Standing Ovation

I started a tradition with my Son Chase on the last day of school in second grade, and have continued this almost every year since. I would pick him up from school holding a handcrafted sign for him and his classmates. I would also hand out positive stickers, or other small prizes. I started out recognizing the year he and his friends had just conquered, and acknowledging their new class status. The signs would read something like, "See ya second grade; hellllllllo third grade!" These signs became more and more loved by the kids, and morphed into positive sayings for all of the school that I would hold up until the last of the kids had been picked up, and the last of the buses had rolled away.

The year I made the above sign was the most impactful; for me, my son, his classmates, and many more kids from his junior high. I can't take credit for the quote, I borrowed it from the book Wonder, which Chases's middle school had adopted as their book that year. Every child received a hardbound copy of the book, and had participated in many projects and lessons centered around the book's precepts. I remember thinking to myself when my Son came home talking about the book, "his school is teaching KINDNESS," which in my mind is one of the single most important lessons to be learned.

I had barely finished the sign before the bell, and stood outside the double doors in the sunshine waiting for kids to start pouring out. The gym teacher was playing loud music, bubbles were floating on the warm, soft breeze, and excitement permeated the air. At sight of the first elated kid to bust through those doors, I held my sign up high. Some kids would shyly look, like maybe they felt it wasn't for them. I would offer stickers with hearts, peace signs, and positive sayings. Some kids smiled shyly at the sign, a few had tears in their eyes, some even hugged me. I had tears in my eyes, and a lump in my throat the whole time. I was quietly hoping that every one of these kids had someone telling them everyday how damned awesome they are. I knew that some didn't, but today though, they did.

When my Son came out, he took the sign and held it up. I continued to give stickers away to students, teachers, even other parents, while he beamed and gave more kids their very own standing ovation. When we finally got in the car, I knew this had touched Chase as it had me, and I asked if it would be ok with him if we took the sign around with us on our last day celebration errands. He loved the idea, and even held the sign up against the window as we drove away from school.

We took the sign to our favorite ice cream shop; Ice Cream Renaissance (in Vancouver, WA), which Chase calls the best ice cream in the world. This is a popular hangout for kids, parents, and teens, and our sign garnered some a few strange looks, but mostly smiles. We walked down Main Street with it, and even took it into the nail salon where we got our toes done.

When we got home, we left the sign where we could see it each time we walked in the front door. While tucking him in that night, Chase admitted to me that the sign had made him feel emotional, and he felt like we had done something important that day. A silly tradition had turned into something bigger that year.

Thank you for reading, you can't see me.... but just know that I am here, standing and giving you your very own standing ovation!

Jenn Luokkala