Why I teach

This week has been a huge week for us. We had the home visit as part of our homestudy for adoption happen yesterday. I would like to say it went great, but after 4 hours of being drilled about everything from credit card interest rates to in depth questions about my father who has been gone for 13 years now, I felt spent.
As I returned to school today after a day off, one of my very sweet students asked me how it went. I have to give you background on this kiddo. His name is A.M. and is quite possibly the sweetest young man around. He said he had been thinking about how we could make a child's transition into our home easy. As he pulled me in the hall to talk about it, I have to use his words. "Mrs. Cuevas, what type of kid would you like to adopt?" I told him we were looking for a Hispanic or African American child. We didn't care if it was a boy or girl. "Mrs. Cuevas, it doesn't matter what they are, you just need to find a child who needs a good home. A child who needs to be loved and cared for." I agreed then he said this, "you have to promise that you will love the child and take care of it." I agreed then he asked me to cross my heart (who says middle school kids are grown up?) I agreed and went to the stick needles in my eyes comment, then he said, "no, stick 5 million needles in my eyes." I asked why his eyes, then he said, "I know that way you would keep your promise because you would never do anything to hurt me." I told him he was right and I started to cry. A little boy who is 13 gave me perspective today.
People always wonder why I do special education. It's days like today. Today is a day I felt the pure love of Christ come through the voice of a child.