Stories of Kindness from Around the World

I work in an office that registers and runs classes for parish children wanting to take religious education classes. Over 800 kids register each summer for classes in the fall. 

I try to make sure that children return the next year, maybe giving them one year off occasionally if they need it.

This Fall I received a registration form  for a girl in 5th grade and noticed that her mom didn't register her brother last year, nor again this year.

I called to ask why the boy wasn't being put in a class. She explained that a few years back we couldn't get a volunteer for her son's class and she had had to teach him at home. The mom said he felt rejected because his friends were allowed into classes but he wasn't. 

The person who told her there was no teacher for his class just gave her a book to teach him from and left her to it. They could not understand why one more child couldn't be squeezed into a class.

They didn't know there was a long waiting list and the person she had spoken to had been too busy to explain. I know because I was, most likely, that person.

During the first days of Fall when classes are beginnng it is crazy and hectic and I probably didn't handle the situation with the care and compassion that I usually try to show. But now I had the time to talk properly with her, even if it was on the phone!

I told her it must have been me two years ago and I apologized for not being able to get a teacher for her son's class. I explained the waiting list situation and, most importantly, told her how sorry I was for making her son feel rejected like that. I told her we wanted him back in class and asked what could we do to get him to join us. 

Together we worked it out and were able to get her son and daughter in classes that worked with their schedule. She was very pleasant and I think she appreciated the fact that I apologized and sincerely cared enough for her son to spend lots of time on the phone with her figuring out how to accommodate both of her children.

Owning up is hard to do, but it feels better than passing the buck!