Grace

So yesterday I acknowledged that grace flows down and covers me. I decided I care about my student's happiness and whole wellness and not just his studies. Some days when I come over he is sad or upset, and this is his distraction from his studying. I let him tell me about it. He drew a picture of his toddler sister with hearts everywhere, remembering her in her sweeter times.

The big heart with the crack was his heart. He told me what had happened to upset him. After our warm-up we went for a walk and to the swings. I pushed him and did the "underdog" for him. One of the sentences he wrote for his warm-up was, "God healed my heart and changed my dad's heart." He told me how he wished his dad did not frighten him. We talked about it. I told him since his dad's parents are divorced that it could be that his dad's heart needs some healing too, even though it didn't look like it. He told me how his dad's dad would scold and spank his dad when he made errors on his homework. I told him this was not good : (. The child said, "Maybe something got to my dad to make him sad." He said he wanted to go up to his dad and apologize for getting mad at his sister (he confessed this in telling me), tell him he forgives his dad and hopes he forgives him too, and explain that his sister initated the conflict and how he felt wronged by getting scolded for it." His dad explained to him in return that until his sister reached a preschool age, she will not be reprimanded for not asking or saying, "please" to her brother for his toys. He was joyful, came down with a big smile, glad to have made peace with his dad.

I played with my nephew yesterday. He has been raising his eyebrows (especially towards the midline, so that he gives that sincere look, while smiling) when he talks to you and making plenty of sounds. He seems to be very responsive to the song, "You Are So Beautiful to Me". I sing this to him and he seems to sing along. It's hilarious, the facial expressions he makes. He puts his hands together too. When I take him outside, he looks up at the trees, at the clouds. He loves it.

[Edit: Photo added 9/03/09]