Actually, more accurately, probably about 40 seconds.
A moment to make a "good news" call to a parent who typically only gets phone calls when her son has done something wrong. In fact, I've been the person who's had to make several of those calls this year.
This boy has struggled to find his way and has made some poor choices earlier this year. Repeatedly. At one point, I didn't have much hope that he would be able to turn things around. He was on the verge of going down a road that would be very difficult to travel.
The last time I spoke to this student's mom, she was in tears in my office, accompanied by her son and an RCMP officer.
But then...something changed.
I'm not sure ultimately what made a difference- a supportive teacher, a persistent counsellor, a parent who didn't give up... I'd like to think perhaps that even I played a part.
But over the past several months, something changed.
He started coming to school. On time! I'd see him in the lounge working on homework with other students. He'd smile and say, "Hey Ms. Garr!"
So today I took a moment... A moment to call this student's mother and share with her the improvements that I've noticed and how happy I was to see the change. She paused in uncertainty. And then, I could "hear" her smile. She thanked me, saying how much she appreciated me calling. She was in tears again, but this time, it was happy tears.
Now, I'm not saying this student is perfect. He's still struggling in some classes. I know he will still have challenges and difficult choices ahead. But I took a moment to make a "good news" call to a parent, to celebrate where her son is today.
I hope it made a difference in her day. It certainly made a difference in mine.
Happy year end!
