Daddy shares

Rare blog post from husband :

After the past few days' experience with Amara, I figured this morning would culminate with the "fun" of trying to get Amara to school for the first time since she fell ill and the subsequent experience.  And, she did not disappoint.  After dodging everything she could throw ... "I don't want school", followed by "I want mommy to take me to Sarah's" (sitter), followed by the best "but Daddy, I just need to stay home with you, pleeeease" ... but after that, a much more pleasant bow got wrapped around the present of this past week. 

Amara's attitude didn't change - wasn't pleased with going to school and clingy as we got into the classroom.  She was only mildly receptive to her teacher immediately giving her a warm reception, but as I hung up her coat and backpack, some of her friends really stepped up.  The first and most touching - a little boy who we were exposed to in the old classroom of Amara's previous age group.  Frankly, I haven't been his biggest fan (if nothing else, I wear my work ID on a retractable lanyard clipped to a belt loop on my pants ... if the first dozen times he did the pull-and-release manuever were "cute", the subsequent 10-dozen times were not-so-cute) - but to his credit, as soon as he saw Amara this morning, he came from across the room, and with a smile, very genuinely placed his hand on her chest and asked "are you OK, Amara?"  When she didn't respond (I'm sure just thanks to her anti-school prejudice at that moment and being overwhelmed by the situation - but she did talk about it when I picked her up), he just kind-of cocked his head, smiled, and gave her a quick but full hug and graciously stepped back.  I am admittedly sentimental and emotional when it comes to my girls, but I challenge anyone to keep from at least welling up after witnessing that.

That was followed by several other preschoolers seeing this and then coming over to ask Amara how she was doing.  One other girl in particular asked if she got the picture she drew for her (upon getting home from the hospital, our mail included a packet of "get well drawings" from her class - a super-nice gesture).  That prompted the same aforementioned boy to point out "the purple one was from me". When I told him his purple picture "was awesome and thanks for doing that!", he gave me a solid high-five.  I mean, even if someone tried to, you couldn't choreograph that kind of sensitivity and coolness.

Goig into that moment, I was frustrated with Amara's attitude that morning, frustrated that I couldn't coddle her forever, and was not feeling physically well myself.  But, those kids (especially the former arch-nemesis) single-handedly turned my day around and erased the last of any lingering stress I had been feeling about Amara's ordeal.  And how the kindness of another is able to wipe out physical symptoms of a cold like a headache and mild fever, I don't know, but I experienced that on this day.

So, thank you Landen (my new buddy, you can abuse my lanyard all you want), Amara's other classmates and teachers, the entire Primrose school and everyone in our lives for their thoughts and prayers over the last few days!

(thanks honey for capturing this, in person and here)