Hi Online-Marketing,
Happy Father’s Day! I’m sharing a story from my teaching days…
It was the first day of school and my new 5th graders were excited and nervous
and talkative all at once. By the end of the week it was obvious that Freddy
was going to be my challenging student that school year.
He wouldn’t sit still, did not complete work in class, and said he couldn’t do
the homework I was assigning to everyone. On Friday I sent him home with a note
to give to his mother. I wanted to see her on Monday morning. Freddy told me she
had to leave very early to get to work. I agreed to meet with her in the parking
lot at 6. I was the first teacher at school each morning and the custodian
opened the gate for me by 6:15.
I waited until 6:30 on Monday morning and Mom never showed up. I went into the
classroom to set up for the day and soon Freddy appeared at the door. He apologized
and told me he couldn’t explain why she hadn’t come. I said little and he went out
on the yard until the bell rang.
I had work to finish after school and when I finally left around five I drove to
Freddy’s apartment building. I was used to visiting my students and looked forward
to meeting everyone. I walked up the stairs and knocked on the door of apartment 12.
I knocked again, more loudly and within a few minutes Freddy appeared at the door.
He quickly turned his back to me and that’s when I saw that he was holding an infant
wrapped in a blanket. Then a toddler appeared and asked him for a drink of water.
Freddy acted out in my class because he had a serious role at home as caretaker to
two younger brothers. While I visited with him that afternoon he prepared a bottle,
changed a diaper, and fixed a sandwich for the three year old. Of course he couldn’t
do homework for me.
Then he told me his story. Freddy and his brothers all had different fathers. His
mother took two buses to Los Angeles each morning to work as a housekeeper. Freddy
took care of the little brothers until a neighbor came over so he could go to school.
He had to come home right away because she had a job that started at four each day.
I told Freddy that he was doing a wonderful thing by helping his mother in this way.
And I added that he would be a wonderful father some day because of all he knew and
had experienced. He was silent and looked down at the floor for a few moments. Then
he looked up at me and with tears streaming down his cheeks he said words I thought
I would never hear from a child.
“I don’t ever want to be a Dad. And I don’t care if I ever meet my Dad.”
“But why, Freddy?” I pleaded. I needed to understand why he felt this way.
“Because Dads don’t stay.”
Our eyes locked for a few moments before he looked out the window and down into
the courtyard where children were playing. He pulled the curtain to the side to block
the view.
Then he wiped his face with the back of his sleeve and went over to pick up the baby.
The toddler was content in front of the television and Freddy joined him on the
floor and gave the baby his bottle.
I thanked him for letting me visit. As I made my way down the stairs and to my car
I understood Freddy a lot more than I had. And I promised to make a difference.
Freddy tested into the gifted program that year and I helped him get accepted at
a magnet for Middle School. He would have to get on the bus early and not return
until almost four each afternoon. He deserved this and I was doing the job I had
been trained to do. Sometimes life throws a tough decision your way.
Happy Father’s Day to all the Dads and Granddads in my community. Thank you for staying.
= = =
Please watch the webinar replay for the author’s program when you can. This is an
opportunity not to be missed and Jay has even set up a monthly option. Jay is a
great Dad and he and I spent a month last year discussing college options for his
daughter. He and his son wrote a book together when Joe was eight years old that
started this profitable adventure.
lavista–jjfast.thrivecart.com/apex-authors-web-special/5d03b2990ee34/
The webinar replay will be up through tomorrow evening, as will the special
pricing. If this sounds like something you would like to pursue please check it
out. The income claims are real and have been verified in several ways. I can
vouch for these as I do extremely well with my own writing.
I am also around this weekend if you have questions. Writing in this way is a
magical world that I only dreamed of being a part of until I came online. You
can do this even if you do not consider yourself to be a writer at this time.
To Your Writing Success,
Connie
P.S. Alice Seba has an incredible package on sale for $9.95 this weekend. It’s
the “100 Best Selling Worksheets/Printables Mega Pack” and this morning I created
a workbook for my mentees in ten minutes flat. You may sell these or give them
away, as they come with PLR and commercial rights to use as you please.
I added the 23 page Workbook I created this morning as a Bonus when you pick this
up. It will be waiting for you on the download page.
.
P.O. Box 800268
Santa Clarita CA 91380
USA
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