thats love!

happy valentines day!

last week, we had a day with the kids to make valentines for anyone they wanted. obviously this lead to many of the kids making valentines for the loves of their lives and one who even made a valentine for himself. but one of our kids made one for his mom. no big deal, right? kids make stuff for their parents all the time. but something about the way that this student spent the time making this valentine for his mom really struck me. he was so precise with everything he was doing- measuring from both sides of the paper to make sure the heart stickers he was using were in the exact same place, turning any extra marks into something so it wouldnt look like he "messed up", and using his best handwriting.

and i know its really not that big of a deal, but it made me happy to see that he was taking such time and care in everything he was doing. especially because many would expect a kid who came from the home of a single parent who is a recovering drug addict to easily dismiss or even disrespect his mom. some might think that a kid who comes from this kind of environment might not even take the time or effort to make something for a parent who has not really been the best role model. but not this student. he even told me about how he had saved up his money to go buy his mom a necklace for valentines day to go with the valentine that he had worked on that day. and all i could think when he told me this was thats LOVE!!!