I have read to kids in the SMART program for five years now and several times I’ve stopped my work and drove to SMART thinking, “Do I really have time to do this when there is so much work back at the office?” After reading to those little sweethearts, I found myself saying, “Are you kidding, how could you not take the time to read to these children?” I always left feeling better than when I arrived. They seemed to have a way of melting your heart each time.
One of my favorites is the little girl who had a disability with speaking and learning. She could not speak a word that I could understand; yet we would sit and laugh and point at picutres and before the year was over she had key words to say on the pages of the book. The fear that I faced thinking, “How am I going to make a difference for her soon?” disappeared as we began making little milestones with a few words here and there. By the end of the year, she was much improved and I felt a sense of gratefulness that I got to be one of the few who experienced the joy of her accomplishments. Our kids truly need us and I hope to continue my journey with SMART for years to come.