded by fences topped with razor wire. You wait there until the gate at the other end is unlocked. This holding pen was a little bigger and less claustrophobic than the other prison (I do not have any claustrophobia and I came very close to a panic attack once at the other place) and they opened the other gate more quickly. Then you walk, again in blazing sunlight (or rain) to the visitation building. This one was less of a walk than the other pri...
Post a Comment
Read more