School's End

I'm sad yet happy that school's end is near.
Will I shed some tears - maybe.
I will miss these difficult children
and hope that the adults that work with them
give them what they need
to become successful people.

Yesterday we celebrated them progressing
on to their next grade.
The children preformed The Three Billy Goats Gruff
for their families. D was the smallest of the billy goats
and did a terrific job practicing all week.
He knew all his lines and was incredibly confident.
But, yesterday his mother didn't show up for the celebration.
Just before the performance he told us he wasn't going to do it.
"My mother isn't here" he said. My heart broke for him
He was crushed.
How sad. He is the child we worry about the most.

We didn't have understudies for our performance
at the last moment we asked L if he would perform the part
of the smallest billy goat and he happily agreed.
L knew all the lines and performed as though he practiced.
What a joyful surprise to all of us.

Good-byes are hard...