Ships and Friends Written 1-28-13

Number 3 has been studying the war of 1812 in school, and wanted to bring his replica of the Barque Eagle to school to show the class.  This desire to bring the ship is not new.  He has wanted to take it for one reason or another on about a monthly basis since school started, and I keep telling him no.  I say no because I am worried that the ship might not really be relivant to what they are studying, or that it might get broken, or that he will be disapointed by his classmates reception to it.  Anyway last friday I finnally gave in and emailed his teacher about the possibility of him bringing it in, and this morning snow flurries not withstanding we took it in.  I am so glad we did.
He dusted it all the way to school, and reluctanatly handed it over to me to carry into school.  As he walked proudly ahead holding the doors open I saw several childern stopping to get a glance at the ship. I stopped worrying about the kids in his class not liking it.  The wall across from his classroom door was covered in gallien cut out shapes with paragraphs written on them about the great sea battle in the war of 1812. So, I could stop worrying about it not being relevant to what they had studdied. I only had one worry left.
All weekend long I kept meaning to go over with him what to say about the ship, but life got in the way and I didn't.  When he recieved the ship we spent months talking about it and going on line to learn about it. We watched the videos of it sailing and watched the coast guard training on it, but that was almost a year ago and I wasn't sure how much he remembered.  He did just fine, maybe not as information riddled as my presentation would have been, but great for him.  As I watched him talking to the class and answering their questions he looked like he fit in, and I could tell he felt like it too.
At the end his teacher asked him where he got the ship.  He said he got it from a lady because he helped her clean her house.  Such a simple answer for such a marvolous gift.  Driving home I was so grateful for that gift. I know it was more than just for cleaning.  I know that she was inspired to give it to 3. We were there helping her clean her house after her husband died, and she really wouldn't let us do much. 3 was totally enammored by the ship and wouldn't stop looking at it. She told him he could take it.  I told her no that it was too valuable, but she insisted saying that she thought her husband would have wanted him to have it.
I hope someday that she can know how much her gift meant to 3 today.  He is having such a hard time finding friends since the move, and he is so lonely at school.  He doesn't seem to know what to do or how to make friends.  Today it was more than a ship, it was a bridge bringing him closer to his classmates, and it was one more reason I love my old friends.  The one who gave the gift and the one who inspired her to do so.