That's where my story begins today. After an amazing weekend here in St. Louis with my friends, during which we ate, played, and relaxed, I found myself in a surprisingly great mood for a Monday. I got to YLC and was on gym duty, which consists of keeping the kids from killing one another in an intense game of kickball. They also get snack right away. One little boy, a second grader, came in and ran for the snack table. He ate his honeybun so quickly, and I was trying to ask him questions about his day. He was finished in about 30 seconds, and I asked him why he was eating so fast. He told me, "There was no dinner last night and no breakfast this morning. I don't even know if there will be dinner tonight." I was shocked. This means that the only meal he had eaten today was the free one that he gets at school. I cannot imagine what he was going through at school today. I know that I personally am a little on edge when I'm super hungry (as in, I may not have eaten since I went out for lunch with my friends and eaten breakfast). That put my life into perspective pretty quickly. It's so hard because I really don't know what I can do to help this boy.
A few hours later, right before we were about to go, a little girl came into the homework center and sat down, staring at her math worksheet. I asked her if she needed help, and she said yes. I asked what grade she was in, and she told me she didn't know. I later found out that she is supposed to be in fourth grade, but she is really in first grade. Even so, her math worksheet had them count by 2s, 5s, and 10s. She was unable to do any of that. She did not know what 5-5 is. She could not add 10 + 5. I was in disbelief. Sure, I could help her get her worksheet done, but one worksheet would not solve all of her problems. I feel so terrible that she, at no fault of her own, has been failed by the public school system and the adults in her life. She could not even identify the letter "t"! I cannot even compare her to my cousins in first and second grade who read so well and are already doing multiplication. It breaks my heart that I cannot fix everything for her with a wave of my magic wand.
Unfortunately, these cases are not atypical among the kids at YLC. I am thankful at least that they have the opportunity to come to the center and work on their skills.
This all makes me even more thankful for the little things today: jump roping with Aaileyah, going to lunch with my friend Kripa, eating my mom's eggplant parmesan for dinner, and having no real finals until next Monday!
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