Glitter Station Conversations

JT and I teach a 1st grade class for our church's "kidZ conneXion" every week.  We love the time we spend with our class, each child's personality and disposition is so unique that it makes every weekend different from the last. Yesterday, being Mother's Day, we decided to do a craft as a gift for the many mothers and/or grandmothers that we see weekly.  We brought in clay pots, along flowers to plant and let the kids' imaginations run wild as they decorated their pots.

In one corner of the room, I set up a "Glitter Station" - mainly because I wanted to confine the millions of shimmering glitter pieces to a smaller area to help with clean-up, but also because I like any one-on-one time I can spend talking to the kids.  Oftentimes, they seem intimidated to open up and "be themselves" with their peers standing right next to them.  Having one child at a time participate in my "Glitter Station" allowed for more personal conversations.

I was privileged to many secretive plans for Mother's Day gifts that would be given after church. I learned where different families were going to celebrate the day. I giggled right along with some of them as they joyously told me of ways they planned to help their moms around the house. But my favorite glitter station conversation came from a sweet, thoughtful little guy named Luke.

While we were working diligently on his flower pot, Luke looked at me and said,

"Mrs. Bell, I just wanted to tell you Happy Mother's Day."

He paused. Then went on to say,

"You know, since you don't have any kids to say it to you yet."

Oh Luke, your sweet, thoughtful words meant more to me than you will every realize. The thoughtfulness of those sweet, honest words will be a conversation I will carry in my heart for years to come. (Smile) And despite the somewhat messy clean-up, you can bet "Mrs. Bell" will be setting up glitter stations for years to come. :)