Twentieth Stop: Laughter and Smiles

     If you cannot laugh at yourself who can... but when you are able to help a kiddo have a better day, it makes your day that much more important.  When my kiddo does not need assistance, I often will help the other kids in class.  Today they were working on Alaskan Geography and they got to draw maps.  My kiddo happens to be an amazing artist and once she had paper and a pencil she went to town with her art...Catching every detail possible.  This made the boy sitting next her very self conscious.  You could see him start to shut down and he was no longer enjoying the activity.

    I grabbed a paper and (my drawing skills are far from decent) and called him over and he sat next to me.  I asked him how my drawing was.  He looked at it... looked at me... looked at it... He said, "Well Ms. Ryan... it "kinda" looks like Alaska.  It is ok though, you are from California."  (He he he he - Where do the kids come up with this stuff?).  So then I asked to see his and he put his head down.  "Hey, just because a Californian can't draw your state, well, does not mean that you being an Alaskan have to draw Alaska perfectly."     He looked at me with new hope in his eye.  He picked up his pencil and started to draw.   I do not think mine was that far off, but if kept this boy from having a break down and got a smile... that my friends "is priceless."     

     Later that evening I was running around the air port and some of the people were coming in from a few hours of fishing.  Sure enough,  that same kiddo on an ATV hauling butt ...stops, smiles, waves, makes a funny face, and takes off again.  This brought a huge smile to face because I hate running and for him to take that second to acknowledge I was there and make me smile.... that too is priceless.