a warm fuzzy

Today Drake's Sunday school class had a service day at the Milwaukee Rescue Mission. Drake waved the flyer in my face when he got it at church and really wanted to go. Sounded like a great way to spend a Saturday morning, so we made it a date. Being that he is my sensitive one, I tried to prep him for the types of things he might see on our drive down there and of course, once we got there. Our job was to help with the new family area/room. It is going to be a place were parents can bring their children and spend some quality time with them. There is an arts and crafts center, a book nook, a toddler area and a board game section. I got recruited to paint one of the wall murals as soon as I walked in the door. Drake wanted to paint more than anything but lacks the patience to take his time with a small paint brush. Totally understandable as he is an 8 year old rambunctious boy! So the director gave him the job of opening all the newly donated baby and toddler toys. It was like Christmas, though after about 10 or 12 toys he excitement was quickly dwindling. It was about this time that a four year boy, K, wandered in to see what we were doing. K was amazed by Drake and Drake was enjoying all the extra attention. They decided to draw together and make different monster pictures on a large dry erase board - it made my inner mommy smile. It also made me miss working in the inner city. While I do enjoying working in my little suburbia bubble school, I miss the smiles and joys these kiddos would bring to my heart. On the flip side, I also don't miss the heartache that comes with those smiles, not their heartache - but mine. It is so different now working with the over-involved and high maintenance parents instead of the non-involved and distant parents, if there were even parents at all. I was amazed at how much I ached thinking about working there again, wanting to do my part even though it was and would never be enough. The thoughts of Drake's smiles and his openness to K will remain with me and I hope that this experience instills some of the same passions for children that I have. Knowing Drake it probably did.