The real reason.

This morning I have been thinking about the real reason that I now have a part time job supervising kids. Lately I have been observing what is going on and I have found that I can relate to several of the souls (big and small) who have been placed in my life from 2:30-5:00 P.M. Monday-Friday. There is a young female staff member who has worked at the facility on and off since she was about 14. She is very efficient, has her own way of doing things and loves the power her job gives her. She is also a bit of a loner. I can relate. There is one little girl who is always the first to arrive. She is the cutest, sweetest child any parent would want to have. There are also a couple of girls of varying ages who are definitely seeking attention. One of them recently told me kids don't like her because they think she is a "geek". I know from my own experience at about the same age exactly how she feels and I have been trying to quietly meet her needs. Sometimes she just wants to know that other people see her. I just had a conversation yesterday with a male volunteer about his presence in the mix. I didn't think he realized that many of these kids do not have a male influence in their homes; as a matter of fact many do not even know who their father is. Just by being in the room he makes a difference in their lives and playing with them is even better. Of course, my biggest reward for the job I am doing is daily contact with my own grandson. I get to observe the way he interacts with his peers and the adults in charge. I consider it a gift that now even his parents, who work full time, have not been given. It looks to me that the real reason I am where I am is as an observer of relationships- big and small.