Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Thoughts on my boy Jonathan

Jonathan has not been doing his book reviews lately.  Sorry about that, it is not that we haven't been reading, it is just that we forget to sit down and write them.  Tonight we finished a great book.  It is pretty new, published just last year, and is not part of a series (yet... I guess it is possible that there will be another book...).  It is called Mighty Monty and was written by Johanna Hurwitz.  If you have a child, especially a boy, but any child first grade who likes to read chapter books, I highly reccomend it.  It is a very real life story, about a very average boy.  He has asthma, and he lives in a residential neighborhood.  He goes to school, is in first grade.  Just a pretty regular kid.  The stories are powerful though.  I love that there are no bad guys, and that the struggles that he goes through (and triumphs in by the way) are the kind of struggles that every kid goes through.  It is just great.  Read it!

The second thing about Jonathan that I wanted to write is that he has a friend at school.  Yes I know that is shocking.  I heard about his friend for the first time a little while ago.  He told me that she is not in his class, and that he likes to play with her at recess.  That was the long and the short of it.  Then one day he expressed anxiety about getting in on time at recess.  He was worried that he would get in trouble because some of his friends have gotten in trouble for being too slow.  I asked if he had ever gotten in trouble and he said no, I asked if he had a hard time getting back on time, and he said well sometimes because he walks his friend back.  At this point I started to get curious about this friend.  Then one day I met his friend.  Things started to make more sense.  His friend is handicapped.  I am not sure how, Jonathan doesn't know the name, but maybe MS?  She walks with a limp and speaks with a slur.  But she and Jonathan are great friends.  Tonight we ran into her and her family at swim lessons.  Apparently her little brother is in Nicholas's class.  Joanthan and his friend ran around playing, and it was great to see how happy they both were playing together.  I am so proud of him that he is able to see her for the sweet person she is and not get caught up in her limp or her slurred speech.  I can't understand her when she talks, but he can.  When we asked her questions he would repeat her answers for me so that I could understand.  It was such a great experience to see.  He is such a great kid!

2 comments:

Brooke Barragan said...

that is really cool. what a great kid you have.

Anonymous said...

I was at his school and saw a picture of the girl with another kid we know, the picture explained that the girl has carable palsy (sp). It made my heart feel good too to know that my son has no problems with people, his soul shines when he is near this girl. It was also nice to have her father give me a hearty handshake that seemed to express his thankfulness to my kid, I guess we did not ruin him too bad. I love ya too Jonathan!

Dion/Daddy