My Kid

I was on the phone with my best friend this afternoon when my cell phone rang, and I saw it was the elementary school calling.  I don't know about you guys, but I hate getting a call from the school!  My first thought is my kid threw up or broke a limb on the playground.  Before I answered the call, a few dozen similar nightmares zipped through my over-active imagination.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Mrs. Beck?  This is (so-and-so) from Crimson Point.  How are you today?"

She's obviously stalling! Something horrible has happened!  I'm apprehensive, bracing myself for news of illness or injury.  "I'm doing great, thank you."

"That's good, Mrs. Beck.  I called this afternoon because I wanted to discuss Isaac."

Discuss Isaac?  Oh no, what did he do?  He can be a goofball sometimes, but he's never hurt or bullied anyone, nor intentionally broken school rules.  "Oh, Isaac?" I repeated.

She proceeded to tell me something he did today.  It's Friday, and the school has the "Wildcat Shack" where kids from the older grades sell little odds and ends like cool pens and erasers and things that appeal to school children with change in their pockets.  Isaac took two dollars to school to buy something from this school store, but he changed his mind about buying things he didn't need and gave his two dollars to the MS fundraiser going on at the school.  There's an aid at the school with MS and he is hosting a Walk MS event.  I don't know how word got around, but this woman called me from the school to tell me about it.

"He's such a special boy!  I'm tearing up just telling you about it.  You're obviously a great mom [her words, not mine], and he's such a polite and kind boy all the time.  It's been a really long week here at the school, with the time change and the nice weather.  The kids have been acting like circus animals.  Most of the time when I call home it's not to share happy news.  But what Isaac did today really touched me and it made my whole week.  I hope you tell his dad about it, and tell him I think he should get extra dessert tonight for being such a great, generous kid."

Well, after this dialogue you can guess I was no longer apprehensive.  I was bursting with pride and near tears myself.  I didn't say anything to him when he got home, and he eventually told me they recognized him on the announcements at school.  I asked him what for, and he told me that this morning he had planned to give one dollar to MS and spend the other dollar at the school store.  But he decided to give all his money for the Walk MS event.  I told him that the lady from the school called me and said his act of kindness was the best thing that happened to her all week, and I was proud of him for being a thoughtful boy.

The thing is, when she said I'm a great mom I couldn't really accept that as the reason Isaac is the way he is, or any of my kids for that matter.  They came with greatness within them.  When they do something kind or amazing or charitable, it's because they were born with that innate goodness.  Sure, sound parenting and a safe home life help that inner flame glow brightest, but very little of my children's compassionate and loving hearts has anything to do with me.  They have old souls that often inspire me and leave me speechless, making me feel like they were put in my family to teach me how to be a better person.

I'm sure proud of my kid and I'm glad to call him mine.