That Kid

Tonight, I saw "that kid."
You know the one.

Just a note to say, this guy ISN'T "that kid."

He just humored me with a picture.

The kid with hair in his eyes.
The kid who is late to class. Every day.
The kid who vandalized the bathroom.
The kid who completes no work.
Occasionally he turns in something with profanity or a vulgar picture on it,
just to keep you guessing.


The kid who laughs as he bullies another student.
The kid who claims his goal is to get suspended.
The kid who, by this time of year, is REALLY hard to have in class.
You're tired.
And this kid has never tried.
And it is really really hard to keep looking for good.
To give him a fresh start every day.

I saw THAT kid tonight.

Except that he was a man.
And he had a job that he was doing well.
And his hair was cut neatly.
And he made eye contact and spoke politely.


And he wasn't using his kid nickname any more. He had a man's name.
And I had to ask him, because I just wasn't sure: "Are you THAT kid?!?!"


And he was someone who looked successful. And happy. And different.
I saw that kid tonight, friends, and I remembered the hours you and I put into him.

I remembered the meetings.
The frustration.
The sheer annoyance.
The desire to give up. 
But we didn't. Even when he pushed hard against us, daring us to give up.
We didn't.
We did our jobs.
We tried new tricks.
We supported each other.
We kept on.
And we told that kid, "You matter."

And somehow, somewhere along the line, something worked. 
Because I saw that kid.
And he's a man you'd be proud of.

It's May.
And it's hard.
And that kid is making you crazy.
And it would be so much easier to throw in the towel.
Don't.


That kid needs you.
And what you are doing is important.
And someday you'll be blessed to see him as an adult and it will be AWESOME.
You've got this.
You are exactly what that kid needs.
You. Are. Exactly. What. He. Needs.