Wiley had his first day of First grade, in Sky class, today. I dropped him off; it was just the two of us and he tried oh so hard to be brave. He clandestinely wiped his tears, but I saw him and when we went into the classroom it was sooo busy and overwhelming and he was very unsure even though several of his friends, including his two besties from kindergarten, were there. The other parents tried to help, one introduced Wiley to her son who was in 2nd grade (it's a 1&2 composite classroom). So when Wiley started to really cry I took him to a quiet corner to let him cry and comfort him. It was then that his best friend, Edward, came over to comfort him--with no prompting from anyone; his mom wasn't there (probably dropping off her older son). Edward said, 'we're here, and there are lots of us here. It really isn't that bad.' Wiley tried to cheer up and he and Edward spied some toys, but then they flicked the lights for the kids to gather for settling in (a Quaker way to start the day, they are do some silent reflecting and centering; it's very neat). Wiley did not want me to stay for this and Melissa (Edward's mom) showed up. I asked if Wiley could sit with her and she said yes. As they walked away Edward put his arm around Wiley and said, "I'll take care of you and you'll take care of me." Oh my. I've told this story all day and it still makes me verklempt. I just can't believe kids of their age have this much heart, empathy, and caring. Truly, truly amazing. I am so grateful for this.
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