Disappointment

I was working my normal Friday afternoon shift yesterday when I got a phone call.

"Apropos, this is Cate." (They call me Cate at the store because the owner's name is Kathy... we avoid all kinds of confusion that way...)

I hear Asia's voice. "Your son is devastated."

In the background, I hear nothing short of wailing - and it sounds like it's coming from the older of my two boys.

My heart immediately starts thumping in my chest. I hate it when something happens to one of my kids and I can't be there. Sympathy is not Asia's strong point, so I just want to run home and give hugs where needed and let K. tell me what's going on...

"What happened?"

Asia explains... apparently there are district-wide enrollment shortfalls for our schools, and because of that they have to make adjustments with class lists and teachers. K.'s teacher - the man he hoped he would get all summer long - is being sent to another school and K. has been re-assigned to another classroom - with a woman teacher.

Life lesson: sometimes really unfair stuff happens and there's not a lot we can do about it.

This hurts my boy so much - he was so sad he could barely tell me about it on the phone through his great shuddering sobs... my heart is broken for him.

Now, I know, in the grand scheme of things, this will not affect him long term. But I do worry: his best buddy got transfered to a different class, and he struggles with being teased at school sometimes. Now he's lost his best ally in class... He loves school, but I'm concerned that his disappointment may lead to a lack of enthusiasm about 5th grade... he got the shaft after all.

Ugh - I'm just angry that he has to go through this.

I never know what to do with this kind of anger. It doesn't do any good to call the principal - this goes way beyond her and I know she is just doing what the district tells her to do. I found out when I read the letter K. brought home that some kids are even having to change schools - our school will be absorbing 1st and 2nd graders from two other elementary schools. I am SO thankful that our kids weren't affected that way - it could be much worse. But - it still doesn't make this any easier. Stuff like this just shouldn't happen and I want to raise some heck... I won't though - because I need to set a good example and because I know it wouldn't accomplish anything.

So there you go. Monday is going to be a hard morning. He's supposed to go to school and go to his regular classroom (where the absence of his teacher will be painfully obvious) and then they'll pack up and move to their new rooms. I'm debating whether I should go with him, to help him carry his stuff and meet the new teacher... I probably will. And I think I'll take him out to Starbucks Monday night, for a little Mommy/Son time... I'm sure there's a lot of teaching opportunities here, but we may just go out and eat a lot of fattening goodies and agree with each other - "Sometimes, life blows."