Little Boy Down...

I can't say I have pictures to share with you today so a story will have to do.
Today was one of those missing home days. No real reason I can figure either. Rest assured I am very happy and blessed to be where I am, sometimes I guess you just miss home that's all.
I managed to get through my first conference requiring a translator well. Again, I was much more nervous and frightened than the parent. I was also brought a nice little cake in thanks for taking time to meet with the parent. Talk about a different way of being treated! I don't expect all of these conferences to go this way, but wow. Then I see my high school principal substituting for the choir teacher, who was out ill. I should have known by these events alone that today was going to be a little different.

As I progressed through my day, locking myself out of my office 4 different times, I just got to a point where I wanted to leave school, come back, and try again another day. That's when it happened. One of those moments that reminded me why I am here. It had nothing to do with any of my students. Instead it was a little first grade boy named Nathan. I looked down our tiled hallway right before orchestra, and there were a cluster of little ones surrounding one child. My first thought was who kicked who and how did this little fight start and then I saw it was more than that. The Korean teaching assistant was coming back to check on Nathan and I came up the hall to see if I could help. I could see the assistant's eyes, the panic mode of what do I do with this one little boy while 20 other 1st graders wait on me. We have all seen that look before. After I reassured her that his leg was not broken, serious folks, I offered to take him to the nurses office to get some ice on his knee because no doubt he was hurting.
Once I waded through his 4 little friends who were not going to leave their buddy behind, Nathan put his hand in mine and bravely, and very slowly we limped to the nurses office. He would not be carried. Mind you the nurses office is on the second floor of the building clear across the complex from my music area. Limp slowly, dry tears, and trust your hand in the hand of a total stranger. Quite a boy that Nathan.
I just wonder what he was thinking that entire time we walked. Here is this person I don't know and she is taking me to the nurse and I am not sure what else to do... who can say. Some of the looks from the elementary teachers I know who saw me with this little soldier were priceless. I just shook my head quietly and said "not my kid." We must have made quite a picture but carry on we did.
I may not see much of Nathan anymore, but darn him! He is the reason I am here doing what I do. Holding a hand out to help a child. Perhaps our paths will cross again someday but I am pretty impressed with how brave he was to trust in the unknown and how his young friends were not going to leave his side.
We all get our bumps and bruises in this life. Some you just don't see. I just hope I can dry my tears when they fall and keep limping along on the hard days just like Nathan. In no time I will be back up and running with my friends too.