A Grateful Grandmother (3.7.19)

 

On Wednesday nights, I am a gymnastics mom.  After school, we go to the library and make a quick exchange of old and new library books.  Then, my daughter and I hustle down the hallway to change her into gymnastics gear. I bring my daughter in the gym and remind her to be a good listener and then I am off carrying her library book bag, my school bag and her winter gear to find the perfect spot to be as productive as I can be in during her 45 minute class.  

My eyes scan the hallway outside the gym in search of an open seat.  I am always hopeful that I can find a spot to sit and tackle my to-dos, even if that just means cleaning up my inbox.  I prefer a seat closest to the gym door if possible, so I may go do a quick peek to look at my daughter. Occasionally, empty seats are limited and you take what you can get.  If multiple seats are open, I quickly scan and observe the others that are also waiting. I prefer to give myself space from anyone in the ages of 6-8 as I just spent an entire day with my twenty four first graders.  I also steer clear of any one watching YouTube videos without headphones in. I try to find a quiet space to sit and surround myself by considerate people.

On this particular night, I shared a bench seat with a grandmother and her toddler granddaughter.  For a while, the little one was entertained by the foot traffic in the busy park district, community building.  After a while, the little sweetie was growing more restless, as if she wanted to get down and explore. The grandmother decided to hand over her phone to the little lady.  Again, like any toddler, she was amused for a bit. Then, her tiny fingers began swiping, selecting and navigating the phone in a way that caused immediate concern for the grandmother.  

As I sat there continuing to grade papers and send upcoming math worksheets to the printer remotely, I leaned over and said, “I have some books that you may share with her if you would like to.”

I reached into our recently filled library bag and placed a handful of titles on the bench between us.  The grandmother smiled and said she would be happy to give it a try. The grandmother began reading and at first the little lady attempted to close the books and say, “No.”

The grandma continued on reading the story and stating details she saw in the pictures along the way. It only took a few moments and this little lady was calm and content as can be.  It was almost as if the little one was melting into her grandmother’s lap at the moment. When she finished a few titles, I reached back into our library book bag without exchanging any words and continued to present more titles on the bench in between us.  The time seemed to go by much quicker for all of us when they were reading.

The grandmother was so grateful that I offered to share our library books for a few moments that evening.  Before they got up to greet the older granddaughter they were waiting on, the grandmother leaned over to me and asked confidently, “You are teacher aren’t you?”

I smiled back with a big smile and a simple, “Yes.”  She went on to share that she was retired school nurse and that next time she would be more prepared and pack a busy bag of her own.  

Ironically, even when I am being a gymnastic mom, others still know that I am a teacher at heart.