Thyri

The first ten years of my School District career I spent in a PreK classroom as a Teacher's Aide. It was one of the most rewarding times in my life. I loved the children, our program and our school. We were a 200 student school of only 4 year olds. We were like family.
In my ten years there, I had many students I adored, but like most anyone who spent time in a classroom, I had some I will never forget. That is how I came to know Thyri. (Tie-ree)
Thyri came into our classroom every day with a huge smile that lit up his face, a hug as big as a gorilla's, and a happiness that radiated my soul. Thyri was the second oldest of four children being raised by his mother in a housing project nearby. Aside from his smile, good nature and his eagerness to please, he was an average 4 year old boy.
Because he was 4 years old, he had energy that most of us wish we could bottle. He wasn't hyper, but all boy through and through. Since I couldn't harness that energy, we spent many a day on the playground at outside time running laps. Thyri would race the entire class and win everytime. Some days he would run laps around the playground alone, each time stopping to ask me how he was doing. I would reply, "Very fast, but I think you can run faster!" To which he would take off again at top speed.
Over the years I thought about Thyri, his smile, his energy. I hoped all was going well for him and his mom, who expected the best from all her children, manners, cleanliness, honesty, good grades. From time to time I would hear about his sisters, but never Thyri, until this past Thursday night.
Thursday night my younger son's high school, West Tech and my older two boys high school, Escambia, played each other at a 9th grade football game. I was manning the pass gate, which gave me a good view of the stadium, so I got to watch the game in between checking passes. Not many people come to 9th grade games, so I could see most of the game. During the first quarter, Escambia had the ball on about the 50 yard line when all of the sudden #14 took off downfield for a touchdown. I heard one of the boys standing there say "Did you see Thyri go?"
In my mind I made a connection, there couldn't possibly be more than a few Thyri's around. Later on, as I was talking to my oldest son's old soccer coach, this same #14 blew down the field again for a touchdown. This time the coach asked one of the boys, "Was that McBride?" It was then I knew it was my Thyri.
"Thyri McBride?" I asked the coach. "Yes," came his answer. I then told him the whole story, how he was in my PreK classroom, how he ran and ran and ran every day at playground time.
"I guess all his running has paid off" was his comment to me.
I brought up his name later in the game to the Asst. Principal, who is also a friend of mine. He told me that Thyri still had that same huge smile, and a great attitude in school. He told me I should see Thyri after the game, so I did.
I stopped him as he came up the hill but no he didn't remember me. (they never do from PreK) I congratulated him on his 3 touchdowns and told him the story about all the running he did in PreK. I told him that I heard good things about him and I was proud of him. The whole time, he smiled and laughed and nodded, genuinely interested in an old woman's tales of his childhood. He told me his mom and sisters were doing fine. Finally, I shook his hand and let him go on with his teammates, but assured him I would be in the stand cheering him on for the next 4 years.
I never in a million years dreamed that energetic, running boy would go on to be the fine young man he is today. Talking with him that night I still saw that same smile that came through the door and lit up my day so many years ago. We have both touched each others lives. You just never know how.

:J