At Christmas time every year, the PTA at my school kindly opens a Santa Shop. For one week, our students can visit the Santa Shop and buy little odds and ends as gifts for their families and friends. As one of my students, Tiraji, said to me as we walked down the hall after he bought his gifts, “I didn’t want anything for myself, Mr. Barton. I mean, Christmas is about giving, right? I can’t wait to give these gifts to my mom, my grandma, and my brothers and sisters.” He is exactly right. Most of our students feel the way he does. Christmas is about giving.
At the end of the day today, Mauro walked over to me and handed me a small bag. “Here Mr. Barton, I bought this for you at the Santa shop?”
Mauro is from Guatemala. He came here to Greenville, South Carolina seeking una vida mejor, a better life, with his family. The truth is, he makes a better life for me by being in my classroom.
“Oh Mauro,” I said, “You bought a gift for me? You’re so kind!”
I opened the bag and there was a brand new pen.
“I got this for you because you’re a writer,” he smiled, “So you can use it to write stories.”
I was overwhelmed.
What a gift - the pen itself, and the thoughtfulness within the giving of it.
I turned the pen in my hand. It is an ink pen and a stylus, so I can write in my notebook and on my iPad, the two places where I do my writing work.
There on the side of the pen was the word ‘MOM.”
“I know you’re not my mom,” said Mauro with a glitter in his earthy brown eyes. “But you are my teacher.”
He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and hugged me.
“Thanks,” he said and he walked back to his place at his table.
Thank you, Mauro.
I know you are my student, but you are my teacher, too.
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