Two Cousins, A Fly, and a Birthday Gift

There are a few moments in life when you get to experience the whole "fly on a wall" moment where you hear things only a fly would hear. It's in those moments when you catch a glimpse of the things that matter most. Today in my classroom were one of those special moments, yes I am comparing myself to a fly. I have a student in one of my classes who always comes in with his head down and speaks very few words in class. He sits in the front and always appears sad. A couple seats over sits his cousin, bright-eyed and busy tailed. Always walking to the beat of his own drum, happy and ready to embrace life. It always seems that Bushy-tailed cousin bothers Cousin of Few Words with his enthusiasm for life. I witness their interaction on a daily basis and wonder why Cousin of Few Words is so sad-looking. What is going through his head as he sits in a class full of life and a teacher always animated with her words. Well, today during our regular morning routine I walked passed the front of the class walking with purpose to my desk to gather the tests for the day. As I walked past Cousin of Few Words I heard him say something so tender that only a fly would hear. He leaned over to his Bushy-Tailed cousin and said, "Hey, I didn't have any money to get you anything nice, but I wanted to give you something on your birthday so I hope you like my picture I made you." Ugh...I just wanted to give him all the money I had at that very moment so he could buy his cousin something cool. I interrupted the moment and tapped him on his shoulder saying how thoughtful and awesome was his gift to his cousin. That he probably wouldn't get a better gift that day. His Bushy-Tailed cousin accepted the gift with so much grace that Cousin of Few Words actually smiled. It's moments like this where you know that this is the classroom where God wanted me to be. These students are mine to teach as well as to teach me what truly and honestly matters. What a moment today in room 205 between two cousins, a fly, and a birthday gift.