One day, a 4th grade teacher told her students to bring in their mothers for Mother's Day.
All of them did.
Except for one little girl.
She brought in one of her fathers.
Whom she called, "Mom".
The teacher was shocked.
The other fathers were disgusted.
The children were confused and amused.
The father said nothing,
Only sat in a chair far away from the rest,
Smiling at his daughter.
The little girl took her place at the podium,
And began to speak.
" I had a mommy.
She loved me very much.
She was kind and brave.
She was funny and nice.
But she was also sick.
Her boyfriends made her sick.
She would stand on the corner,
Even in the rain,
And I told her she would get sick.
But, no, her boyfriends made her sick.
With something called A-I-D-S.
So she was put in the hospital.
For a long long time.
Until she was gone.
She died in my birthday,
The same day she promised she would get better.
I was put in a house,
With 9 other kids.
I didn't like the house.
It was smelly,
And dirty,
And crowded.
And I cried every night for my mommy.
But then one day,
A man came to get me.
He said he was my new daddy.
I liked that,
I've never had a daddy before.
He was married to another man.
Who said he was my mom.
I cried.
I didn't want to remak- rePLACE my mommy.
So he said he would be my other mother.
And that was okay with me.
People would yell at them on the sidewalks.
On the trains.
At the park.
At the beach.
And I asked them why.
My mommy and daddy said that those people couldn't understand yet
The full meaning of love
And how to be true to yourself.
So I see you all.
With misunderman- misunderSTANDing in your eyes.
But both my mommies love me.
And my daddy loves me.
And my big brother,
And my little brother,
Love me too.
So please, learn to love each other.
Because you don't know, what other people go through.
Until you walks a mile,
In their shoes."
The teacher and the students, and the fathers sat in silence for a while.
Until slowly,
One father started to clap.
Then another.
Then another,
Until the whole room was bursting with deafening applause and whistling, that could be heard down in the main lobby.
And the little girl ran to her " mother " who was subtly crying,
And hugged him
Then turned around to address the class,
"A mommy isn't just a woman who made you, it's a people that loves you with all their heart."
And that is how a little 4th grade girl
Taught an entire class
The meaning of love.
