Standing proud

There's times over the last few years with my loveable rogue (LR) when my patience and my ability to win someone round has been really tested.  I've always won of course ;) but it's not been an easy earner to say the least!  Over the last few weeks, I'm seeing someone who has struggled tremendously throughout school life for all sorts of reasons begin to change from the inside.

I cannot tell you how satisfying that is; knowing you can't enforce a change but watching someone realise they can and being part of that enablement.

Today, LR, brought me a file.  I thought it was going to be full of the famous people we'd been reading about who had struggled to read and write at school.  I've been creating colourful newsletter style information sheets over the last few weeks. He'd asked to take them home to pin on his wall.  To be honest, that had felt like a bit of a set up - I really wasn't sure if he was serious.  But he was.

But they weren't in the file.

He asked me to read out loud, starting with the title.

This is the story of my tutor.

Gulp.  I was expecting a bit of ribbing and turned the pages and read aloud with trepidation.  It's the first thing he's ever written out of choice and independently.  And it read magnificently. 

Impressed.  Touched.  Proud.  

This is the ending:

"Jamie Oliver the cook inspired me to right my own book and he was just like me now but when he was my age he had different ideas rather than reading and righting just like me.  That was the story of my tutor.  And I'm really grateful to her and her name is Rebecca."

So, like my brave little meadow pipit, I see the signs.

Standing proud. Inner confidence. Self belief.

I think my heart has melted.