Just . Hold . My . Hand

JUST . HOLD . MY . HAND

"Just hold my hand", these 4 words is not as popular or as meaningful as the 3 widely used words - "I love you".... It may be said from a Daddy to his daughter or a boyfriend to his girlfriend, but what happens when it comes out from the mouth of a 4 year old girl to a 3 year old?

This started today, this afternoon in the kindergarten I work in. During daycare, the 3 & 4 year olds were making too much noise and after being warned a couple of times, the teachers couldn't stand it & decided to lure them into a dark classroom without realising they were gonna be punished.

The children about 20 of them went in thinking it was a game or something, but when the teacher asked them to sit on the floor without turning on the lights, some of them kinda understood, and others started crying.

They were left in there, door closed, lights off for a few minutes. By the time I went to take a look, 4 of them were already crying- 3 girls & a boy. The others just stared wide-eyed at us. But this 1 ridiculous boy was smiling so big I found it weird.

So the teachers decided to let them out, knowing they've learned their lesson. Everyone got out except the boy who couldn't stop smiling. Anyway, this is where the depth of it begins, on the way out, this girl Chloe said to another girl "just-hold-my-hand".

Standing there, looking at that picture & listening to these 4 words really striked me. Chloe was crying herself just moments ago & now she is here asking another more frightened girl to take hold of her hand for security, protection, comfort..... I bet she wasnt sure where they were heading cos they were just leaving the room maybe to face greater punishment. But she had the guts to put aside her fear, not knowing what lies ahead and go through this, at the same time helping to lessen the fear of a little girl.

She was acting way beyond her age, better than some young moms, thinking of how her dear little friend was feeling. Just the thought of this really puts me to shame. I realise that what we did to this kids wasn't really abuse I guess, but we were wrong to do such a mean thing. But on the hind side of it, I had a chance to look into a real-life movie, where a girl takes up all her courage to care for the weak despite circumstances......

To be continued.....