best buddies.

Taylor came to me a few weeks back with an application.

"Mom, can you sign the bottom please?" she asked, as she walked away.

So i'm "reviewing" this application....

What am i signing my life away for?

She wanted to be a "best buddy."

A best buddy is a volunteer that helps with the special ed students.

Her application said she wanted to help the special ed students because she thinks everyone deserves to feel welcome and to have friends. She went on to say that she thinks she will make a good "Best buddy" because she is patient, kind, caring, and dependable. When asked how often she would like to help out, she said as much as she is able to....

It moved my heart. I remember when I was in 3rd grade, the exact same grade she is in, I helped the special ed class too! I never told her that, but I will eventually. I don't want her to feel like she has to follow in my footsteps exactly....

So I hadn't heard anything else about the best buddies situation, until yesterday.

I picked her up from school and she says, "Mom, someone at my school had a seizure today!"

"Really?" I asked. "Did you know them?"

"It was Anna's little sister. She's in 2nd grade. We were just playing on the playground and all of a sudden, she wasn't breathing. She was just lying there."

"You were playing with her?"

"No, I was playing with my best buddy, and then all of a sudden the teachers told everyone to go to the field to give the firemen room and stuff."

"Oh.... the firemen came? Was she okay?"

"Well they couldn't get her to respond or anything for a little while. The nurse covered her up with a blanket and held her to keep her warm. You know, I didn't even know what a seizure was until today. My little buddy told me," she said.

"So your application got accepted to be a best buddy?" I asked.

"Yep. I get to play with them on Tuesdays and Wednesdays."

She went on to tell me some of their names and how they are just like everyone else, but they might need things explained to them a little bit more. She told me you can't bug them or overwhelm them and not to get too wordy with them. You must be patient and have fun with them, just like everyone else.

Now, I'm not really great at expressing the warm fuzzy feelings I often feel on the inside, but boy did I love hearing that. It just takes me back to when I was younger and how I remember feeling the same way.... I remember thinking, "If only I could get the rest of the people to feel the same way. I wish kids didn't make fun of each other."

I hope Taylor doesn't grow up carrying a burden to "fix" the world, but that she leads by example and from a deep motivation that goodness and kindness can go very far in life.... How do you find the balance.... the in-between? I'm not entirely sure....

(side note: hold on, let me catch my breath.... I'm sitting in my room typing this.... Asia is snoring on the floor next to me.... We both hear the front gate/latch open and clank. She growls and jumps up, as do I at the exact same time. I put my computer on the floor and make a mad DASH for the front door, because it's open and Asia's going to attack whoever is there (not really, but she is ferocious sounding and looking).... I tripped twice and almost fell flat on my face dodging through the hallway and hopping over the couch.... MAN that was a close call! It was 2 women.... Jehovah's witnesses.... um, didn't they see the pile of dog poop by the front gate? I didn't go outside and poop on the cement, so wouldn't the assume there is a dog here? Gutsy to open people's gates and just come on in.... thankfully Asia didn't get to the door before I did and thankfully they didn't make it all the way in.... and NOT because they're Jehovah's witnesses.... I don't like anyone I don't know coming to my door.)

okay, now back to my obsessive labeling and organizing of Taylor's room!!!