At Least Until The Bell Rings

This morning, I had a student tell me about her dreams from last night. She dreamed that one monster was under her bed and that another was in the closet—both were big, black, and scary—with red, slanted eyes and sharp fangs for teeth. The monsters kept trying to eat her brother. Then her brother told me about his bad dream. He dreamed that his dad died.

I've seen Monsters Inc. It's actually one of my favorite movies. But somehow, I'd forgotten that kids still think that there are monsters in their closets and under their beds. Actually, I think I’d come to believe that modern American kids have outgrown being afraid of monsters because of Monsters Inc.’s ending and because of the fact that I’ve had numerous kids tell me that they laugh at scary movies.

So when I heard my students talking about their bad dreams and fear of monsters this morning, my heart broke. I wanted to scoop them into my arms and hug them and tell them that the monsters in their heads and under their beds aren’t real and that they don’t have to be afraid.

But I couldn’t do that.
The bell rang.
And they had to go to classes that I didn’t teach today.
And then they had to go home…thankfully to parents who are a steady presence in their lives and will, indeed, tell them that they are okay.

But what about the others? What about the students who don’t have steady parents to scoop them into their arms and tell them they are safe? What about the students who don’t have stable parents to help them know what is real and what is make-believe and what is in the grey in between?

Such were the questions on my mind when I began preparing the morning announcements, and such was the reason that the thought of the day was this:

Don't worry, little one,
You have nothing to fear.
Just take my hand and hold on tight
And know that I am here.

When your dreams at night get creepy,
When your thoughts scare you out of sleep,
Just take my hand and hold on tight
And know your heart I'll keep.

I love you seems so simple
Yet more passionate words seem few
So take my hand and hold on tight
And feel my love for you.

Don't worry, little one,
You have nothing to fear.
Just take my hand and hold on tight
And know that I am here.

I don’t know if anyone heard the thought of the day or not.
But I know I had to read it.
Because I know that all of us,
No matter how young or old,
rich or poor,
strong or weak,
quiet or loud,
Need to hear the words
“Don’t worry, little one,
You have nothing to fear.
Just take my hand and hold on tight
And know that I am here...”