I don't remember which year it was - must have been 4th or 5th as it was when I started to be badly bullied by the others. I don't remember her name. Many mornings, she would sit with me and brush my hair and ask me how I was. Having my long hair (back then it was waist length) brushed was so soothing, and it meant that my days started in a way that was somewhat less bleak than they became.
She made sure my days started with kindness in an environment where the other children were often unkind. As an adult, I see now she didn't need to do this and, in fact, was taking a risk to do so (this was when they started making it so teachers couldn't hug students). And yet she did it, for no reason other than to be kind to me.
Meditating on today's prompt, I remembered her. This is a kindness I do not know if I can repay to her, so I will pay it forward.
