Little People

Last Friday was kind of a watershed for us.
In the morning, after an video meeting with parents from our school our principal asked if anyone would like to bring their kids into our virtual space. One parent called her first grader into the room and for about a minute we had contact with her for the tiniest bit. That was the reason I have been doing all this digital distance preparation.
I have not been in regular contact with all of our young charges since the middle of March. I have made a few phone calls to homes where I have been able to help families connect to Al Gore's Internet. But I haven't seen them. I have heard about them from their teachers. I have even seen a few pictures and a couple short videos letting me know that they are out there. Somewhere.
I didn't see kids.
Then a call went out from Oakland's Tech Exchange that at last we could drop by and pick up Chromebooks for trade. Fourteen refurbished devices for children who need a way to connect up to the school where we all used to have recess and hang out on the steps after the last bell and wait for parents to come pick them up and it seems like so long ago that all of these things happened that I have forgotten how sometimes they used to get under my skin and periodically annoy me.
I haven't completely forgotten, but I can say that I miss it.
Which is why, when my wife extended an invitation to a few of our neighbor kids to come over and use our front yard for a play space, I did not object. Yes, there was some concern about mixing vectors and keeping some semblance of social distancing. Eventually there were six kids, aged two to seven, scampering about our yard. There were only a few moments in their brief visit that my wife felt the need to intercede. One was when the boys chose to put themselves on a team, leaving the lone girl on a team all by herself. Another when one of the four year olds decided to toss his friend's squirt gun across the lawn. These things happen when kids get together. As quickly as the storm brewed, it blew away.
And then they went back to their apartments on either side of our house. We were left alone again, but we had our memories stirred by the sounds and movements of the little people. The ones for whom we are working so hard.
I look forward to seeing them all again.