I'm a Big Sister with Big Brothers Big Sisters. I meet with my 'little' once a week for an hour at her school. Today, I went for my weekly meeting and as I stood outside the classroom where I normally pick her up, her teacher walked up to me pretty aggressively.
She then launched into a rant about how my 'little' was stealing Sharpies from her and how my 'little' was a total disruption and a thief and a waste of my time.
Just then, my 'little' walked toward the classroom. The teacher then went inside the classroom, made a 'shoo' hand motion toward my 'little', and slammed the door.
Sigh.
I went to the library with my 'little' and she told me her half of the story, which, was a far cry from the teacher's story. In fact, it was the total opposite. Shocking.
The truth, I'm sure, is somewhere in the middle. I'm sure my little wasn't trying to steal Sharpies. I'm sure the teacher thought she was because of her past behavior. I'm sure that in one year no one will care about those Sharpies.
I'm also sure that pretty much everything I've heard in the past week -at work, at home, volunteering, even in my own head-is only one version of the truth. The real truth always seems to be buried under pride, miscommunications, fear, and struggle. The real truth is only available to those who want to listen and understand.
I wonder just how many conflicts and hurt feelings, how many misunderstandings and nights of anxiety could be allayed if everyone put others first, themselves second, and took just one minute to understand and trust.
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