AP3 THE MORAL OF THE STORY

AP3 THE MORAL OF THE STORY (4-6 minutes)


ONE STEP AT A TIME
Adapted from ‘Encouraging Kelly’ by Seema Renee Gersten from Chicken Soup for the Soul

Shirley loved children and she taught a group of five-year-olds at a kindergarten. One morning during circle time, while Shirley and the children were in the middle of a rousing rendition of ‘Old MacDonald’, the door suddenly opened. A woman walked in and stood by the door to observe the children and Shirley. Shirley’s voice and smile never faltered, but she was feeling nervous. Who is this woman? Why is she here? Shirley wondered. When she looked up again, she was gone.

The rest of the day went well, but by the time the last child was gone, Shirley felt physically and emotionally drained. There was nothing she wanted more than to get home and soak in a bath. Then her principal came in and asked to see her at the office before she left.

All kinds of negative thoughts raced through her mind. Have I done something wrong? Did it have something to do with the woman in my classroom earlier? By the time Shirley reached the office, she was a nervous wreck. She sat perched at the edge of her seat, her heart pounding furiously. The principal told her that the woman was a potential parent of the school and wanted to find out if her daughter would be able to fit into a regular classroom. Her little daughter was born with a birth defect that required her to wear leg braces from the knees. Her balance was poor and she was prone to topple so she would need the teacher to carry her to the playground. The other children would have to be careful when walking near her so as not to cause her to fall accidentally.

The principal then asked how Shirley felt about the girl joining her class. She was stunned. Here she was wondering how she could possibly survive one school year with 12 active five-year-olds and now she was being asked to take on a child with special needs. Not having the heart to say no, Shirley said she would accept the child on a trial basis.

The next morning, while Shirley and the children were having circle time, the door opened and the woman came in carrying her child. She introduced herself as Grace’s mother and gingerly placed her girl at the edge of the carpet. Shirley looked at Grace and said, “Welcome to our class. We are very happy to have you.” Grace smiled back shyly.

The first day went really well. Grace only fell over twice. After several days of carrying Grace to and from the playground, Shirley thought, ‘Why not encourage her to try walking along the hallway for just a bit?’ She asked Grace if she would like to try it and Grace said yes eagerly.

The next day, Shirley sent the children out to the playground with two assistants, and Grace began her first journey down the hallway. She walked all the way to the next classroom, a total of ten feet. Shirley and Grace were both thrilled. But Shirley’s assistants were shocked that she was making the poor girl walk. They thought it was better off to carry Grace to the playground where she could see the other children run and play. But Grace was persistent and keen to try.

And so Shirley and Grace began the strenuous task of walking daily down the hall. On a few occasions, Grace would teeter precariously to her right but each time Shirley reached out for help her regain her balance, she would giggle and say not to worry, she’s perfectly alright. As the days passed, Grace made good progress. Soon her classmates noticed what they were doing and began to cheer Grace as she plodded along. After two months of practice, Grace finally walked all the way to the playground by herself. She broke into a big smile as her classmates came to congratulate her with pats on the back and warm hugs.

Weeks passed and Grace continued to walk to the playground by herself every single day. She became more independent and did not have to be carried that much any more. However, one week in mid-December, Grace was absent for a few days. Shirley called her home and found out that Grace was getting her annual check-up with her doctors. On Monday morning, when Grace’s mother brought her back to school, she asked Shirley if she had been doing anything different with Grace. Shirley wasn’t quite sure what she meant. Then came the dreaded question: “Have you been forcing Grace to walk?”

Shirley was dumbfounded. Maybe she shouldn’t have encouraged Grace to walk to the playground every day. Maybe she had caused permanent damage to her weakened legs. She very softly told Grace’s mom that she had encouraged Grace to walk outside to the playground by herself as Grace was keen to try it. The mother gently lifted Grace’s dress to show Shirley that Grace’s knee braces had been replaced with ankle braces.

“Her legs have gotten more exercise in the past few months than in the past five years of her life.” Grace’s mother said with tears in her eyes. “I don’t know how to thank you for everything you have done for my daughter.”

Grace’s story has taught me that no obstacle in life is too big to overcome. Sometimes we just need a little encouragement and help, and most times, you just have to work at it – one step at a time.