A Special Need

I don't know how much i want to say in this post because the experience that is involved was singular in my life and extremely special to me. I don't know if i will ever forget it.

At work yesterday i arrived almost simultaneous with a group of the likes i had never seen. I got clocked in and came back out to the front to see a group of approx. 15 severely handicapped youth, probably all between the ages of 12 and 18 though i can't be sure. All i could think at first was that i didn't want to be caught gawking, so i went about my business treating them like any other table in the restaurant. In time though i couldn't help but notice certain things, acts of such selflessness that i was shocked. There was a teacher with them and three or four techs. I never did glean what they were doing there on a Saturday since i knew for a fact that they were all members of the same class or than it was a "special day" but i guess the reason they came wasn't really important.

After about 30 min or so i took the opportunity to ask the teacher a few questions (that's how i found out that some of the kids were techs, there to help the teacher with the group). She simply explained who she was and we chatted a little about the group. She seemed so happy.

Getting to the point as i watched them subtly for the hour or so that they were there the teacher never sat, she didn't eat, she simply went around helping her kids. She looked out for them, showed them that she loved them through conversation, attention and the help she gave. Despite the obvious discomfort throughout the whole meal she never stopped smiling and laughing, she was just SO passionate about what she was doing. As i watched how the kids looked at her i could see how much they loved her in return and i was suddenly struck by the majesty of it all. Here she was on a day she had off, she didn't have to be with her kids on a Saturday but chose to. I have spent some time over the last two days really considering what i saw and maybe more importantly the need that exists in the world; a special need for special children.

Obviously there have been some changes in my life as of late that have made me a little more aware of situations like these, that have made me pay more attention to the issue at hand, but point is the need is real. I am so grateful for those educators that take on this task because, though different, there can be no doubt in my mind that this is at least a slightly harder position to hold as an educator, and truthfully the power of all of this was not the act of an educator of but one who was willing to love unconditionally. It all seemed to surreal and yet so wonderful. Like I've said, i don't know if i will ever forget it.