My favorite gift from students are when the child is proudly handing me a bag or package and the mother is standing behind, mouthing, "He picked it himself!"
Now, that is a loaded statement. That means the gift could be anything! (I once gave my parents the prettiest little shot glasses - I just fell in love with them. I was in early grade school, and I was so pleased to buy them at store. Now I understand the discussion going on over my head as to why someone my age would be buying shot glasses?!???).
I love gifts that the child has chosen by himself! Sometimes I think, wow, how cool. Sometimes I wonder and try to make a connection between the gift, the child, and myself. But always I am pleased to be remembered. Regardless of how embarrassed the parent seems to be.
This particular gift turned out to be quite nice. Lovely (gaudy, but I love gaudy) ruby red (a new sister is Ruby, maybe that's why the color was chosen?) dangly (I love dangly) earrings and matching beaded bracelet! Nothing could have been nicer.
Of course, on this particular day, I was wearing my red sweater with an old-fashioned snowman angel on it. Perfect!
"Should I put them on?" I asked.
"Oh, yes," was the happy reply.
I donned my new jewels, to the cautious comments to not poke myself and how beautiful they looked.
Later on...as we sat at the group table completing a project, the conversation turned to my new reds.
"Those are real diamonds."
"Oh, I should take care of them then," I said.
"Yes, you should lock them up." And additional tips from several students. "You could put them in a special box in your purse." "You could put them in a jewelry box." "Oh, my mom has a jewelry box." "You need to make sure the robbers don't steal them."
Pretty soon, my jewelry was forgotten as the topic of eventual theft, robbers, and whose mom's had jewelry boxes continued unabated.
Life in a kinder room.
