Caring from a distance

It was just a few days after Valentines Day when I saw the news on WDIV. Webster School in Livonia had been destroyed by a suspicious fire. I thought about what that would mean for the kids and teachers and parents who would have to salvage the last few months of school. I also thought about the time when a fire killed the family of a boy in kindergarten at my school, and about how for months afterward, I refused to look at the charred house, how it haunted me to the point of phobia. The power of destruction and loss was very concrete to a five year-old.

It was only a few days ago when I found out that story, which seemed so remote, had a personal connection. One of the teachers affected was Laurel Green; her grandmother, my friend, was worried about how she would be able to meet the needs of her twelve developmentally disabled students. They come from all over Western Wayne County, and function at a toddler level.

Since the classroom was totally destroyed, and since insurance takes a while, replacing learning materials was an immediate problem. The students began last week in a new school, and the PTO was working hard to solicit new or used items. Immediately, I was on the site where her needed materials were listed, getting ready to supply what I could immediately find on Cranesbill's shelves.

Now you may ask why I would write about this, given that our community is thirty miles away and that at this moment, many of our families are in their own troubled waters. But when bad things happen to others far away, I think about them and want to help. In part it's my family's training: always to think of others less fortunate. Also, it's my belief that we need to think of children as a highly important resource, no matter what their limitations. And in part, the connection that I had to the particulars prompted me to act.

These days, we want to distinguish ourselves from each other in so many ways. There are religious differences, economic and educational differences, dietary differences, and even different attitudes toward the technological and cultural changes of our day. Some in our community would tell me that to be charitable toward a group of kids that lived in suburban Detroit was nice, but didn't matter since the whole area is a disaster. Others might suggest classroom needs closer to home. They have arrested the arsonist, but the problem is still not totally solved. Mrs. Green makes do with what she has, but is a long way from replacing the materials she lost.

In many ways, we should worry that we find ourselves in a world where we are separated by distance and difference. We Americans have always been known for our charitable nature, our willingness to pitch in. Kids are kids, and no matter when they were born and what abilities they have, they deserve a chance. So if you know that you might be able to help out with a few small items, you can visit Mrs. Green's Primary 2 Wish List.

Whatever anyone says, the kids are the ones who need our help, no matter that they are from a different place than ours.