A Heartwarming Incident
I was practicing during a public session one day when I saw one kid that I normally see at the same time each week. This is a special-needs child who takes lessons. I’ve gotten to know him over the years, and he often likes to show off his new skills to me during the public session. This kid has come a long way over the years. What once was a timid, scared little boy is now a confident, funny and cheerful young man.
I waved at the young man while we were getting our skates on. It just seemed like a regular day. Then I went on the ice and went about my business.
A few minutes into my warmup, the young man’s coach came over to me. She told me something that really warmed my heart. She said that she had just been on the phone with the skater’s mother, who had warned the coach that her son was in an extremely bad mood that day. The coach expected to have a difficult lesson. Surprisingly, the skater was in a great mood. Do you know what she said to me?
“As soon as he saw you (and two other adult skaters), his bad mood went away. He likes you.”
That comment really lifted my spirits. This boy puts a smile on my face every time I see him, and we often play silly games while he’s in his lesson. I look forward to his smiles each week.
I can’t imagine the challenges and barriers he faces on a daily basis. Just knowing that I was able to be one of the reasons to alter his mood is heartwarming. Although his coach said that I made him smile, I actually think the opposite is true. He’s the one that makes me smile, and I am very thankful for it.
