Special Encounters
by Tamara Zenz

There was a little boy who I only spent one day of my life with, but who changed my world. I had earned a degree in English and was working as a substitute teacher. During my student teaching experience, I had found that I most enjoyed working with At-Risk youth. I was toying with the idea of getting some additional certification, but not really wanting to go back to school after just completing five years of college. Then, one day I was called to a local elementary school to substitute for a Teacher Assistant there. She was an individual aide for a little boy named David. David was in first grade, but functioned like a 6 month-old. I think the school staff was worried I’d be afraid of working with such a child because they reassured me that he had a full-time nurse and other specialists that did most of the work with him. To everyone’s surprise, including my own, I wasn’t the least bit uncomfortable with him. There was an immediate connection when I looked into his eyes. His spirit was so bright that it felt like it illuminated the room. That little boy touched my heart in ways that to this day I still don’t understand. I spent the day doing sensory stimulation with him and basking in his smile. He must have enjoyed our time together too, because he kept blowing me kisses. He did not know it, but he caused me to decide to pursue a Masters in Special Education and he set me on the path to find my calling and my passion. A few years later, I was saddened to come across David’s obituary in the newspaper. This discovery only confirmed what I had already believed- he was an angel sent to Earth to teach everyone who met him and he couldn’t stay for long.