“Sometimes, if you just sit back and let the children show you, you learn so much from them, and the outcome is greater than you could have expected.”
That’s the big takeaway from the special story of Thomas and Nathan Brose, two young brothers from McAnnulty Elementary whose unique friendship was recently featured in a heartwarming story on Good Morning America.
Nathan has autism spectrum disorder, which includes difficulties expressing himself. When his older brother Thomas noticed that Nathan seemed anxious in his classroom, Thomas volunteered to help Nathan walk to school and get ready for his day, because he thought that might help Nathan stay calm and have a better time in school.
That simple act has become a beloved routine for the Brose brothers. It has also greatly improved Nathan’s experience in the classroom, as the joy he gets from starting each morning with his brother helps him feel more relaxed and confident all day.
Seeing the brothers holding hands and smiling in the hallway has also lifted the hearts of many McAnnulty teachers and parents, including the boys’ own parents, Jill and Tom. They proudly admit that seeing Thomas’s heartfelt acts of kindness every morning inspires them to want to be the best parents they can be.
It’s true that a simple act of kindness can turn a person’s whole day around. It can also change how they feel about themselves, and even how they see the world. Kindness is a lesson that our children learn at the earliest age. Iit’s also one that we adults — who are often too focused on the “big picture” to notice the little things that really matter — need to be reminded of regularly.
What other lessons are our children teaching us each day, if we can only take the time to listen and learn?