Before I allowed the much-anticipated awkward moment become any more awkward, I blurted out in front of a classroom full of students "I don't have a mom so I will write to my aunt."
I had handed out the paper for all the students to write a rough draft of their letter to their parents. On the board I had jotted down a quick letter template and had written down some of their suggestions for what to write. The problem though wasn't with what to write but who to write, as in the case of B.
Many noted that they'd only be writing to their mom so I chirped up and said "I don't have a mom so I will write to my aunt".
"Why don't you have a mom?" they asked.
"My mom died, but I am ok. It is hard but I am stronger" I added. And with that comment one kid shouted out, thinking he had just made a great discovery, "so that's why you're a boxer!!!" The irony of the situation was the fact that my mom hated me boxing so that definitely was not why I had become a boxer but if the kids thought it was then, well, who was I to tell them otherwise.
As the children one-by-one were excused from the classroom by the arrival of their parents, I couldn't help but be curious about B's thinking and feelings. He seemed ok but I noted he was uncomfortable when he headed down with me to the staff room. He was the only student there and many of the other staff, who obviously were unaware of his situation, assumed he was there because his parents hadn't come.
"B is going to eat with us.... he's going to eat with me because..." I started to say. "Because he's the most handsome boy!" my assistant intrrupted by saying. And with that everyone giggled and got the hint to not ask.
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