Help In Time

The small talkative girl with a large grin turns beet read each time I ask her if I’ve told her lately that I love her. She says “no” each time I ask her anyway no matter how often I do.

This girl defines the word “transformation”. Her first weeks at the Club were ones spent withdrawn, painfully bashful and with very little confidence and virtually no conversation. Her grades at school were not only poor but her attitude was one of “I’m not very smart anyway and I don’t want to do it” —-afraid to try for fear of failing. Her home is in physically  poor shape in and out. Her dysfunctional parents do very little that would be considered nurturing.

Now, months later, she’s bringing little books to my office and standing in the doorway with this big grin asking me if she can read to me! I don’t care if the building is burning down, she can read to me. It began haltingly, sounding out words she should already have known but now the readings are much improved and she’s challenged with some words that she should be challenged by. She has told me that she thinks she ought to care more about her school work and has promised me she will ask her teacher to help rather than not trying or caring.

Her social skills are at another level having been naturally forced to interact with kids at the Club and she has found friends that she values and ones that feel the same about her. It’s all good fertilizer and extremely positive!!! There’s nothing like seeing a child grow in confidence and begin to see themselves in a healthy way; a self concept that allows them to really grow and not just age. I LOVE IT  AND SO DO THEY!!!!