Duck Face

 

One day last week, as I started my day at Rainbows, I heard a ruckus coming from the Toddler room. Tiegan had just been dropped off by her mommy and was crying, inconsolable. As I walked past, I saw the little one, her wet face pressed against the window in the door to the room. Tiegan and Lia, her mommy, are two of my favorite people at RUI. Lia is a Case Manager just down the hall.

My heart went out to the young tot, and I bent down to look at her. Tiegan looked so sad, I knew I needed to do a little encouraging. I smiled, I said her name, I talked to her...nothing. So I made my duck face. And it worked.

As you know, I have no problem looking silly, or acting crazy. It's just what I do.

Tiegan's tears stopped, and she looked puzzled at first. Then I made another face, and she laughed out loud. Soon all the toddlers in the room were gathered around the window, watching me make faces, giggling, and trying to duplicate my facial gymnastics.

There is no more complete joy, or sense of satisfaction, than making a roomful of children laugh. I walked back to my office, three feet off the ground.

***

Notable Quote:

"A hundred years from now
it will not matter
what my bank account was,
the sort of house I lived in,
or the kind of car I drove.
But the world may be different
because I was important
in the life of a child."--Forest Witcraft, The Scoutmaster's Prayer