Compassion

Have you heard of narwhals? 

Along with the bowhead and beluga whales, they are Arctic whales, living their whole lives in the icy waters of the Arctic ocean. 

They’re called the unicorns of the sea because they have a single horn that protrudes up to nine feet out of their foreheads. 

In older days, their horns were given to the kings and queens of Europe to use as scepters, for many thought there was great power and even magic in them.

It's not really a horn, though. 

It's a tooth. 

Like a human tooth, it’s very, very sensitive. 

If a narwhal tooth breaks, it causes the poor narwhal a sharp and abiding pain. 

When that break happens, an astonishing thing happens in the life of the narwhal whale. 

Another narwhal places its tooth into the broken tooth of the hurting narwhal and that act of kindness assuages the pain.

Wow!

I saw that kind of kindness at recess today.

We were playing dodge ball on the basketball court.

A gaggle of fourth graders was moving from one side of the court to the other, trying to dodge the big, red, rubber ball flying off the hand of a thrower.

Alana was in that gaggle.

Someone accidentally bumped her and knocked her to the ground.

The hands and knees of 9 and 10 year olds rarely win against asphalt.

Alana rose up and limped toward me with her palms outstretched.

I looked closely at them.

“Hmmm,” I said.

I brushed away some tiny pieces of gravel that were stuck to her skin.

“There’s no blood, so that’s good. I know it hurts, though. Why don’t you sit there in the sun and see if they feel better. If they don’t, I’ll send you to the nurse. If they do, you can play again.”

She limped toward the sunny spot on the concrete sidewalk beside the court and sat down.

Big, fourth grade tears began to roll out of her eyes and down her cheeks.

Three students ran toward her and huddled around her.

I wish you could have seen the care and concern in those kids faces and in their actions.

Ah, compassion.

It warmed my heart on an otherwise cold, blustery day.

It made me think of narwhals.

It made me smile.

All in a day in public school.