When I began writing my blog, I promised myself that I would be as honest and transparent as possible. My stated goal was to write a series of stories that might warm your heart, make you laugh and possibly bring you a bit closer to God.
Last weekend, my son Derek related a story that captured all the honesty, warmth and joy I was striving for in my posts.
Derek teaches a Grade 6 class of 23 students. One of the units in the science program for that grade is the study of the life cycle of mealworms. Derek went to PetSmart to buy two dozen mealworms, one for each student, so that each child could observe the metamorphosis of his or her mealworm from larva to pupa to darkling beetle.
The class enthusiastically embarked on the lesson, with most students gleefully naming their newest six-legged pets. At the end of the day, the mealworms were placed in a communal container for safekeeping overnight. Derek thought that he had planned for every contingency. But then, he hadn’t taken Aiden into account.
The next morning, as class was about to begin, one of the students let out a shriek. Stacy’s mealworm was missing. Derek suspected foul play and couldn’t help but notice that Aiden was smirking.
“What’s so funny Aiden?” my son asked.
“Nothing sir,” he answered evasively.
“Aiden,” my son persisted, “Where is Stacy’s worm?”
“I ate it, sir,” he replied with a fiendish grin.
No angel himself in the sixth grade, my son tried to keep a straight face as he reprimanded the child for his destructive and foolish behaviour. That evening, Derek called Aiden’s mom to inform her of her son’s stunt and to warn her to be on the lookout for any side effects from worm eating. Aiden’s mom was thankful for the call and from the tone of the conversation, it was apparent that this was not first time a teacher had called about her son’s misadventures.
The following day was Multiple Sclerosis Read-A-Thon collection time. Only one student had brought in any money for the cause. An avid reader himself, Derek was disappointed by the students’ apparent indifference and urged the class to go home that night and find a few coins, even the ones trapped under chesterfield cushions, to donate to MS.
Suddenly Aiden’s hand shot up from the back of the class.
“Sir, I have a dollar on me that I can give to the Read-A-Thon right now.”
“Aiden, since when do carry money on you?” Derek replied with eyebrows rising.
“Since yesterday sir when my friend Thomas gave me the dollar for swallowing Stacy’s worm!”
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