Thursday became John's favorite day (and a great tool in encouraging him to behave in the earlier days of the week). Art Class was an arena in which John could shine apart from his parents and siblings. It was entirely his, and he loved it. In the act of creating artwork, his sometimes ruffled spirit quieted, his frustrations melted away. I picked up a calmer, more peaceful child than I had dropped off, and the effects lingered beyond that afternoon. I joke about Art being therapy, but it's not really a joke. Art does something for this boy that no amount of anything else can do. It takes him away from the demands and frustrations of the moment and returns him more equipped to handle those demands and work through his frustrations. I suspect Art does this for all of us, actually, but its soothing effects are more evident on some than others.
On top of these blessings, I discovered another treasure. John's art teacher, a soft-spoken, middle-aged man who shared he had his own strong-willed child, really seemed to enjoy John. Not just teach, not just tolerate, but enjoy. It may be my imagination, but his eyes seemed to shine a little when he spoke of John. I'm sure I saw a twinkle as he called John "a prolific artist," and told how John didn't always follow directions exactly, but often had his own ideas of what he wanted to do and proceeded enthusiastically with his ideas. I cringed a little to hear that my son was clearly not following directions, but his teacher seemed to appreciate John's creativity and determination. In other areas, (say, reading, writing, math, penmanship, etc.) creativity and determination sometimes cause a bit of tension, but Art, true Art, begs for these traits. Artists must be creative and determined; essentials must be learned and mastered, but Artists ultimately must forge their own paths if their work is to be worthy of the name "Art." Mr. M. seemed to see a glimpse of the Artist in John and delight in it.
We had a couple different art classes to choose from this year. We're going back to Mr. M., mainly because he let his eyes shine when he spoke of John. He understood and appreciated sometimes exasperating aspects of my creative child's personality. His understanding of John caused me to pause to appreciate John's amazingly creative, astoundingly determined, awesome little spirit - a spirit that shines with the joy of creation every Thursday afternoon. I realized anew what wonders God had placed in the heart of my little boy and marveled at thoughts of what my creative, determined boy might someday become.
I guess the point of all of this is threefold. First, if you are a teacher or anyhow involved with children, please let your eyes shine when you speak of them. Remind their mothers and fathers how precious, how beautiful, how promising their babies are. They may have lost sight of that in the struggles of the day. Second, if you are a parent, allow your child room to shine. Give him space. Encourage his passions. Give him someone who sees the good in him and will inspire you and him to believe that he is an amazing human being bound for wonders beyond your imagination, that the very things that drive you to your knees will be the things that establish him as a great man. And third...
... If you are my son John, shine with all the brilliance of the amazing boy you are!
(And because I'd be a bad mom if I didn't tell you this... listen to your art teacher!)
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